A comprehensive assessment of the right to information movement around the world was published July 8 by the Freedom of Information Advocates Network (FOIAnet).
Chapters on seven regions combine historical overviews with evaluations the current situation.
The 90-page report, written by veteran advocates, details the varied and similar experiences of civil society advocates, and sometimes includes recommendations for future strategies. “Success stories” are included along with a handful of country case studies.
For each region, the report provides “SWOT” assessments of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
And the future for each region is described in a “Look Forward” section.
To give a flavor, the “Looking Forward” section on the Middle-East and North Africa states:
RTI in the region is also having its own ‘Spring’. It is one of the major demands for reform of the State institutions in countries that have gone through radical changes or have adopted significant reform policies. Secrecy and corruption are perceived as the pillars of the old regimes, so transparency and accountability are called for as the foundation of new governments. RTI is now understood by many as the key to the democratic transformation of goverment.
Strategies for change are linked to, and often limited by, the capacity to translate them into long term operational projects with secure funding. RTI is still in its infancy, however, and there is much potential. In order to make progress towards a real recognition and enjoyment of RTI future advocacy efforts could consider adopting new strategies such as the following:
• Formation of strong national coalitions involving dedicated stakeholders such as media and businesses, as well as popular social organisations, political parties and trade unions.
• Conduct research that addresses the information needs of different sectors of society and link RTI to the needs of the poor, vulnerable and marginalised groups in society.
• Encourage lawyers and academics to be involved in RTI research and advocacy. It is important to build a pool of national and regional experts for future activities such as evaluation and litigation.
• Raise public awareness about the links between RTI and other economic, social and cultural rights.
• Regional advocates should collaborate to build bridges with NGOs and media in countries where governments resist change.
Looking Forward in Africa:
The same section for Africa states:
RTI focused CSOs should work with organisations working on issues such as housing, health, education, agriculture and construction to help them recognise RTI as a strategic advocacy tool for promoting their issues.
Research has shown that many African countries have RTI provisions in sector specific laws, and yet there is limited usage of these provisions by activists and citizens. It is of particular importance in the context of Sub Saharan Africa to utilise RTI to realise socio-economic rights such as housing, education, health and so on. In Zimbabwe, the Media Alliance of Zimbabwe has been working to build a broad-based coalition of groups working in different social sectors to push for the adoption of a new (and genuine) RTI law.
Popularisation of the right through recognition and utilisation of its power as an enabling right is central to any campaign to expand legal recognition of the right on the continent. As the Minister for Cabinet Affairs of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Rwanda, noted at a conference on RTI in Nairobi, Kenya on 29 August 2011, when RTI is viewed as a tool that can be used to achieve poverty reduction, food security and economic development, no African government will oppose it.
Civil society should be more receptive to experiences from beyond the continent. Emerging countries like India, with a dynamic civil society and successful history of advocacy for RTI, can provide valuable lessons for Africa. Civil society should identify success stories of this nature to emulate and improve advocacy on the continent. This approach, however, should not be at the expense of improved creativity to advance the right based on country-specific realities.
SWOT Analysis Performed
The report contains SWOT analyses for each of the seven regions.
As an example, here’s the assessment for Europe:
The current situation of civil society advocacy on RTI in Europe cannot be separated from the wider political and economic context of the region. At times, it is the very strengths of the region that lead to difficulties for civil society and the development of RTI. The relatively strong democratic context can diminish perceptions of the urgency of reform, and this can lead to difficulties in securing financial support for civil society.
In Eastern Europe, many countries are still struggling to overcome the cultural and political heritage of the communist period, including the culture of secrecy. In countries accustomed to excessive bureaucratic formalities, such as France, Portugal and Italy, public bodies are sometimes unwilling to respond to email requests for information, making the process unnecessarily lengthy and costly.
Europe is now experiencing movement and change. The economic problems which have dominated the agenda for most European governments since the start of the financial crisis in 2008 and austerity programmes are affecting civil society groups which depended on government funding. In addition to reduced opportunities for funding, civil society often needs to defend more rights which are increasingly being put at risk as European governments prioritise economic growth over social and democratic protection.
This context does, however, bring new opportunities, including the support for anti-corruption and transparency measures by the large citizen and social movements springing up across the continent. As citizens are told there are fewer public resources, they become ever more concerned that these are not lost to malpractice and corruption.
Civil society in Europe working on RTI is perhaps more interconnected than ever, and is creating new networks and ways of working together. Just one example of this is the activity around the issue of open government data, where a community of on-line activists has joined with those working on RTIto maximise the transparency opportunities offered by the Internet.
Goals of the Report Outlined
“This is the very first time FOIAnet has produced a major publication,” said Toby Mendel, Chair of FOIAnet. This is a wonderful way to build on our anniversary 10-10-10 Statement: Achievements, Challenges and Goals on the 10th Anniversary of the Freedom of Information Advocates Network (FOIAnet).”
Lydia Medland, lead editor of the report, said, “The report shows that advocates still have a long way to go to see their goal achieved of a universal right to information, however, it also clearly transmits the strength of the movement and their ability to effectively confront obstacles to change.”
The researchers and writers for each region of the world were: for Africa, Gilbert Sendugwa, Africa Freedom of Information Centre, and Tammy O’Connor, Freedom of Information Programme, South African History Archive; for the Americas, Karina Banfi, Ana Pereyra Iraola and Natalia Monti from the Alianza Regional por la Libre Expresión e Información, (Alianza Regional); for Australasia and Oceania, Peter Timmins, blogger and expert on RTI; for East and South East Asia, Toby Mendel, Centre for Law and Democracy; for Europe, Lydia Medland, Access Info Europe, and Ruta Mrazauskaite, Transparency International Lithuania; for the Middle East and North Africa, Said Essoulami, the Centre for Media Freedom in the Middle Eastand North Africa (CMF MENA); and for South Asia, Zahid Abdullah, Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI).
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