Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)
From TrustAfrica wiki - African Regional Organizations
Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)
Media Foundation for West Africa
30 Duade Street, Kokomlemle
P.O. Box LG 730 Legon, Ghana
Tel: 233 21 242470
Fax: 233 21 221084
Email: mfwa@africaonline.com.gh
Website: http://www.mfwaonline.org
Prof. Kwame Karikari, Executive Director
Ms. Jeannette Quarcoopome, Programs Officer (External Relations)
Description
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is a regional non-governmental organization based in Accra, Ghana. Established in 1997, the organization defends and promotes human rights issues in the sub region, advocates for the rights and freedoms of the media and generally helps expand the boundaries of freedom of speech and expression in West Africa as stipulated in its vision, mission and objectives. It does this through Advocacy and promotion of Media Rights and Freedom of Expression; Monitoring, alerting and publicizing violations of and attacks on freedom of thought and expression; Defense and support of Journalists, Writers, Artists and other Communicators against intimidation and other controls that could undermine free expression; Research into issues affecting Media Rights and Freedom of Expression; Training and support for professional practice and media capacity building; and Promoting and facilitating programs of informed political debate, civic empowerment and popular participation.
The Foundation pursues its objectives through activities that encourage collaboration with organizations and individuals working for the promotion of Media Rights and Freedom of Expression. Program activities include:
Advocacy: MFWA's advocacy platform mobilizes international and local public opinion to support democratic laws and conditions of governance, the defense of victims of rights violation, and the repeal and/or amendment of laws and legislations that constrain media freedom and civil liberties. To facilitate this mandate, the Foundation sets up ad hoc task forces to provide informed opinion and advice to media, policy-makers and legislators; and cooperates with associations of media owners and professionals, human rights and NGOs.
Research and Documentation: MFWA conducts research into human and media rights abuses in order to publicize abuses, record trends and propose interventions. It also undertakes periodic media situational analyses to collect data and information on developments in the areas of media and governance. The Foundation's Documentation Centre maintains a library of books, periodicals, reports and other documents relating to Laws and Legislation, Political, Social and Cultural developments concerning Freedom and Independence of the media and Expression; and Trends and developments in Media practice, Professional responsibility and capacity, and Conditions of the media industry in West Africa.
MFWA’s established budget for 2007 is US$695,000. Funding is provided by the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), IBIS West Africa, Open Society Institute Network Media Program (OSI-NMP), FreeVoice, UNESCO, CIDA, and DANIDA, among others. OSI-NMP provides core funding while all other donors provide MFWA with project-based support.
Track Record
The MFWA has made significant progress in the development of a culture of consistent protest against, and promotion and defense of Media Rights and Freedom of Speech by an indigenous regional organization.
The Foundation has provided sanctuary for persecuted journalists in the sub-region, and has intervened effectively in conflict situations to support and protect journalists, as well as to promote media development after conflict. In collaboration with the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (UFEX), MFWA issues alerts and press releases each time the rights of a journalist in the sub-region are threatened or curtailed. In doing to, it mobilizes different rights defenders to rally around the causes of persecuted media practitioners.
MFWA is known for its work in developing and supporting the building of civil society networks around Africa to promote press freedom. It was instrumental in the setting up of the Network of Freedom of Expression Organizations in Africa (NAFEO), established in November 2005 and involving a wide range of African and international organizations. NAFEO’s brief includes addressing impunity, attacks on media and related freedom of expression violations, training, Access to Information, and engagement with the sub-regional and regional human rights and freedom of expression mechanisms.
The Foundation also serves as the secretariat for the Network of Lawyers for the Defense of Journalists in West Africa, which brings together lawyers with expertise in media and freedom of expression to act for journalists under threat from criminal and civil sanctions. MFWA has also successfully promoted regional initiatives for legal reform and conventions to promote press freedom.
MFWA maintains strong relations with media actors, associations and unions in West Africa. Partners include the West African Journalists Association (WAJA), the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) and Panos Institute West Africa (PIWA, see separate profiles). It also collaborates with national organizations outside the region, such as the Ethiopia Free Press Journalists’ Association and the East African Media Institute’s Somalia chapter. MFWA’s relations with international organizations are also strong and growing, with solid collaboration with International Media Support and IBIS from Denmark, and a burgeoning relationship with ARTICLE 19 in the UK.
Challenges
The major challenge faced by the organization is funding, which negatively affects staffing quality and national diversity, makes it impossible for MFWA to meet all the demands and expectations as a result of growth in the organization’s work, and limits the extent to which it can effectively implement programs. MFWA is facing increased demand for its services, demands it cannot always meet given its limited staffing.
Opportunities
Support is required for institutional strengthening, a key prerequisite to its sustainability. Additional core support, as well as more consistent program support, would enable MFWA to recruit additional expertise, manage competing demands and deliver effectively on a consistent basis.
