ACCESS TO INFORMATION PROGRAMME

ACCESS TO ACCESS TO INFORMATION INFORMATION PROGRAMMEPROGRAMME

Facilitating Informed ActivismFacilitating Informed Activism

An Overview by Titus Moetsabi An Overview by Titus Moetsabi Freedom of Expression Institute Freedom of Expression Institute

COLLABORATING PARTNERSCOLLABORATING PARTNERS

Southern African Trade Information and Negotiating Southern African Trade Information and Negotiating InitiativeInitiativeMwengoMwengoJubilee Angola, ZambiaJubilee Angola, ZambiaCORN-CROSS BORDER ASSOCIATIONS CORN-CROSS BORDER ASSOCIATIONS Mozambique, SwazilandMozambique, SwazilandSouthern African Centre for Economic JusticeSouthern African Centre for Economic JusticeWomen for ChangeWomen for ChangeOpen Society Initiative for Southern AfricaOpen Society Initiative for Southern AfricaBotswana Council of NGOsBotswana Council of NGOsMISAMISA

COLLABORATINGCOLLABORATING PARTNERSPARTNERS contdcontd

Malawi Economic Justice NetworkMalawi Economic Justice Network

Zambia Association for Research and Zambia Association for Research and DevelopmentDevelopment

South African History ArchiveSouth African History Archive

Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and DevelopmentDevelopment

Zimbabwe Social ForumZimbabwe Social Forum

SUMMARY & OBJECTIVESSUMMARY & OBJECTIVES

Pilot projectPilot project

Advancing cause of economic justice in SADCAdvancing cause of economic justice in SADC

Right of Access to Information belongs to all citizens yet Right of Access to Information belongs to all citizens yet risks being elite instrument for media and handful of NGOsrisks being elite instrument for media and handful of NGOs

Social appropriation of right needed to get critical mass for Social appropriation of right needed to get critical mass for legislative changes in countries without right to know legislative changes in countries without right to know legislationlegislation

PROGRAM RELEVANCEPROGRAM RELEVANCE

Focus on access to information to support work Focus on access to information to support work of region’s of region’s Economic justice networks;Economic justice networks; NGOs;NGOs; CBOs;CBOs; SMs. SMs.

Focus on access to information about state of Focus on access to information about state of delivery of basic services:delivery of basic services:

Water, and waste management;Water, and waste management; Electricity;Electricity;Health;Health;Transport.Transport.

Access to basic services is basic human right

Need for this right to be written into Constitutions of SADC countries

Address information deficits faced by organisations struggling for socio-economic justice

Develop models to be pursued in three year proposal

RELEVANCE contdRELEVANCE contd

Key struggles that have thrown up access to information problems:

Tackle debt and debt-related issues in SADC;

Participate in budget monitoring and participatory budget making in SADC;

Ensure transparency in macro-economic decision making in SADC;

Monitor IFIs and their effects on SADC;

Publicise, rause awareness and knowledge about South Africa’s hegemony in SADC.

ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES

MOU to define and facilitate relationships:MOU to define and facilitate relationships:Where access to information legislation exists Where access to information legislation exists to be used to file information requests in to be used to file information requests in activity areas;activity areas;

Where access to information legislation does Where access to information legislation does not exists, but constitutional provisions exists, not exists, but constitutional provisions exists, SMs to be mobilised to ensure legislation is SMs to be mobilised to ensure legislation is passed;passed;

Where constitutional provisions don’t exists Where constitutional provisions don’t exists economic justice networks to be mobilised to economic justice networks to be mobilised to come up with model access to information law come up with model access to information law that SM movements could lobby for. that SM movements could lobby for.

IMPLEMENTATION RELATIONSHIP IMPLEMENTATION RELATIONSHIP

PHASE ONE –PHASE ONE –Desk research on FOI monitoring indicators;Desk research on FOI monitoring indicators;Development of access to information Development of access to information principlesprinciples

PHASE TWO –PHASE TWO –Who does what around activities related to Who does what around activities related to debt, budget monitoring, macro –economic debt, budget monitoring, macro –economic decision making and IFIsdecision making and IFIs

PHASE THREE - PHASE THREE - Who does what around South African Who does what around South African hegemony in SADC activitieshegemony in SADC activities

APPROACH PHASEDAPPROACH PHASED

Legacy of colonialismLegacy of colonialismdiamonds, land exploitationdiamonds, land exploitation

Legacy of indebtedness Legacy of indebtedness SAPs, loansSAPs, loans

GlobalisationGlobalisationTrade agreements via WTOTrade agreements via WTO

DemocratisationDemocratisationMultipartismMultipartism

Regional IntegrationRegional IntegrationCommon Market via freed trade areaCommon Market via freed trade area

South Africa’s dominance of SADCSouth Africa’s dominance of SADCSA companies delivering basic services e.g., SA companies delivering basic services e.g., electricity and, telecommselectricity and, telecomms

