People Must be Informed!

The struggle for the return to constitutional rule had at its centre amongst others a craving for the unfettered rights of every individual especially the Ghanaian, access to information as when the need arises.

Democracy in its true sense of the word has come to be defined as the participation of the people in the process of governance.

 However, if practical meaning can ever be given to democracy, it must certainly involve the unreserved right of every citizen to information which would in the final analysis widen the scope of his knowledge so he can contribute effectively towards nation building.

For countless number of years, many people have been gripped by the fear of the unknown as the world keeps changing by the minute before their very eyes.

Social commentators and political activists like Kwesi Pratt Jnr. have hit the roof about the poverty of our people.

In their argument, the inability of our government to harness our resources towards addressing the social and economic difficulties which has plagued the people, the reason we have a situation where people continue to sleep on the streets of Mallam Atta market.

Nonetheless, information on how much revenue is accrued to the state as a result of our share holdings in the various mining companies is never made available or accessible to the public!

It is a healthy development that the bill for right to information has received some attention on the floor of parliament.

However, we need to accentuate that if the underlying principle for the passage of the Bill is to ensure that the public, citizens and non-citizens had access to information then Act 54 section (1) of the constitution which empowers the Attorney General with the ministerial responsibility for the implementation of that act, must be amended.

Although the Attorney General would have to hold information in trust for the people; the bill when passed into law would definitely suffer some restrictions and the right to information might be curtailed.

The argument advanced in support of this position is that, given the constitutional provision which mandates the Attorney-General to also serve as the Minister of Justice, how would he release information which borders on criminality especially when the state is involved?

How would the Attorney-General release information which might eventually require him to prosecute the state or prominent citizens of the government under which he or she might be serving?

It is for these and other reasons that it has been advocated the need for an independent body or entity to be charged with the responsibility for the effective implementation of the bill for the Right to Information if it is ever passed into law.

The right to information must be enjoyed without hindrances and all measures must be put in place to ensure that the thinking and planning that went into the drafting of that bill is never wasted.

Clara Sarpomaa Sabeng

Clara was a former intern with CHRI and is currently a student at the Institue of Journalism in Accra

Right To Information – a Necessary Tool for Democracy

Unlike in the UK and in Nigeria, which both passed their freedom of information bills after long periods of civil society activism, Ghana’s Right to Information (RTI) Bill is still stuck before Parliament. Whilst it is necessary that a strong bill, without unnecessary exemptions, is properly formulated, it is about time that we Ghanaians start enjoying the chunk of benefits that accompanies the RTI.

The bill, if passed, would give power to the governed to know what goes on in the public offices which should help to make governments more accountable. In short the RTI bill will help to create a fuller and more dynamic democracy.

Politicians should not forget that, they are elected to work towards the betterment of those they govern. They are not elected to suit their own whims and caprices. It seems politicians always want to take the electorate for granted, but they should not forget that the electorate are becoming more discerning day in and day out.

The current NDC government and their NPP predecessors have overseen a country which has been hailed internationally as an African democratic success story, yet both parties have done little to move the bill forward. Democracy was defined by Abraham Lincoln as; government of the people, by the people, and for the people. From this definition, one could clearly see that Ghana is government of the people, by the people, but not for the people, in that the voice of the majority is not heard no matter how high they scream.

Laws are made to be obeyed, if not they become useless, as stipulated in Article 21 (1) (f) of the 1992 constitution of Ghana that “All persons shall have the right to Information, subject to such qualifications and laws as are necessary in a democratic society.”

In a democracy, the people are sovereign – they are the highest form of political authority. Power flows from the people to the leaders of government, who hold power only temporarily. As a result politicians must always remember that they are only the temporary custodians for the information they hold in trust for the people

Under a democratic government, citizens have an obligation to become informed about public issues, to watch carefully how their political leaders and representatives use their power and express their own opinions and interests.

