Partners
AFIC - Africa Freedom of Information Centre
Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC) is a pan-African NGO and resource centre that promotes the right of access to information through comparative research, coordinating regional advocacy, facilitating information-sharing and capacity building.
AFIC (Africa Freedom of Information Centre) is a membership civil society organization promoting the right of access to information. We strive to become a reliable, dependable and all round freedom of information support centre on the African continent.
On 22-23 September 2006, representatives of 30 civil society organisations from 16 countries in Africa met in Lagos to discuss ways to promote the right of access to information held by public authorities and, in particular, to share experiences regarding strategies for advancing the adoption of laws that fully protect this right. www.africafoicentre.org
AMI- African Media Initiative
The African Media Initiative (AMI) is a pan-African organisation that seeks to strengthen the continent’s private and independent media sector from an owner and operator perspective to promote democratic governance, social development and economic growth. It does so through a set of strategic activities aimed at transforming the media and communications landscape on the continent. AMI’s overall goal is to promote the development of pluralistic media as a necessary and critical ingredient of democratic governance, as well as economic and human development in Africa.
AMI has been shaped by the most comprehensive research and consultation process ever conducted on the media in Africa. This was done under the auspices of the BBC World Service Trust and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and is included in the 2005 G8 Gleneagles and Commission for Africa recommendations. All relevant regional stakeholders, from the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa through to every significant African media structure (owners, editors, journalists) have formally endorsed AMI, suggesting a powerful consensus that a healthy media sector is a requirement for improved growth, governance and accountability.
African Platform on Access to Information (APAI)
The Working Group of the Campaign for an African Platform on Access to Information is a network of civil society organisations that are working on the promotion of access to information in Africa. A working group, made up of nine organisations, was set up in 2009 to develop a platform for joint activities that would lead to the adoption of a comprehensive instrument, which would advance the right of access to information in all its dimensions, regionally and internationally.
Please see our video links below:
Implementing Access to Information in Africa: Moving Forward Together
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDrp-UJ2bfo
Road to September 28: International Day for Universal Access to Information
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I56cXeCt2yE
Accessing information in Africa: It's your right!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MP6fBO0EX0
Article 19
ARTICLE 19 envisages a world where people are free to speak their opinions, to participate in decision-making and to make informed choices about their lives
In order to do be able to do so, people everywhere must be able to exercise their right to freedom of expression and their right to information. Without these rights, democracy, good governance and development cannot happen.
ARTICLE 19 defends freedom of expression and information. Fighting for all hostages of censorship, defend dissenting voices that have been muzzled, and campaign against laws and practices that silence.
ARTICLE 19 was established in 1987 and has worked and partnered with IGOs like the UN and OSCE, NGOs such as Amnesty International and International Media Support, and governments such as the UK and Brazil. www.article19.org/index.php
In order to do be able to do so, people everywhere must be able to exercise their right to freedom of expression and their right to information. Without these rights, democracy, good governance and development cannot happen.
ARTICLE 19 defends freedom of expression and information. Fighting for all hostages of censorship, defend dissenting voices that have been muzzled, and campaign against laws and practices that silence.
ARTICLE 19 was established in 1987 and has worked and partnered with IGOs like the UN and OSCE, NGOs such as Amnesty International and International Media Support, and governments such as the UK and Brazil. www.article19.org/index.php
Bush Radio
Bush Radio is Africa’s oldest community radio station project based in Cape Town, South Africa.
The idea of Bush Radio started in the 1980’s when community activists and alternative media producers came together to explore ways in which grassroots media could be used for social upliftment and as an alternative voice to the media available under apartheid.
Bush Radio was officially formed in 1992, after two years of community consultations of all aspects of the radio station. After repeatedly applying for a broadcast license to the apartheid government in 1992, Bush Radio then decided to broadcast illegally. www.bushradio.co.za
The idea of Bush Radio started in the 1980’s when community activists and alternative media producers came together to explore ways in which grassroots media could be used for social upliftment and as an alternative voice to the media available under apartheid.
Bush Radio was officially formed in 1992, after two years of community consultations of all aspects of the radio station. After repeatedly applying for a broadcast license to the apartheid government in 1992, Bush Radio then decided to broadcast illegally. www.bushradio.co.za
Cape Town TV
Cape Town TV (known as CTV) is a non-profit, free-to-air, community television service operating in Cape Town, South Africa. Community broadcasting in South Africa aims to serve local areas and it is intended to provide people with programming that is informative and educational, with entertainment being a secondary goal.
CTV was founded by over 100 non-profit organisations in 2006 and has a membership base of around 200 NGOs in Cape Town. In this way it is owned by ‘the people’ and is intended to serve their interests, providing a space on the airwaves for civil society. CTV is committed to providing community access to the powerful medium of television as a tool to promote community development, human rights and social justice.
The organisation began broadcasting in September 2008. The station broadcasts locally on two analogue frequencies from a single transmitter that provides a broadcast footprint over most of the Cape Town area. Some areas do not receive the signal because of the mountainous terrain of the region. The channel is also available nationally throughout South Africa and Lesotho on the pay TV platform, DStv.
