Reporters Without Borders found a new way to preserve freedom of speech by hosting censored articles on an open Minecraft server. The non-governmental organization was founded in 1985 to protect independent journalism and defend media workers. It currently holds the status as the world's biggest NGO with such an aim.
If Minecraft could be defined by one word, that word would be freedom. The game offers players the freedom to build almost anything they can imagine, and since its release, people have been doing just that. Almost anywhere you turn on the internet, you can find galleries full of stunning, awe-inspiring Minecraft creations. These can be faithful recreations of famous fictional settings and real-world monuments, fantastical and original works that serve as testaments to the imagination of their creators, or even the entire country of Denmark, which was built on a 1:1 scale by the Danish Geodata Agency. With the legendary amounts of creative freedom offered by the game, it's no surprise that it's attracted the attention of NGOs who hope to use it as a way to spread their message.
The latest NGO to do this is Reporters Without Borders, who are using Minecraft as what they call in their blog post (via GamesIndustry.biz) a "backdoor;" a way to host articles that are censored in their native countries and make them accessible to players around the world. They've created a server called the Uncensored Library, which hosts numerous censored articles from five countries where press freedom is at critically low levels. The articles are copied into in-game books that can be read but not altered by any player who accesses the server. This allows these previously repressed stories to make their way to readers around the world without any risk of their messages being altered or censored in any way.
In true Minecraft fashion, these articles are hosted in a massive, grand building that Reporters Without Borders claims is composed of over 12.5 million blocks. The structure was made by 24 players from around the world for three months and sports a 300-meter wide dome. Reporters Without Borders made it with the help of BlockWorks, an acclaimed Minecraft design studio that's worked with institutions like the Museum of London and Microsoft. The library is built in a neoclassical architectural style because, as Reporters Without Borders states, "It is an architectural style that is often used to represent culture and knowledge."
The Uncensored Library is a fascinating and globally impactful use of a piece of software that currently holds the title of the highest-selling video game of all time. Independent, uncensored voices like the ones presented on this server are paramount in politically turbulent landscapes like the ones seen the world over today. This is the message that Reporters Without Borders has always stood by, and their use of Minecraft to deliver this message proves that video games can have a positive impact on the world.
Source: Reporters Without Borders (via GamesIndustry.biz)