West Africa
The Media Foundation for West Africa is a regional independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation based in Accra, Ghana. It was established in 1997 in order to defend and promote the rights and freedoms of the media, and to advance the development of civil society using media strategies and networking. It aims to foster interaction and collaboration with other sectors of society around the issues of human rights, democracy, peace, security and development in West Africa through:
• The advocacy and promotion of media rights and freedom of expression; monitoring, alerting and publicising violations of, and attacks on freedom of thought and expression.
• Defending and supporting 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.
• Providing training and support for professional practice and media capacity building.
• Promoting and facilitating programmes of informed political debate, civic empowerment and popular participation.
The MFWA’s Media and Peace-Building in Africa programme is part of the Ford Foundation’s Special Initiative for Africa. It is a two-year project that aims to improve African media capacity and increase African media attention in covering and promoting peace. The project has two principal activities
1. To undertake an audit of media content, performance and capacity in peacebuilding.
2. To engage a network of media to produce and disseminate special material, which shows a new and improved standard of media coverage, on peace processes and conflicts around the continent.
The vision of the MFWA is for a sub-region
in which the fundamental human rights of freedom of thought and expression
are guaranteed. And in which free mass media serve first, as the repository,
and then, as the “conveyor belt” for bringing to fulfilment, all the other
universally subscribed rights and freedoms for all persons. The MFWA has Observer
Status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
P. O. Box LG 730
30 Duade Street, Kokomlemle
Legon, Ghana
Tel +233 21 242470, Fax +233 21 221084
mfwa@africaonline.com.gh, admin@mediafoundationwa.org
Contact
Kwame Karikari, Executive Director
Number of staff
11
Budget
$100.000 - $500.000
Publications
The Law and the Media Series Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, The Gambia, Sierra Leone
Liberia Human Rights Violations, 1997-2002
Where Has Aid Taken Africa
The Face and Phases of the Ghana Police
Zongo-Giwa (a quarterly magazine)
Programmes
Media and Peace-Building In Africa
Media Law and Policy Reform
Advocacy and Rights Monitoring
Legal Defence for Journalists
Media Development and Capacity Building
Research
Publications