Kak Marks Cartooning for Peace's 20th Anniversary, Warns on AI and Press Freedom
On 24 September 2026, Cartooning for Peace marked its 20th anniversary in Paris, bringing together 375 cartoonists from 80 nations under the theme "Dessiner pour résister." During an appearance on RFI's L'atelier des médias, President Kak (Patrick Lamassoure) addressed the need to protect freedoms in the face of increasing authoritarianism and the impact of AI. He pointed out that the organization's role has shifted as far-right movements gain traction in Europe. Kak stressed the necessity of nuance in caricature, opposing self-censorship while advocating for thorough vetting before publication. He also mentioned the dangers faced by cartoonists, citing imprisoned Ashraf Omar in Egypt and exiled Safa Odah from Gaza. Criticizing generative AI as "regurgitative AI," he called for backing professional media. The episode was broadcast on 3 October 2026.
Key facts
- Cartooning for Peace unites 375 press cartoonists from 80 countries and has just marked its 20th anniversary.
- The anniversary slogan "Dessiner pour résister" titled a fresco drawn on 24 September 2026 in front of Paris City Hall and an evening at the Théâtre de la Concorde.
- Kak, president of Cartooning for Peace, is the pen name of Patrick Lamassoure.
- Kak appeared on RFI's L'atelier des médias for nearly an hour, discussing freedoms, authoritarianism and AI.
- Kak defines press drawing as "exaggerating without distorting" and says it reaches the heart before the head.
- He saluted the legacy of Plantu, founding president of Cartooning for Peace.
- Cartoonists cited as threatened include Ashraf Omar, imprisoned in Egypt, and Safa Odah, exiled from Gaza.
- Ann Telnaes resigned from the Washington Post after a cartoon on a Trump-tech summit was censored, and Russian cartoonist Simion Skrepetsky was assassinated in Poland.
- Kak calls generative AI "regurgitative AI," saying it collects rather than creates.
- Cartooning for Peace appears almost daily on the front page of Le Monde.
Entities
Artists
- Kak
- Patrick Lamassoure
- Plantu
- Donald Trump
- Ashraf Omar
- Safa Odah
- Ann Telnaes
- Simion Skrepetsky
- Jérôme Tripier-Mondancin
Institutions
- Cartooning for Peace
- RFI
- L'atelier des médias
- Charlie Hebdo
- Washington Post
- Le Monde
- Théâtre de la Concorde
- Mairie de Paris
- Apple Podcasts
- Spotify
- Deezer
- Amazon Music
- Podcast Addict
- Castbox
- Tune In
Locations
- Paris
- France
- Europe
- Egypt
- Gaza
- United States
- Poland
- Russia