Right to Know march #r2k

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Your right to know …

On International Right to Know Day today (28 September) African democracy institute Idasa calls on countries that have taken bold steps of enacting access to information laws, such as Uganda, Angola and South Africa, to not regress into secrecy, but further strengthen implementation of these laws.

Idasa’s call to defend our access to information, made on International Right to Know Day, comes in the context of the controversial recently amended Protection of Information Bill which threatens to narrow media access to government held information. This poses a threat against what is arguable the most progressive Right to Know legislation in Southern Africa.

Idasa warns that the only Southern African country, apart from South Africa, with advanced freedom of information legislation is Zambia, with a bill currently in the form of draft legislation.

In southern Africa six SADC countries have expressly guaranteed the right to information within their constitutional framework, namely; South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, the DRC, Tanzania, and Madagascar. Another eight other SADC countries have only protected this right within the context of the broader right of freedom of expression which normally includes the right to “seek, receive and impart information”. These countries are Botswana, Lesotho, Angola, Zambia, Mauritius, Zimbabwe, Namibia, and Swaziland.

The Zambian bill, a product of a healthy and successful partnership between the government and civil society, was first tabled before parliament in 2002. It was unceremoniously withdrawn by the government during its second reading, but six years later, in early 2008, was reintroduced by the late Zambian President, Levy Mwanawasa, and it is now reaching resolution.

“Hence, it is evidently still early days in the enactment of Freedom of Information laws on the African continent,” Idasa’s Yolanda Taylor of the Right To Know, Right to Education project said.

Call for Papers – Access to Information in Quality Education

Should Access to Information be a Cornerstone Standard to Achieving Quality Basic Education in Sub-Saharan Africa?

Conference details: February 2011, 14-16. Livingstone, Zambia

From 14-16 February 2011 the Right to Know, Right to Education project will host a regional conference to address the issues of quality basic education for all. The conference will provide a platform for regional bodies, academics, civil society organisations and international aid organisations to deliberate critical questions such as the role of international quality standards for Sub-Saharan African countries; the effective monitoring of education standards in-country; how the right of access to information could be promoted by multi-lateral agencies; and whether quality education can be realised without stakeholders’ free and open access to relevant information? Also, the contentious notion of the nexus between resource and outcomes will be discussed. The latter is important especially in the context of delivering targeted resources to poor and vulnerable schooling communities. Finally, the conference will probe the role of regional institutions such as SADC, PAP and the AU in promoting a quality basic education agenda.

Themes
Access to Education, Quality of Basic Education and Linkages with the Right of Access to Information

Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Policies and Outcomes: The Role of Governments, Civil Society and other Non-State Actors

The Nexus between Resources and Outcomes in Basic Education

We are inviting abstracts for any one of the three themes and our aim is to have a fair distribution of abstracts and papers across the three sub-themes. The abstract should be citation-free and should not exceed 150 words. They should include the title of the paper, name(s) of the author(s), organisational affiliation(s) and contact information of the author(s). All abstracts should be sent to Francina Mhundwa at fmhundwa@idasa.org.za and Rose Hemmer-Vitti at rhemmervitti@idasa.org.za by 31 October 2010 for consideration.

Note for presenters

Presenters must be able to present their findings at the conference that will be held on 14 to 16 February 2011 in Livingstone, Zambia. Subject to peer review, some papers will be chosen to be published in an edited conference book through a reputable publisher. For further inquiries, please contact Rose Hemmer-Vitti at rhemmervitti@idasa.org.za.

See the full details here.

No Information, no peace: How parliamentarians will benefit from freedom of information legislation

While SA debates access to information legislation, how are other countries in Africa doing? Current parliamentary debate within South Africa on the proposed Protection of Information Bill has got NGOs like Idasa thinking about how the current weakness of many African parliaments leave them unable to legislate for the right to information, compromising this fundamental tenet of democracy. Comment on article by Nancy Dubosse, manager of research in Idasa’s Economic Governance Programme, who looks at the state of access to information in other parts of Africa. See print friendly version here.

Idasa’s views on Protection of Information Bill

In Idasa’s view, the broadness and vagueness of many aspects of South Africa’s new Protection of Information Bill, as well as the lack of an independent appeal mechanism and the absence of a public interest override, all suggest that information may be withheld on potentially very subjective and unconstitutional grounds. This would represent a dilution of a progressive transparency framework that has sought to entrench the public’s right to know about the governance of public affairs that directly affect the lives of people and important aspects of their wellbeing. Read PIMS’s submission to Parliament on the bill and have your say here.

Media for Advocacy trainees talk about their work

Leo and Raynor

Listen to Leo from ISODEC (Ghana) and Raynor from Elimu Yetu (Kenya) on the work they are doing on education rights in Africa.  Both were participants at a training workshop on using “Media for Advocacy” in Tanzania in February 2010, for partners and colleagues around the continent, working in education.

Also see the pictures from the workshop here.

Your Right to Know …

Without information, citizens live the lives assigned to them or lives of chance. With information, they choose their future.
Celebrating International Right to Know Day on 28th September, Idasa has a range of activities planned – starting with the screening of a documentary about participatory budgeting in Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. Beyond the documentary, Idasa’s commemoration of Right to Know day includes panel discussions on the importance of information in quality basic education in Argentina and the quest for quality basic education in Malawi.

Idasa believes that the citizen’s right of access to information is at the heart of a healthy democratic system. The right of access to information facilitates the ability of citizens to claim other rights (e.g. health, education). enhancing dialogue between citizens and their representatives and ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of resources.

See the full press release here.

Listen to the podcast about Your Right to Know Right to Know Day – Idasa.