While having never played the game, it is admittedly difficult to deny Minecraft’s global popularity. According to its own statistics, the game bolstered over 68 million total users (from roughly 400,000 to over 1,000,000 active users throughout a day), across 75+ different countries on over 11,000 servers. Many of which are nations without freedom of the press.
It was exactly this reason that Reporters Without Borders (RSF) partnered with Blockworks to create one of RSF boldest projects to date, The Uncensored Library. A project that aims to empower citizens living in countries without freedom of press by providing access to banned journalism through a loophole that is Minecraft.
As one of the world’s leading non-profit organization in the fight for freedom on information, the RSF was founded to answer one simple question. Posted on the organization’s website, under Presentation, states: “Freedom of expression and information will always be the world’s most important freedom. If journalists were not free to report the facts, denounce abuses, and alert the public, how would we resist the problem of children-soldiers, defend women’s rights, or preserve our environment?” It is this inherent power to speak up that exists in journalism that many world leaders are seeking to control or dilute.
Thus, The Uncensored Library project was born. Created by Blockworks, a U.K. based company with a mission to provide creative Minecraft solutions to their clients. Can’t comprehend with it is that they do? Don’t worry, I did not either. Here is a link to their portfolio and research behind the use of Minecraft as an educational tool.
Through this project, the RSF was able to deliver a platform for censored journalism into countries that are in fact ranking at the bottom of the organization’s World Press Freedom Index. Inside the library is a collection of independent reportings that were deemed as anti-state propagandas in countries such as Vietnam, Egypt, Iran, and the likes, republished inside Minecraft’s books. The result is honestly beyond the widest dream.
Imagine reading the most “forbidden” text in the safest, most elegant library there is. The Map and Presskit to The Uncensored Library is free to download on their home page, so go and give it a try, and sneakily tell your friends to check it out, especially if they are living in countries that are deemed without freedom of pres.
As a Vietnam-born human being, I thank you.
First Time Game Reviewer 