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Activists created a 12.5 million block digital library in 'Minecraft' to bypass censorship lawshttps://www.businessinsider.in/slideshows/miscellaneous/activists-created-a-12-5-million-block-digital-library-in-minecraft-to-bypass-censorship-laws/slidelist/74627618.cms2020-03-14T17:39:30+05:30

Activists created a 12.5 million block digital library in 'Minecraft' to bypass censorship laws

Mar 14, 2020, 17:39 IST

RSF built the library in Minecraft over the course of three months, using 12.5 million blocks.

It sits on an island in the game, which can also be downloaded for offline use.

24 builders from 16 different countries spent more than 250 hours building the library.

The neoclassical style was intentionally chosen to invoke buildings where knowledge is kept, like museums, libraries, and galleries.

An official website also lets visitors explore the library, which is surrounded by a garden, without downloading Minecraft.

Inside, a large hallway is extremely detailed, and reflects the work designers put into it.

Visitors can also read Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index, and reports on press freedom in 180 countries.

A map gives an overview of the different sections. RSF worked with journalists from five countries who had been censored, jailed, or even killed for their work, which is now available in the library.

In the Egypt section, visitors can access news stories from Mada Masr, which has been banned in the country since 2017.

The Saudi Arabia wing has a jail cell as a reminder of imprisoned journalists, and provides access to the works of Jamal Khashoggi, the journalist who was killed by Saudi agents in Istanbul in October 2018.

In the Russian wing, news site grani.ru is available to read, which has been banned in Russia since 2014.

"No freedom without press freedom" is written on the wall in another room.

In the Vietnam wing, read work by Nguyen Van Dai, a human rights lawyer and blogger who was imprisoned in the country before living in exile in Germany.

In the Mexico wing, designers honored the memories of murdered journalists with their photos.

The library's dome might be the highlight of the whole structure.

Watch the launch video here.

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