Political Advisory and Education Work

Pillar 3: Political Advisory Work and Education

Fesmedia Africa’s political and policy advisory and education work is hinged on two main levers; the implementation of the outcome statement from a regional conference on Information and Communication Rights in Africa held in May and June 2023 and the sponsored Right to Information Online Courses for Government/Public Officials and another one for Journalists and Civil Society Actors. Focus is given to a more regional and continental approach while involving local partners to harness the potential of south-south learning and regional frameworks that can be domesticated and contextualized at national levels. Fesmedia Africa strives to establish an innovative link between capacity building for governments and civil society actors and political/policy advice at national and regional levels. The following lines of action are prioritized:

Advancing Information and Communication Rights in Africa:

Fesmedia Africa and partners have identified four major themes that will shape interventions in Sub-Saharan Africa, which Fesmedia Africa is spearheading, in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders namely Digital Rights, Access to Information, Data Protection, and MediaDiversity and Viability.  The interventions include:

1. Supporting the raising the profile of the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) to become an effective global platform for influencing information and communication rights nationally and globally, particularly the notion of Information as a Public Good, as well as Journalism as a Public Good

2. Supporting advocacy for the adoption, review, and implementation of access to information laws in line with the Model Law on Access to Information for Africa;

3. Supporting advocacy for the implementation of the African Commission Resolution ACHPR/Res. 362(LIX) 2016 on the Right to Freedom of Information and Expression on the Internet in Africa and Resolution ACHPR/Res. 522(LXXII) 2022 on the Protection of Women Against Digital Violence in Africa to address surveillance, data and privacy infringements, disinformation and hate speech, online violence against women journalists, women human rights defenders and politicians, internet disruptions and censorship;

4. Collaborating with governments, media, and other stakeholders to develop and implement initiatives that promote information, media and digital literacy, digital skills development, and online safety for all citizens.

Right to Information Online Courses:

Fesmedia Africa offers sponsored Right to Information Online Courses for Government and Public officials (Supply Side) and Civil Society and journalists (Demand Side). The courses were developed in partnership with the Centre for Law (CLD) and Democracy and Africa Freedom of Information Centre (AFIC), and they introduce participants to the Right to Information and legal frameworks that protect this right.  These courses are designed to build the capacity of both governments and civil society to advance the right to information and access to information as a facilitative right for other fundamental human rights and democracy in Africa.

Partners:

Fesmedia Africa works with a network of like-minded organizations and civil society actors who advocate for access to information, freedom of expression, freedom of the media, and universal access to the internet and ICT in Africa.