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Features 2006-2007

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International

Summary of General Meeting and post-GM activities

Campaigns sessions at the IFEX General Meeting were well attended and helped to establish directions for campaigning and advocacy activities at the local, regional and international levels. Organisations from across the IFEX network were involved in designing, facilitating and participating in the following sessions that will continue developing with support from the IFEX Campaigns Programme.

Africa

Campaigning momentum builds as IFEX members intensify advocacy efforts for free expression

Momentum is building around various campaigns across Africa as IFEX members step up the pressure against repressive governments. Their courageous work is aimed at ending the criminalisation of publication offenses that see editors and journalists receive threats to their safety, the closure of media outlets, legal battles and imprisonment.

Egypt

Human rights advocate confronts fear and intimidation in Egypt

As Executive Director of the Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information and lawyer, Gamal Eid often finds himself campaigning for justice for imprisoned bloggers and journalists, including Al Jazeera reporter Huwaida Taha, who is appealing a six months jail sentence incurred as a result of a documentary on torture she filmed in Egypt. Then in May, Eid himself was threatened with five years in prison after a Judge filed a bogus lawsuit against him, citing "extortion". HRinfo's website, which houses information from 141 members in 18 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as well as IFEX's Arabic site, looked doomed for closure. Eid talked to Kristina Stockwood, IFEX Outreach Coordinator, about his case, free expression in the region in general, and why HRinfo will never give up the fight.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lankan journalists face danger and repression as media situation deteriorates

The conflict in Sri Lanka has been escalating since the failure of the 2002 peace talks. As tension and violence rises between government, paramilitary groups and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, journalists and media outlets are facing increased dangers as they try to cover the political and economic situation in the country.

China

International PEN calls for collaboration: China, the Olympics and free expression advocacy

In the lead-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, several IFEX members have launched campaigns to monitor, mobilise and advocate for free expression in China, where authorities have jailed and restricted journalists, political essayists and bloggers.

Kazakhstan / Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia

Adil Soz advances advocacy dialogues, building strong regional links for free expression

Rinata Alibekova was recently hired as the IFEX Central Asia Project Coordinator and is based at the office of IFEX member Adil Soz, in Kazakhstan. In her role, Rinata is seeking to initiate new advocacy efforts while supporting ongoing activities across the region with organisations in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, working together to advocate for freedom of expression in Central Asia.

Colombia

IFEX Members and Allies Rally in Support of Press Freedom in Colombia

A recent international mission took place in conjunction with the “Media Support Strategies” conference organised by the Proyecto Antonio Nariño - a coalition of media support organisations led by the Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP) - along with International Media Support (IMS) and Reporters sans frontières (RSF), this past September 2006 in Bogota, Colombia. The conference included participation by various IFEX members, and emphasised the importance of developing national and international advocacy efforts. The Fundacion para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP), Instituto de Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS) and IMS were recently interviewed about their efforts, insights and strategies towards promoting a climate of press freedom in Colombia in the face of mounting obstacles.

Philippines

Campaigning Against Impunity: An interview with the Centre for Media Freedom and Responsibility

The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) in the Philippines has been working tirelessly to address the unsolved attacks and murders of Philippine journalists and is currently campaigning for justice in the murder case of journalist Marlene Esperat. Nathan Lee, CMFR's Press Alerts Officer, was interviewed by Sheila Gruner, IFEX Campaigns Programme Coordinator, in early September 2006.

Iran

Campaigning for the release of imprisoned Canadian-Iranian writer and scholar Ramin Jahanbegloo

PEN Canada is leading a campaign to free Ramin Jahanbegloo of Iran, a Canadian-Iranian academic currently imprisoned in Iran. Kristina Stockwood, IFEX Outreach Coordinator, spoke to David Cozac, PEN Canada’s Programmes Coordinator, and Morteza Abdolalian, Editor and Publisher of IRAN WATCH CANADA.