Call for Applications: Distance learning course on campaigning
for access to information
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Dear Afro-Netters,
Would be grateful if you could post this course information to
your list. There are 15 fully sponsored places available and it
might be that you have candidates in the health field who are
interested in access to information issues.
Regards,
Patrick Burnett
News and Information Coordinator
Fahamu - Learning for Change
mailto:patrick@fahamu.org.za
http://www.fahamu.org
Pambazuka News - An information service for Social Justice
http://www.pambazuka.org
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Call for Applications: Distance learning course on campaigning
for access to information
Learn the why, what and how of access to information
Global free expression group Article 19 and the human rights or-
ganization Fahamu invite applications for a distance learning
course on Campaigning for Access to Information to be held from
15 November 2004 until 15 December 2004.
Combining the freedom of information campaigning expertise of
Article 19 with the extensive distance learning experience of
Fahamu, this course is meant for people and organizations from a
broad spectrum of areas in Africa who have an interest in the
issue of access to information. This includes but is not limited
groups, women's groups, development organisations, human rights
organisations and many others.
This course looks at why access to information is important,
what an access to information law should contain, and how to set
about campaigning for one.
While several countries in Southern Africa have draft laws to
access to information in place, South Africa is the only country
in the region that has a proper access to information law. But
even when a law or a draft law is in place, it is important to
have the ability to critique the laws in order to make sure that
they have included the best provisions possible. And then it is
crucial to ensure that the law is implemented properly.
This distance course lasts for seven weeks. Six weeks are spent
working through a specially designed interactive CDROM, complet-
ing exercises and discussing the issues by email with others who
are doing the course. The final week is devoted to an assignment
that will involve designing a campaign plan for access to infor-
mation in your country. This not only entails considering cam-
paigning strategy and tactics, but also the substantive access
to information issues that you are likely to encounter in your
own country. It is intended that the product of this assignment
will be something that you and your organisation can use in the
future to help guide your campaigning work. You will be guided
throughout the course by an online course tutor.
There are 15 fully sponsored places available on this course.
Every participant who successfully completes this course will be
awarded a certificate from Article 19 and Fahamu.
Applicants should send a one page summary CV, with a letter of
500 words explaining why they should be selected for this
course. Applications should be sent to mailto:info@fahamu.org
For further information (including course dates, fees and regis-
tration forms please contact:
Hilary Isaac in Oxford, UK on
Tel: +44-845-456-2442
Fax: +44-845-456-2443
mailto:info@fahamu.org
or call Camille Downes in Durban, South Africa on:
Tel: +27-31-207-1144/8360
Fax: +27-31-207-8403
You can also download and complete an application from the Fa-
hamu website at: http://www.fahamu.org/courses.php
* Fahamu (http://www.fahamu.org) is committed to serving the
needs of organisations and social movements that aspire to pro-
gressive social change and that promote and protect human
rights. Fahamu has extensive experience in distance learning for
human rights organisations.
* Article 19 (http://www.article19.org/) works worldwide to com-
bat censorship by promoting freedom of expression and access to
official information.