Democracy can never be practiced to the fullest if there is no transparency, and accountability that is requisite in a proper democracy. The more they prolong the passage of the bill, the more the citizens conceive the idea that, politicians have something to hide, but no matter how thick a forest may be, the tortoise will surely find its way to its home.

Are Ghanaians safe if even in a democracy, they still cannot exercise their rights as citizens to know? Let us all rise in unity to support this worthy course, for it’s my right, it’s your right, it’s our right to know.  

Edward Balami, Ghana Institute of Journalism.

The Author wrote this article whilst on a two week placement with CHRI. See www.edwardbalami.blogspot.com for other examples of his writing.

A Step Forward for Nigeria, a Standstill for Ghana

Sad to say, but Ghana will have to take a backseat to Nigeria on progressive legislation. Late last month marked a significant date on the Nigerian democratic calendar. After collaborative efforts on behalf of the Media Rights Agenda, Open Society Justice Initiative, Right to Know Movement, Nigeria, and OSIWA, Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan passed the Freedom of Information Bill into law.

This road to freedom of information was not an easy one. In 1999 the FOI Bill was presented to Nigeria’s fourth National Assembly; however there was little development for several years. In 2003 the bill was again presented to Nigeria’s fifth National Assembly, and by 2007 was signed by both Chambers. This seeming progression, however, revealed itself to be a chimera when President Olusegun Obasanjo rejected the bill, stating that it would be a threat to national security. Nevertheless, after over eleven years of steadfast persistence, on 28 May 2011, Nigeria marked itself as the sixteenth member of the Commonwealth, and the seventh country of Africa, to have passed a law granting a right to information.

So what does this development mean for the country of Nigeria? By granting a right to information, people have the right to access, and public institutions must proactively disclose, government-held public records and information that was hitherto considered confidential, and therefore kept away from public scrutiny. People can access information from departments of the government, corporations, and companies in which government has a controlling interest.

                                              President Goodluck Jonathan who passed Nigeria's FOI Bill
With this law, private companies utilizing public funds, providing public services or performing public functions are open to public scrutiny. Right to information grants insight into goals and decisions of the government, allowing for more informed decisions by the public; thus reinforcing a true democratic society. This means that traditionally closed governments and reluctant bureaucrats will have to fundamentally change their ways of working. Openness and not secrecy will have to reign. Bringing this change about is the greatest challenge now before the nation.

The Bill also provides protection to whistleblowers, ensuring immunity of any person disclosing malfeasance by their employers. This is particularly important as a great many powerful people, in long term, cozy relationships with each other, will find their questionable benefits under threat from disclosure.

Coming after so long, it is almost churlish to point out some of the law’s infirmities, but a glaring one is the absence of an Information Commission. The Information Commission works to oversee the implementation of the law and adjudicate cases of complaints and appeals when people do not receive information or are aggrieved by the decisions of the public institutions. Instead, the law requires someone who has been refused information to go to high court or the Federal Court. This expensive, time-consuming process is by no means possible for the majority of people.

Even as Nigeria has enacted a freedom of information law, Ghana still lags behind. After six long years Ghana’s first Bill, drafted in 2003, was finally approved by the Cabinet – thus allowing it to be presented before Parliament. However, despite the seeming progression, Parliament claimed it had never received the Bill. As of 2009 a startling sense of déjà vu was sensed as the bill was once again approved by Ghana’s Cabinet and presented to Parliament for consideration, this time successfully.

For the moment Ghana’s FOI bill lies stagnant in Parliament, and Ghanaian citizens are far from placid. On 28 January 2010 Accra was flooded with approximately 500 people, all demonstrating a united desire to see the FOI bill passed by Parliament. Headed by Mr. Seth Ablorsu, an executive member of the Trade Union Congress, and Nana Oye Lithur, a Human Rights activist, the demonstrators identified themselves as “Coalition on the Right to Information”.