CTV’s primary strengths are that it provides local programming of interest to the people and communities of Cape Town; and it provides alternative perspectives to those afforded by the mainstream broadcasters. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day with a variety of programming including talk shows, local and international news, magazine and actuality shows, music, comedy, theatre and sport, amongst others. The station is well known for its documentaries, which provide informative and educational content, often with a controversial or alternative point of view. www.capetowntv.org
CTV was founded by over 100 non-profit organisations in 2006 and has a membership base of around 200 NGOs in Cape Town. In this way it is owned by ‘the people’ and is intended to serve their interests, providing a space on the airwaves for civil society. CTV is committed to providing community access to the powerful medium of television as a tool to promote community development, human rights and social justice.
The organisation began broadcasting in September 2008. The station broadcasts locally on two analogue frequencies from a single transmitter that provides a broadcast footprint over most of the Cape Town area. Some areas do not receive the signal because of the mountainous terrain of the region. The channel is also available nationally throughout South Africa and Lesotho on the pay TV platform, DStv.
CTV’s primary strengths are that it provides local programming of interest to the people and communities of Cape Town; and it provides alternative perspectives to those afforded by the mainstream broadcasters. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day with a variety of programming including talk shows, local and international news, magazine and actuality shows, music, comedy, theatre and sport, amongst others. The station is well known for its documentaries, which provide informative and educational content, often with a controversial or alternative point of view. www.capetowntv.org
ECF - Electoral Commission Forum of SADC countries
The Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC countries (ECF-SADC), is an independent organization in which each country in the SADC region is represented by its electoral management body. The ECF- SADC members include the electoral management bodies of 14 SADC countries- namely; Angola, Botswana, DRC, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Seychelles, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar and Zimbabwe. The Forum has been in place since July 1998 and it has played an important role in ensuring that the management of elections in the SADC countries is improved and in building the capacity of election management bodies to fulfill their roles.
The Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries was launched in Cape Town in July 1998.
The Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries was launched in Cape Town in July 1998.
Since its inception, the Forum has embarked on a broad range of projects and programmes which include regional workshops, the annual general conference, seminars and training programmes. Many of the programmes were groundbreaking such as the formulation and adoption of the Principles of Election Management, Monitoring and Observation, commonly referred to as PEMMO, the design and implementation of a Conflict Management Programme ( in partnership with EISA), deployment of Peer review and Observer Missions, development of Guidelines and Principles on the Independence of EMBs in the SADC region and other capacity building projects and activities.
MISA - Media Institute of Southern Africa
The mission of MISA is to play a leading role in creating an environment of media freedom and free expression that promotes independence, pluralism and diversity of views and opinions, media sustainability, competency and professionalism in the southern African region. In dealing with these elements, MISA will ensure that gender-specific needs form an integral part of all its activities. MISA aims to create an environment in which civil society is empowered to claim information and access to it as unalienable rights and in which the resultant freer information flow strengthens democracy by enabling more informed citizen participation.
The objective of MISA is to lobby for promotion and protection of media freedom and free expression. It is also to strengthen and support the development of a vibrant, professional and participatory media sector as an essential part of the deepening of democracy in southern Africa.
www.misa.org
The objective of MISA is to lobby for promotion and protection of media freedom and free expression. It is also to strengthen and support the development of a vibrant, professional and participatory media sector as an essential part of the deepening of democracy in southern Africa.
www.misa.org
ODAC- Open Democracy Advice Centre
ODAC’s mission is to promote open and transparent democracy; foster a culture of corporate and government accountability; and assist people in South Africa to be able to realize their human rights. ODAC seeks to achieve its mission through realising the right to know so that it makes a material, tangible difference to the lives of the poor, and thereby contributes to social and economic justice. Hence ODAC provides practical and niche services to individuals and organisations with a social justice agenda to help citizens access their rights
The Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) was launched in October 2000 as a niche, not-for-profit partnership between the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa), the University of Cape Town Department of Public Law, and the Black Sash Trust. It is the only specialist Centre of its kind in South Africa (and on the African Continent).
The Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) was launched in October 2000 as a niche, not-for-profit partnership between the Institute for Democracy in South Africa (Idasa), the University of Cape Town Department of Public Law, and the Black Sash Trust. It is the only specialist Centre of its kind in South Africa (and on the African Continent).
Right2Know Campaign
The Right2Know Campaign is a mass based movement launched in August 2010 as an coalition of organisations and people responding to the Protection of State Information Bill (the Secrecy Bill) and quickly broadened its scope to tackle related issues of abuse of secrecy, media freedom & diversity, access to information and the right to communicate - the building blocks of an accountable democracy that is able to deliver on the basic needs of its people. We operate through participatory provincial working groups in the Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.
Support Public Broadcasting (SOS)
The SOS Coalition represents a broad spectrum of civil society stakeholders committed to the broadcasting of quality, diverse, citizen-orientated public-interest programming aligned to the goals of the South African Constitution.
The Coalition includes a number of trade union federations including COSATU and FEDUSA, a number of independent unions including BEMAWU and MWASA; independent film and TV production sector organisations including the South African Screen Federation (SASFED); a host of NGOs and CBOs including the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), and a number of academics and freedom of expression activists.
www.supportpublicbroadcasting.co.za
The Coalition includes a number of trade union federations including COSATU and FEDUSA, a number of independent unions including BEMAWU and MWASA; independent film and TV production sector organisations including the South African Screen Federation (SASFED); a host of NGOs and CBOs including the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) and Media Monitoring Africa (MMA), and a number of academics and freedom of expression activists.
www.supportpublicbroadcasting.co.za
