Argentina
Association for Civil Rights (ADC) in Argentina will distribute
in Buenos Aires t-shirts promoting the right to information
and leaflets explaining how to make a FOI request, both
designed by a top public affairs agency; publish an article
in Clarin, one of the largest newspapers in Argentina,
and will do interviews on radio stations; and conduct
a training session at the Catholic Communication University,
with more than 200 people are expected to attend.
Bangladesh
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| Postcard advertising
Right to Know Day in Bangladesh |
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Other
Vision Communication (OVC), Young Power in Social Action
(YPSA), and Bangladesh
NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) will
publish a poster, a leaflet and a postcard about Right
to Know Day, and will also arrange various events around
the country.
Bulgaria
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AIP
Bulgaria's Award for Most Secretive Public
Institution
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Access
to Information Programme will hold a press conference
on September 28 to present awards to Bulgarian citizens,
media and NGOs who have actively exercised their rights
to freedom of information. A "Golden key" award
will be given to the institution that has best organized
its activities to supply information to the public. The
"Golden padlock" award will be given to the
institution that has most severely violated the right
of access to information. A "Tied key" award
will be given to the institution that has issued the most
absurd and/or funny decision to withhold information requested
under APIA.
Canada
In honor of Right to Know Week, the Canadian
Newspaper Association has just released its second
national audit, "Canada's
Right to Know on Shaky Ground: 2nd National Freedom of
Information Audit Reveals Major Barriers Remain"
CNA and other groups will be sponsoring events around
the country to celebrate the first Right to Know Week
in Canada:
Colombia
IPYS Colombia called on journalists attending an international
meeting on freedom of information in Bogota to help raise
awareness of the right to information by covering International
Right to Know Day. There was a round table discussion
about the Right to Know with representatives from all
of the main media organizations. More information can
by found on the IPYS
Peru and Interprensa
websites.
Chile
Pro Acceso in Chile,
together with other organizations in Latin America, will
conduct a publicity campaign to highlight the imminent
decision in the case against Chile at the Inter-American
Court of Human Rights. In October and November, they will
also organize a series of seminars and meetings with various
political and social personalities and academics to discuss
the court's decision.
Croatia
The Croatian
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights will hold a discussion
to look at key FOI cases, with freedom of information
and data protection experts, distinguished academics,
the prime minister and other government officials and
MPs; and they are planning a media campaign, including
a TV spot, press releases, and interviews.
Dominican
Republic
Participacion
Ciudadana in the Dominican Republic is celebrating
Right to Know Day with a week of activities including:
- 25
September: Press release about Right to Know Day
- 25
September: Launch of a network of community radio stations
that will broadcast a pilot educational programme on
the Free Access to Public Information law.
- 26
September: Presentation of 2nd annual report on implementation
of the Free Access to Public Information Law
- 27
September: Presentation of results of diagnostic on
supply and demand of information in 8 pilot institutions
- 28
September: Panel discussion on "Progress, challenges
and obstacles to implementation of the Law of Free Access
to Public Information," in coordination with the
Dominican Journalists Association.
Georgia
The Georgian
Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) together with the
Georgian Public Defender (Ombudsman) and the Georgian
Ministry of Education will arrange for lessons to be conducted
in secondary schools throughout the country, informing
the students about the right to obtain information from
the government and providing leaflets prepared for Right
to Know Day. GYLA will also release the results of a survey
to determine which public agencies are most effective
and which are least effective at providing information
to the public; and will also open a FOI hotline to provide
free legal consultations on FOI issues, which will be
advertised on the radio and in the print media.
India
Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) will launch
its new publication, "Implementing
Access to Information: a practical guide to operationalising
freedom of information laws." The report sets
out a step-by-step guide on how to overcome entrenched
bureaucratic cultures of secrecy, inconsistent legislation,
process and system constraints and a lack of understanding
of the law by officials to ensure effective implementation
of freedom of information laws. In advance of Right to
Know Day, CHRI has also produced a backgrounder paper,
to assist groups in writing articles to raise awareness
about the right to information on the day.