As it stands, Ghana’s draft Bill contains many critical deficits that could render superficial citizen’s right to know. For instance, the staggering list of items restricted from public enquiry (as many as 53) severely limits information available for scrutiny. For example, according to section 5 (1), “Information is exempt if it is for submission or has been submitted to the Office of the President or the Vice-President”. The Bill goes on to exclude information pertaining to the Cabinet or Armed Forces. By restricting access to presidential deliberations, Ghanaians are unable to make informed decisions about their political leaders. Moreover, without enforced transparency it makes it difficult to unveil potential political corruption.

The unduly long time-period within which information can be made available is another matter of concern. After a request is made asking for a particular bit of information, the information officer can take up to 21 days simply to decide whether the information may be released – something that could be achieved in one day. Moreover, after the decision as to how much information can be released, it can take an additional fourteen days to deliver it.

The Ghanaian Bill also suffers the same deficiency as the Nigerian one in not having an Information Commission.

All in all, Ghana seems to be two steps behind Nigeria when it comes to a right to information. The sluggish manner in which Parliament seems to be processing the FOI Bill is a matter of unrest for many Ghanaians. If it is going to catch up, Parliament will need to let go of its lethargy, consult openly with, and listen to, a wide public, and significantly improve the pending law. The solidarity and support of various organizations as well as public demonstrations is an important step in achieving a right to know. Ghanaians are creating a loud message for their desire for human rights, and it is high time for Parliament to step up, listen and learn from their neighbours.

Chanté Blais, Canadian intern for the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in Delhi.

Aricle also published in The Chronicle, Friday 10th of June 2011. See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=210593&comment=0#com

Nigeria passes the Freedom of Information Act

Great news! Yesterday Nigeria passed the Freedom of Information Act!

Ironically this was just one day after Chris Lane had commented, in his excellent article on lessons learnt from the UK’s Freedom of Information Act, that Nigeria was “digging in its heels”!!!

Nigeria joins the small list of other countries in Africa in that have passed freedom of information (FOI) legislation. Liberia, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Uganda all have FOI bills. Freedominfo.org provide a good insight into the situation in Africa.

Under Nigeria’ new legislation, whistleblowers who report malpractice by their employers will be protected from reprisals whilst all institutions spending public funds will have to be provide information about their operations and expenditure.

 For further on the Nigerian act have a look at allafrica.com. Click here

Right to Information - Lessons Learnt in the UK

Last weekend a group of hackers in Nigeria known as the Naija Cyber Hactivists attacked Nigerian state websites and posted demands that President Goodluck Jonathan should, as promised, pass the long awaited Right to Information (RTI) Bill.

With the notable exception of Liberia, which passed a freedom of information bill last year, the RTI movement is stalling in West Africa. In Nigeria the government has been digging in its heels over legislation first tabled in 2006 whilst in Ghana the eight year fight for the RTI Bill drags on.

 

So why are politicians stalling over the RTI Bill? The simple answer is that it would, to coin a phrase, be like turkeys voting for Christmas. Governments have a vested interest in being the sole masters of the flow of information which can, in extreme cases, afford them the opportunity for self-enrichment under the cloak of secrecy. Political parties often pay lip service to the RTI bill whilst in opposition as it gives them the opportunity to seek disclosures that embarrass the governing party. However, more often than not, opposition parties tend to take the view that one day they may themselves be in Government and foresee that such support might return to haunt them.

 

The post-implementation experience of other countries with RTI acts certainly suggests that politicians have good reason to be worried about preserving their vested interests.

 

The United Kingdom’s Freedom of Information Act (FOI) is a good case in point and one with which, as a UK lawyer, I am familiar. Passed in 2000, the bill has led to a dramatic shift in the balance of power between citizen and the state. Over half a million requests were made in the first five years alone.

