Cities of Refuge 1
form of a general assembly, in which, among other
things, the Board is elected. All members of ICORN are expected to attend these meetings. A brief history Since the early 1990s, cities around the world have been taking the initiative to invite for a certain period of time writers and journalists who are unable practise their profession freely in their home country. This was initially organised through the International Parliament of Writers (IPW), presided over by author Salman Rushdie. When the IPW closed down, the remaining cities–including Stavanger and Barcelona —ICORN, the International Cities of Refuge, was established in 2006. When ICORN was founded, the programme was primarily for writers, but has since 2014 officially included musicians, visual and performancing artists. The Swedish ICORN network Any city, region or municipality in Sweden that wishes to support freedom of expression for writers, musicians and artists can become a City of Refuge within ICORN. The Swedish part of the ICORN network consists primarily of coordinators, relevant administrative staff and politicians in the Swedish Cities of Refuge. It also includes former and current artists in residence. Additionally, the extended network incorporates people at the Swedish Arts Council and national cultural and freedom of expression partners with experience and engagement in the ICORN programme in Sweden. The Swedish network usually gathers at least once a year. The Cities of Refuge take turns hosting the network meeting, which is organised together in cooperation with the National ICORN Coordinator of the Swedish Cities of Refuge. During these meetings, discussions are held about current issues that have arisen during the year, but above all, the meetings provide an opportunity for participants to meet, make new contacts and share experiences. Contact ICORN for an up-to-date list of Cities of Refuge in Sweden and their respective contact details: www.icorn.org or see the Swedish Arts Council’s page on Cities of Refuge: www.kulturradet.se/fristad 7/49