Jamaica
The ATI Advisory Stakeholders Committee will hold a press
conference on September 28, 2006, at which they have asked
the Minister of Information, Senator Colin Campbell, to
be the guest speaker. The Press Conference is meant to
highlight the achievements made since the passage of the
Access to Information Act in 2002, as well as to point
out problems that need to be resolved. They will also
organize other media activities to focus attention on
ATI.
Kenya
International Commission of Jurists, Kenya, will hold
a public forum in the Ministry of Information Building,
with the hope that the Minister will come down a few floors
and deliberate about the enactment of an FOI law in Kenya.
The confirmed speakers at the forum include: the Chair
of the Parliamentary Committee on Administration of Justice
and Legal Affairs, the Government Spokesman, the Chair
of the National Commission on Human Rights, the Executive
Member of the Media Council of Kenya, and a Local Government
Representative. ICJ-Kenya will also run a supplement in
the popular daily paper and use reference materials, posters
and banners to highlight key messages about the Right
to Know.
Macedonia
Open
Society Institute Foundation of the Republic of Macedonia
together with the President of the Commission for Protection
of the Right to Free Access to Information in Macedonia,
OSI-Macedonia will distribute leaflets in the most popular
daily newspaper, Dnevnik (circulation 35,200). The leaflets
will contain information about the right to access information
and the mandate of the Commission, a new FOI website,
and a hotline for free legal advice on FOI complaints.
PRO
MEDIA will hold a meeting to promote the second version
of the Guide for Information Holders and Information Requesters
(total circulation approx. 8000), in cooperation with
the Commission on Free Access to Information. The President
of the Parliament (Mr. Ljubisha Georgievski) and the Ambassador
and Head of OSCE Spillover Monitoring Mission of OSCE
in Skopje (Mr. Carlos Pais) will address the meeting,
to be held in the Parliament building. Senior government
officials and representatives from the NGO sector will
attend.
Malaysia
The Centre
for Independent Journalism, Malaysia (CIJ) will be
officially launching a national FOI campaign, including
a mascot (a firefly) and leaflets, to be distributed at
the KL Twin Towers. In this evening, CIJ will be holding
a forum on the issue, and they have also received significant
media coverage recently.
Mexico
The Hewlett Foundation, Global Development Program, has
launched a new one-stop
shopping Web site that includes a great deal of information
about transparency and right to know in Mexico, both at
federal and state level.
Libertad
de Información México A.C. (LIMAC) will
release two major studies. The first is a national survey
on the knowledge of the Mexican FOI law amongst regular
citizens and academics. The second is a new book by LIMAC
President, Ernesto Villanueva, containing an extensive
legal analysis of FOI laws in 68 countries, comparing
basic provisions and standards of openness.
Moldova
"Acces-info"
Center will hold a National Annual Conference, organised
in cooperation with the Parliament, on "Free Access
to Information: legislation, practices, perspectives";
a roundtable entitled "Transparency in decision making
process: transfer of good practices"; and several
training workshops for journalists.
Montenegro
MANS
will organize a press conference to present key achievements
in the fight against corruption made by using a law on
free access to information as well as key challenges in
enforcement of the law. The group will also distribute
brochures, badges, leaflets and T-shirts on free access
to information, with the awareness campaign mainly focused
the use of FAI in privatization issues.
Pakistan
Centre
for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) has put
out a press release entitled "FOI Laws must be Strengthened
in Accordance with International Best Practices,"
calling on the Government of Pakistan to strengthen freedom
of information legislation with the aim of promoting transparency
and citizens' participation in governance.
Peru
Consejo
de la Prensa Peruana has invited print, radio and
television media around the country to celebrate the Right
to Know Day by printing one of four posters promoting
access to information. The organization will also run
radio spots, conduct interviews, and public special features
about RTK Day in various print media.
