Listen to the debate, broadcast live on Zodiak Broadcasting Station on Friday September 29 at 6pm.
Brought to you by MISA Malawi, the debate will help you get more of an idea about the state of Access to Information in Malawi.
The panelists from government, academia, civil society and the Malawi Human Rights Commission will discuss the following questions.
- Are citizens free to express themselves and access information?’
- What is the state of online expression and access to Information in Malawi? Has it improved or deteriorated in the last two years?
- Who are the perpetrators of free expression violations, if any?
- What should be done to ensure that citizens fully enjoy constitutional guarantees on free expression and access to information?
- What should be the responsibility of government, academia, civil society and the diplomatic community to ensure promotion of free expression and access to information in Malawi?
The debate is part of MISA Malawi’s activities for International Right to Know Day, celebrated around the world on September 28. MISA Malawi celebrates Right to Know Day every year.
The 2017 celebrations are special for three reasons.
Firstly, 2017 marks 20 years of MISA Malawi’s existence and we intend to celebrate the achievements the organisation has registered since 1997, the year the chapter was established.
Secondly, President Peter Muntharika assented to the ATI Bill on February 10, 2017, casting the spotlight on Malawi as one of the few countries in Africa with a law on Access to Information. The 2017 Right to Know celebrations will therefore provide an opportunity to assess how far the country has gone in implementing the new legislation.
Thirdly, the celebrations are coming at a time the chapter is concluding work on its website and provides a great opportunity to share with the public important information on media and freedom of expression violations, access to information, contacts for media organization and journalism training institutions and valuable research reports on Malawi media. MISA Malawi will officially launch their website at the event.
