Since 1989 the James Joyce Ramble has included as part of its mission the goal to make the public aware of human rights violations inflicted on writers, artists and political free thinkers throughout the world. In the past we have petitioned on behalf of such brave individuals as dramatist and Czech President Vaclav Havel; Xu Wenli, founder of China's Democracy Wall Movement; Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel laureate and the General Secretary of the National league of Democracy; and Wei Jingsheng, a leading voice for human rights in China. All of these individuals have invariably suffered official state and military-enforced sanctions, imprisonment, house arrest, censorship, and personal loss, humiliation, torture and injury merely for exercising speech and expressing ideas.

With the death of Wall Street journalist Daniel Pearl, we can add murder to the above list. Mr. Pearl was kidnapped by Pakistani nationalists in the city of Karachi, southern Pakistan, on January 23, and four days later was pictured in chains with a gun pointed to his head. His life was being bartered by Pakistani nationalists for the release of suspected terrorists, who are detainees in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Mr. Pearl was a premier foreign correspondent, full of skepticism for all institutions, from big government to big business, and more interested in the human side of complex international problem, showing a special cultural sensitivity and pursuing a long-term journalistic mission towards explaining Arab-Islamic issues. He was a fascinating man who leaves behind his family, friends, colleagues, and his wife, Mariane, who is expecting the couple’s first child in May. According to his family, Danny was a musician (his band, The Ottoman Empire, once opened for The Kinks in Atlanta!); he was also a storyteller, a cook , a bridge-builder, and a citizen full of humor and compassion.

When journalists become the targets of state-sponsored despotism, the rights of every citizen are in jeopardy. This year we are dedicating the race to the memory Mr. Pearl by acting on behalf of several Guatemalan journalists: Carlos Victor Hugo Hernandez Rivas, director of the news radio program Impacto. Rivas was subject to an illegal, unwarranted raid on his administrative office on February 1 by ministry, police and several other public and private officials. Arnulfo Augustin Guzman, general director of Radio Sonora, suffered death threats and a kidnapping attempt on February 5. On February 6, agents of the Municipal Traffic Police attacked Deccio Serrano, photographer for Nuestro Diario, and other journalists. Jose Candido Barrillas, the director of The Commission for Freedom of Press of the Association of Journalists of Guatemala, was assaulted, kidnapped and later released. Journalists Ana Lucia Ramirez and Nery de la Cruz were also attacked on that day. Amnesty International is concerned with these threats on Guatemalan free speech. These attacks are disguised as common crimes, but really are vicious acts of retaliation for these writers’ critical reporting on human rights abuses, official corruption and other issues that constitute criticism of Guatemalan authorities.

We join Amnesty International and all human rights organizations in petitioning on behalf of Guatemalan journalists and their right to practice speech common to journalists without the threat of harassment, threat, intimidation, reprisals, punishment, arrest, torture or imprisonment by the Guatemalan state. This, we feel, is the best way to remember Daniel Pearl.