 

The parliamentary expenses scandal in the UK finds its roots in FOI requests made by journalists in 2005. True, ultimately a CD of leaked data allowed the press to discover some of the more serious – and criminal – examples of abuse. However, much of the detail – claims by MPs for mole clearance, moat cleaning, light-bulb replacement and pornographic movies – is only now in the public domain as a result of the Act and three years of journalists’ perseverence. The damning disclosures led to a wholesale reform of the parliamentary expenses regime and the establishment of an independent watchdog. Many MPs resigned as a result of the scandal, a number were prosecuted.

Furthermore, it is only as a result of the UK FOI Act that we know which big businessmen the British Prime Minister has dinner with on a regular basis, we uncover the fact that research related to climate change science was suppressed, we learn that contraceptive implants have quietly been made available to girls as young as 13 by the UK’s National Health Service and disturbingly we discover that the UK operated a clandestine torture programme in post-war Germany.

 

The people of other countries have also been able to hold their governments accountable as a result of RTI laws. In the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Freedom of Information Act has allowed the public to discover the shocking extent of church and state negotiations over compensation for clerical abuse cases. In the US, the largest single group of freedom of information applicants is not, as one might expect, journalists but actually senior citizens. Seniors used the long-standing federal legislation to obtain copies of their benefits packages or information about Medicare prescription drug programmes. Companies use the US legislation to find out about government contracts they could bid on or what regulations were being formulated.

 

Looking at the uncomfortable experiences of their foreign colleagues, it is perfectly understandable why politicians in Ghana might hesitate to pass similar legislation. However, from the citizen’s perspective, those same experiences make the case for introducing the legislation all the more compelling. RTI legislation will make it easier to hold their politicians to account and allow people to exercise their individual and collective rights more effectively. Politicians must always remember that they are only ever the temporary custodians for the information they hold on trust for the people. A right to information act will, for the first time, give ordinary people the true ownership of information. As the great Kofi Annan once said, “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating”. It is now time for the politicians in Ghana to pass a strong bill, empower and liberate the people by allowing them access to their own information.

Chris Lane, Lawyer, www.chriafrica.blogspot.com

Please contact chrislanelondon@gmail.com or call +233-021-971170 for further information.

So what is wrong with the draft RTI bill?

On Monday The Coalition on the Right to Information (chaired by CHRI) held a press conference with Ghana’s Parliamentary Press Corps on the RTI bill. This was the first significant publicity campaign since its participation in the International Labor Day Protests.

The day was used to educate the press on the RTI bill and canvass their support in the push to get the bill passed through Parliament. It was also used as a platform to raise concerns about the bill in its current form.

So what is wrong with the current bill?

                1. Exemptions to the right to information should only be justified on legitimate grounds. The bill in its current form is overly broad, and provides for blanket exemptions of certain departments. The correct way to determine whether the information should be exempted is the “harm test”—whether the information will cause harm to the public interest, and that harm outweighs the interest in disclosure.

                2. The timeline provided by the bill for disclosure of information is unduly long.  Under the current regime, a citizen could wait up to 21 days just to find out if the information will be disclosed, and up to half of a year to finally get the information.

                3. The bill does not recognize the importance of a robust recordkeeping scheme. Even the best RTI bill will fail if there are no records from which to draw information.

                4. Certain private bodies should be accountable under the bill automatically. This determination should not be left to the discretion of the Minister for Justice.

                5. The current appellate process for request denials is too arduous. Rather than channeling appeals through the Minister of the department, and then to the Supreme Court, the Coalition suggested an independent tribunal to evaluate appeals. This tribunal, the Information Commission, would also help educate the Ghanaian citizenry about their rights under the bill.

                6. The fee schedules in the bill exceed the bounds of what it would actually cost to produce the information, which hinders the request process. The current fee schedule does not recognize that most people in Ghana cannot afford to pay the fees, especially considering that if a request for information is denied, the fee paid to obtain that information is not returned.

               

Photos: Top: Johnathan Osei-Owusi from POS Foundation opens the Confernece. Below: Nana Oye Lithur from the human Rights Advocacy Centre discusses one of the points of the bill in finer detail.

