Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeAccess To InformationAMDISS Raises Awareness on Media Laws for CSOs in South Sudan

AMDISS Raises Awareness on Media Laws for CSOs in South Sudan

This statement was originally published on AMDISS on October 24, 2016.

“You people are very quick in responding to human rights violations” Alfred Taban tells members of the CSOs/CBOs during a two day awareness raising workshop that took place at AMDISS Head Office Juba from October 20th-21st, 2016  which brought together twenty one (21) members of CSOs/CBOs representing different institutions. “When I was arrested, you people were the first to advocate for my rights and also were the first to call for my release and that of other journalists who were in detentions; “you did better than my colleagues in the media”.  “You civil society is agents for positive change”

Alfred Taban, Chairperson of AMDISS made these remarks during the opening of a two day workshop for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs)/ Community Based Organizations (CBOs) on media laws awareness raising under the theme “Civil Society Support for Freedom of Expression, Information and media organized by the Association for Media Development In South Sudan (AMDISS) with support from Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)

AMDISS organized the workshop to enhance CSOs/CBOs with knowledge of the media laws to improve their support for the implementation of these laws, it was also to explain the principles of freedom of opinion and expression as entrenched in the National Transitional Constitution 2011 and international and regional treaties and analyze the roles and responsibilities of CSOs/CBOs in the new legal dynamics in South Sudan.

The workshop, according to most of the participants was an eye opener and an opportunity for them to learn more about the media laws and the structures of the bodies that govern these laws. Participants also shared their experiences and hardship they have been facing in relation to freedom of expression and access to information during the course of their duties. The workshop concluded by forming a task force spearheaded by AMDISS to monitor and push for the implementation of the media laws.

The two day workshop was facilitated by four professional lawyers with good experience in both national and international instruments on legal frame work on freedom of expression, information and media.

Recent articles