International Conference on Press Freedom, Access to Information and Empowerment of People. 2-3 May 2008 Maputo, Mozambique
Friday 2 May 2008
Inaugural Ceremony| 8:30 | Registration of Delegates |
| 9:20 | Welcome Address by H.E. Aires Bonifacio Ali, Minister of Education and Culture, Mozambique |
| 9:30 | Address by Abdul Waheed Khan, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information, UNESCO |
| 10:00-11:30 | Theme 1: Press Freedom contributes to Empowerment |
The media fulfills an essential component of a democratic society. Access to a free, independent and pluralistic media is essential for gaining awareness of the issues that matter both nationally and internationally. Today our empowerment as community members, as nationals and as global citizens; relies on access to diverse media outlets. However several factors will affect the extent to which the media environment will empower its citizens; including media variety, the existence of professional standards and access to new technology.
Moderator:
Panelists:
| 11:30 | Coffee/tea break |
| 11:50-12:50 | Panel Discussion and Questions |
| 12:50-13:15 | Launching of the World Bank/University of Michigan Press publication "Broadcasting, Voice and Accountability: A public interest approach to policy, law and regulation" |
| 13:15-14:15 | Lunch |
| 14:15 | UNESCO Mozambique CMC project demonstration by Polly Gaster, Head of IT4D at the University Center for Informatics, Mozambique |
| 14:30-16:30 | Theme 2: The role of community media |
Local media invite participation from marginalized and vulnerable populations that are often overlooked by larger media; although the limited audience served by local media does not guarantee that marginalized groups, such as women, for example, will be included in the dialogue. However local media has the potential to provide an interactive platform for decision making by the community while new technology has increasingly permitted ordinary citizens to participate in alternative media.
Moderator:
Panelists:
| 16:30-17:00 | Coffee/tea break |
| 17:00-18:00 | The Africa Media Initiative, presentation by Eric Chinje, Chair, AMI, and Fackson Banda, SAB LTD-UNESCO Chair of Media and Democracy, School of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes University, South Africa |
| 19:30 | Reception hosted by Media Institute for Southern Africa, Mozambique chapter |
Saturday 3 May 2008
| 9:30-11:30 | Theme 3. Access to information |
Informed opinions change our role as citizens. Information allows us to make decisions based on fact; which can significantly alter our political, social and economic perspectives. Access to information not only depends on the collection and dissemination of reliable data but also on the means of accessing this information. This can be contingent both on the IT resources in a country, media literacy levels as well as levels of government disclosure and cooperation.
Moderator:
Panelists:
| 11:30-12:00 | Coffee/tea break |
| 12:00-13:00 | Adoption of Recommendations and of the “Declaration of Maputo” |
| 13:00 | Lunch |
| 14:30 | Official Ceremony and Award of the UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize supported by the Cano and Ottaway Foundations |