PROBLEMATIQUE & SADC POORPROBLEMATIQUE & SADC POOR

Governments culture of secrecy to hide reasons Governments culture of secrecy to hide reasons for lack of delivery of servicesfor lack of delivery of servicesCulture of secrecy to hide deals that may be Culture of secrecy to hide deals that may be politically unpopular with massespolitically unpopular with massesCommercial confidentiality or trade secrets Commercial confidentiality or trade secrets limiting/preventing access to info in Cos delivering limiting/preventing access to info in Cos delivering commercialised basic servicescommercialised basic servicesInsufficient legal instruments to access info about Insufficient legal instruments to access info about basic services delivered on regional basisbasic services delivered on regional basisAccess to means of disseminating info highly Access to means of disseminating info highly unequalunequalSA secrecy on trade negotiating positions, & its SA secrecy on trade negotiating positions, & its failure to ensure procedural fairness in WTO etcfailure to ensure procedural fairness in WTO etc

SADC PROBLEMS & ACCESS TO INFO SADC PROBLEMS & ACCESS TO INFO RELATIONSHIPRELATIONSHIP

National budget monitoring and advocacy,National budget monitoring and advocacy,Land and ownership rights for internally displacedLand and ownership rights for internally displacedAccess to info activities on economic policyAccess to info activities on economic policyDevelopment of EJN AngolaDevelopment of EJN Angola

Angola Priorities Angola Priorities

Monitoring benefits and effects of resource Monitoring benefits and effects of resource extractionextractionPromoting public participation in municipal and Promoting public participation in municipal and national budget makingnational budget makingSAN minorities access to national resourcesSAN minorities access to national resourcesAccess to HIV/AIDS treatment resource flowsAccess to HIV/AIDS treatment resource flowsElectoral system transparencyElectoral system transparencyIdentify orgs that can support Access to info Identify orgs that can support Access to info legislationlegislationConstitution monitoring movementConstitution monitoring movement

Botswana PrioritiesBotswana Priorities

Initiatives to end corruptionInitiatives to end corruptionInitiatives for national and municipal public Initiatives for national and municipal public participation in budget makingparticipation in budget makingEconomic literacyEconomic literacyLesotho Highlands Water Project AdvocacyLesotho Highlands Water Project AdvocacyNeed for EJNNeed for EJN

Lesotho PrioritiesLesotho Priorities

Public expenditure monitoring campaignPublic expenditure monitoring campaignPrivatisation, resource allocation, budget makingPrivatisation, resource allocation, budget makingAccess to info legislationAccess to info legislationMonitor accummulation, use and servicing of Monitor accummulation, use and servicing of public debtpublic debtConstitutional activismConstitutional activism

Malawi PrioritiesMalawi Priorities

Civic participation in economic policyCivic participation in economic policyCashew nut industry in context of globalisationCashew nut industry in context of globalisationPoverty monitoringPoverty monitoringPoverty monitoring in provincesPoverty monitoring in provincesUnderstanding development cooperation Understanding development cooperation packagespackagesAccess to info for public expenditure monitoringAccess to info for public expenditure monitoring

Mozambique Some PrioritiesMozambique Some Priorities

Civic society support for Access to Info issuesCivic society support for Access to Info issuesSan people and educationSan people and educationTelecentresTelecentresResearch and action on municipal servicesResearch and action on municipal services

Namibia Some PrioritiesNamibia Some Priorities

Opening democratic spaces for civil society Opening democratic spaces for civil society mobilisationmobilisationAccess to info on debt and development issuesAccess to info on debt and development issuesTransitional economic policyAlternative means of Transitional economic policyAlternative means of disseminating informationdisseminating informationHuman rights abuses informationHuman rights abuses informationAccess to treatment re-HIV and AIDSAccess to treatment re-HIV and AIDSInitiatives against corruption to be supportedInitiatives against corruption to be supportedAlternative access to info legislationAlternative access to info legislation

Zimbabwe Some PrioritiesZimbabwe Some Priorities

Monitoring and campaigning against corruptionMonitoring and campaigning against corruptionTelecentres and community radioTelecentres and community radioInclusion of justiciable socio-economic rights in Inclusion of justiciable socio-economic rights in constitutionconstitutionMonitor public expenditureMonitor public expenditurePromote access to info legislationPromote access to info legislationBudget making at municipal levelBudget making at municipal level

Zambia Some PrioritiesZambia Some Priorities

Access to info policy and legislationPublic expenditure monitoring

Public budget advocacy

SWAZILAND Some Priorities SWAZILAND Some Priorities

Economic literacyInformation campaigns research

Debt and debt related issuesBudgets

Economic and social policyTrade

Financial institutions and related organisations Activities of private sector

EJN Information PrioritiesEJN Information Priorities