Kenya: Enhancing Information and Transparency for Internally Displaced Persons Mombasa, Kenya: ARTICLE 19 recently highlighted the critical issue of the right to information for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The international NGO delivered practical training sessions on the Right to Information for internally displaced persons to regional leaders and representatives of local community based organisations. Over […]
Kenya: Enhancing Information and Transparency for Internally Displaced
Persons
Mombasa, Kenya: ARTICLE 19 recently highlighted the critical issue of
the right to information for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The
international NGO delivered practical training sessions on the Right to
Information for internally displaced persons to regional leaders and
representatives of local community based organisations. Over 20
participants from the Coast province attended the training sessions
held in the Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza regions of the country.
The program aims to build the capacity of IDP leaders and civil society
organisations to request and utilise government held information.
“ARTICLE 19’s program on IDPs was initiated in recognition of the fact
that information rights for the internally displaced are ignored.
A
major weakness in the Kenyan government’s interventions to the IDP
problem is the lack of information flow to and from IDPs. ARTICLE 19
believe that if IDPs are empowered to claim their information rights,
it will go a long way in helping them claim their other economic and
social rights including education, health and housing and aid stability
for IDPs,” said Henry Maina, Director of Article 19 Eastern Africa.
Participants at the workshop represented local organisations working on
various IDP issues in the Coast province in Kenya.
Displacement issues
largely relate to election conflicts experienced in 1992, 1997, and
2007, land issues and development induced displacement. The workshops
covered the meaning and principles of the right to information, the
legal framework of the Right to Information as it relates to issues of
internal displacement, an overview of the IDP policy and specifically
its provisions on information and communication.
The response from the participants was positive with many appreciating
the opportunity to share experiences and strategies of tackling the
myriad challenges caused by lack of access to information for the
internally displaced.
“The lack of clear information channels for IDPs at the coast has had
far reaching implications. For instance at the time of displacement, we
were erroneously informed that registration was only being undertaken
in Kwale, only to realise three weeks later that it was also being
undertaken in Mombasa by which time the deadline for registration had
lapsed, and, many IDPs were not profiled. The lack of information has
also affected the access to basic services and humanitarian
interventions. We rarely get information on food rations available and
we miss out. This workshop was timely in highlighting the information
rights of IDPs as well as creating a common purpose among local civil
society on how to move forward,” said Eliatha Mathe, IDP Coast Regional
Representative.
One of the key recommendations from the workshop related to the
adoption of the draft National IDP Policy and draft IDP Bill which
would institutionalise the IDP interventions and contains progressive
provisions on information and communication to persons in situations of
displacement. The participants formulated action points including
lobbying their members of parliament regarding IDPs right to
information and the adoption of the IDP policy, raising further
opportunities for civil society and IDP leaders to engage
parliamentarians, and looking at ways to measure progress in public
forums.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
* For more information, please contact Henry Maina, Director for
ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, at henry@article19.org or +254 20 386
2230/2.
* ARTICLE 19 is an independent human rights organisation that works
around the world to protect and promote the right to freedom of
expression. It takes its name from Article 19 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech.
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Kenya: Enhancing Information and Transparency for Internally Displaced Persons
Mombasa, Kenya: ARTICLE 19 recently highlighted the critical issue of the right to information for internally displaced persons (IDPs). The international NGO delivered practical training sessions on the Right to Information for internally displaced persons to regional leaders and representatives of local community based organisations. Over 20 participants from the Coast province attended the training sessions held in the Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza regions of the country.
The program aims to build the capacity of IDP leaders and civil society organisations to request and utilise government held information.
“ARTICLE 19’s program on IDPs was initiated in recognition of the fact that information rights for the internally displaced are ignored. A major weakness in the Kenyan government’s interventions to the IDP problem is the lack of information flow to and from IDPs. ARTICLE 19 believe that if IDPs are empowered to claim their information rights, it will go a long way in helping them claim their other economic and social rights including education, health and housing and aid stability for IDPs,” said Henry Maina, Director of Article 19 Eastern Africa.
Participants at the workshop represented local organisations working on various IDP issues in the Coast province in Kenya. Displacement issues largely relate to election conflicts experienced in 1992, 1997, and 2007, land issues and development induced displacement. The workshops covered the meaning and principles of the right to information, the legal framework of the Right to Information as it relates to issues of internal displacement, an overview of the IDP policy and specifically its provisions on information and communication.
The response from the participants was positive with many appreciating the opportunity to share experiences and strategies of tackling the myriad challenges caused by lack of access to information for the internally displaced.
“The lack of clear information channels for IDPs at the coast has had far reaching implications. For instance at the time of displacement, we were erroneously informed that registration was only being undertaken in Kwale, only to realise three weeks later that it was also being undertaken in Mombasa by which time the deadline for registration had lapsed, and, many IDPs were not profiled. The lack of information has also affected the access to basic services and humanitarian interventions. We rarely get information on food rations available and we miss out. This workshop was timely in highlighting the information rights of IDPs as well as creating a common purpose among local civil society on how to move forward, ” said Eliatha Mathe, IDP Coast Regional Representative.
One of the key recommendations from the workshop related to the adoption of the draft National IDP Policy and draft IDP Bill which would institutionalise the IDP interventions and contains progressive provisions on information and communication to persons in situations of displacement. The participants formulated action points including lobbying their members of parliament regarding IDPs right to information and the adoption of the IDP policy, raising further opportunities for civil society and IDP leaders to engage parliamentarians, and looking at ways to measure progress in public forums.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
For more information, please contact Henry Maina, Director for ARTICLE 19 Eastern Africa, at henry@article19.org or +254 20 386 2230/2.
ARTICLE 19 is an independent human rights organisation that works around the world to protect and promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its name from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech.
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
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Forward to a friend
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For press queries and interview requests, please contact the press office:
T: +44 (0) 20 7324 2510
E: pressteam@article19.org
M: +44 (0) 7515 828 939
About ARTICLE 19
ARTICLE 19 is an independent human rights organisation that works globally to protect and promote the right to freedom of expression. It takes its name from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantees free speech.
follow on Twitter
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You are receiving this email because you signed up during an event or online and requested updates on freedom of expression and information.
We can be contacted at:
ARTICLE 19 60 Farringdon Road London , England
EC1R 3GA United Kingdom Add us to your address book
Tel: +44 20 7324 2500
Fax: +44 20 7490 0566
Email: info@article19.org
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License .
ARTICLE 19, Registered Charity no. 327421, a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales no. 2097222.
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