media matters

 
Sunday 18 of September 2011

The Pan African Conference on Access to Information

This is what is happening 17-19 September in Cape Town:

- Pan African Conference on Access to Information (220 information stakeholders including media NGOs, MPs, ministers and civil servants);

- Highway Africa 15thconference (more than 500 journalists from across Africa);

- Digital Citizens Indaba (100 bloggers from across Africa);

- Editors Forum meetings – SANEF, and The African Editors Forum;

- Three workshops for African journalism educators.

- The African Forum for Media Development.

The events coincide with Saturday’s proposed march on parliament by the R2K campaign which seeks to have a “public interest” clause introduced into the “Secrecy Bill”. The lead events are:

- The Pan African Conference on Access to Information, which is the product of nine media organisations from across the continent (www.windhoekplus20.org; www.pacaia.org), and which has 15 influential partners, including UNESCO and the African Union Commission.

- Highway Africa, the world’s largest annual meeting of African journalists, marking its 15th anniversary and themed on preparing for the Durban COP event (www.highwayafrica.com).

In addition, numerous sponsors are backing the events; they include MTN, Telkom, Absa, Media24, South African Tourism, the City of Cape Town, and the Swedish Embassy.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS AND RATIONALE

The combined gathering commences on Friday 16th September with a gala dinner at the Cape Town International Convention Centre at 6.30pm. It culminates in the AFRICA INFORMATION AND MEDIA SUMMIT (AIMS) at 3.30pm on Monday 19th September.

The AIMS marks the 20th anniversary of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, which gave rise to World Press Freedom Day. The aim of AIMS is for a new Declaration to have similar global impact. Called the “Africa Platform for Access to Information”, this new Declaration will set out international principles, and call on UNESCO and the UN General Assembly to recognise 28 September as World “Access to Information” Day.

It is appropriate that this “gift” to the world will emanate from South Africa, home of Africa’s first Freedom of Information law – the 2000 Promotion of Access to Information Act.

Sunday night will see the Highway Africa awards as well as the continent’s first awards for activism on access to information.

APPENDIX

THE “WORKING GROUP” CONVENING THE PAN-AFRICAN CONFERENCE ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION:

1. Media Institute of Southern Africa,

2. Highway Africa,

3. Media Foundation West Africa,

4. African Freedom of Information Centre,

5. Article 19 African offices,

6. Media Rights Agenda,

7. The African Editors Forum,

8. International Federation of Journalists – Federation of African Journalists,

9. Open Democracy Advice Centre.

PARTNERS IN THE PAN AFRICAN CONFERENCE ON ACCESS TO INFORMATION

  1. UNESCO;
  2. African Union Commission;
  3. UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression;
  4. Google;
  5. Fesmedia Africa;
  6. Free Press Unlimited;
  7. The Nation Media Group;
  8. World Association of Newspapers’ Declaration of Table Mountain campaign;
  9. African Media Initiative;
  10. Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa;
  11. Nepad;
  12. Open Society Foundation (SA);
  13. African Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information;
  14. Reporters without Borders (Swedish chapter);
  15. Freedom House.

- 13 September 2011, by Pacai

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Source: www.pacaia.org/index.php (accessed: 18.09.2011)

 
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