Serbia
In seven regional centers and neighboring municipalities
members of the NGO
Coalition on Free Access to Information and Fund for an
Open Society, Serbia will organize round tables, tribunes,
TV talk shows in which they will present the results of
the monitoring process conducted over the past year and
a half. The Coalition will also organize street events
and distribute promotional materials, together with policy
paper titled "The Right to Free Access to Information,"
which will also be sent to each member of the Serbian
Parliament.
A
central celebration will be organized in Belgrade, consisting
of a special program organized by the American
Bar Association (ABA/CEELI) with USAID support, together
with three major actors in the field of free access to
information: the Commissioner for free access to information,
NGO Coalition for Free Access to Information, and Independent
Journalist Association of Serbia (IJAS). These groups
will give Annual Awards for the most accountable and transparent
public body in implementing the FOI Law in Serbia. The
Jury, consisting of 4 NGO representatives, 4 from IJAS,
and the Serbian Commissioner for Free Access to Information,
will also give an award for the journalist/researcher
who has made the most important contribution in the promotion
of the FOI Law and to the development of investigative
journalism in Serbia through his/her work.
Sierra
Leone
Possible activities planned for this day include: a rally
on the streets of Freetown; a pop concert; radio panel
discussions; the pasting up of posters, and circulation
of leaflets; a pop concert of leading musicians; meeting
of individual media, civil society, and political leaders.
The Freedom of Information Coalition - Sierra Leone hopes
that these activities will help with their effort to secure
one million signatures of citizens and foreign residents
who are supportive of a Freedom of Information Act in
Sierra Leone before the General Elections in 2007.
Slovenia
The Office
of the Information Commissioner has planned an event,
at which government officials and other experts will participate,
giving their views about the future of the right to know
in Slovenia. In addition, the Information Commissioner
will prepare a brochure describing the right to know and
success stories. They will also a press conference and
publish a press release on their Web site.
Spain
Access Info Europe and Sustentia of the Coalicion
Pro Acceso, a group of civil society organizations concerned
about human rights issues, are promoting the adoption
of an access to information law in Spain. The group is
marking Right to Know Day 2006 by presenting a set of
9 principles that should be included in any future law.
Uganda
The Directorate of Information in Ministry of Information
and National Guidance, in conjunction with Foundation
for Human Rights Initiative, organized a two-day Roundtable
on "Fostering Open Government through Access to Information"
that attracted 55 key stakeholders, policy makers and
implementers both from government and the private sector.
The meeting took place at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel on
September 18-19, 2006.
Ukraine
The Ukrainian
Association of Media Lawyers will publish an article
in Zerkalo Nedely, one of the most respected weekly papers
in the country, and also will release a 60-page bulletin
on FOI issues, to be distributed amoung journalists, lawyers
and judges.
United
Kingdom
The UK
Information Commissioner's Office has planned a new
Publication Scheme Development and Maintenance Initiative
with two goals: firstly to work with Public bodies to
encourage a comprehensive inclusion of information across
each sector thereby creating more consistency across schemes
for, clarification for public bodies as to what information
should proactively be disseminated and also reducing the
bureaucracy surrounding the approval of schemes; and secondly
to move public sector thinking away from promoting the
"publication scheme" and 'classes' of information,
to promoting access to information, and clearly stating
what information is routinely published and readily available
thereby enlightening a wider range of users to the information
that can be accessed without the need for a request.
Venezuela
Transparencia
Venezuela is celebrating Right to Know Day with the
launch of two new FOI tools. The goal of the Project
on Transparency and Access to Public Information,
is to facilitate the exercise of each citizen's right
to public information in accordance with the rights guaranteed
in the constitution. The Manual
on Access to Public Information for the Management of
Municipal Transparency is a primer for civil
servants on the conceptual basis and judcial requirements
of the access law, and a guide on best practices.