 See what the press had to say about the day….

http://www.modernghana.com/news/330349/1/coalition-tears-information-bill.html

Nina Decker, RTI Intern, CHRI Africa

Ghana's Parliament needs to be proactive on RTI Bill

The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, along with the other members of the Coalition on the Right to Information took part in the May Day celebrations at Independence Square in Accra. Members of the coalition marched with the TUC and talked to members of the crowd about their right to information.
The Coalition’s involvement in the May Day celebrations, a public holiday that is marked in more than 80 countries worldwide, is the latest part of a protracted campaign to get the government to pass legislation which has been tabled since 2002. The Right to Information (RTI) Bill bring would bring into practice the constitutional right to information which was guaranteed under Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution and will allow individuals to access information concerning the governance of their affairs in areas such as food, housing, health care and education.

The UN holds that “freedom of information is a fundamental human right and the touchstone for all freedoms”. A voluntary disclosure of information by government creates a conductive environment for a functioning democracy as it helps to curb corruption and reduce speculation and rumour. The ruling National Democratic Congress itself recognised the importance of RTI in its 2008 manifesto and pledged that it would “enact into law the Freedom of Information Bill to facilitate access to official information”. Similar legislation has been passed in Liberia, yet 19 years after the advent of the Fourth Republic, and 9 years after the RTI Bill was first proposed in Ghana, parliament is still dragging its feet.

So what has kept Ghana so long? Lack of funds has been cited by parliamentarians as a reason for not holding preliminary regional consultations. In late January the chairman of Parliament’s Communication Committee, Felix Twumasi-Appiah, was quoted as saying that parliament was unable to afford consultations. (myjoyonline)

However these excuses have no grounding as the World Bank has pledged a reported $50,000 for consultations and video conferences to help parliamentarians learn about other freedom of information laws in Africa.

In a meeting in March 2011 between committees handling the bill and the World Bank an agreement was reached to hold the consultations during the Easter recess. Parliament was obliged to provide a plan of action and a timetable in return for funding. Easter recess began on the April 1^st yet no timetable has been drawn up nor have any consultations been carried out. When Parliament comes back on May 17^th there will be an 11-week session. Without the necessary preceding consultations it looks like yet another session will pass without a vote on the RTI bill.

The story of RTI in Ghana seems to be a story of false dawns. In September 2010 Deputy Minister for Information Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was quoted by myjoyonline as having said that the government was committed to doing everything possible to ensure the passage of the bill. Similar promises were reiterated by the government at Tuesday’s World Press Day whilst minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah Bonsu has also said plans for passing the bill were in the advanced stages (feedominfo.org).

Time and again positive sentiments have not been followed up by actions and it is seems that there is little appetite from parliament to push on with the bill. Without RTI the executive will remain like it has since the period of colonialism; prone to secrecy and distance.

Commenting on the May Day celebrations, Jonathon Osei Owusu a member of The Coalition on the Right to Information said “parliament should stop the unnecessary procrastination and their attitude of commitment only in pretence. They are hiding their faces behind an alleged lack of funds.  We need information for a free society and without RTI parliament is playing with the future of young Ghanaians”.

With the 2012 elections looming on the horizon it is essential, more now than ever, that Ghana’s democracy is safe guarded by making politicians more accountable to the people they serve. The RTI Bill will help to do this. People should call upon parliament to speed up the process in getting the RTI Bill passed and justify Ghana’s reputation as an internationally respected and progressive African democracy.

Henry Wilkinson, Human Rights Advocacy, CHRI Africa.

many thanks to Toby McIntosh of www.freedominfo.org for his contined coverage of the RTI Bill

African Commonwealth Human Rights Weekly Update (30/04 - 06/05/2011)

Ghana

Sunday 01/05: Right to Information:  CHRI took part in the May Day celebrations at Independence Square in Accra. CHRI and other memebrs of The Coalition on the Right to Information called upon parliament to finally pass Right to Information (RTI) Bill which has been tabled since 2002. The Bill is currently awaiting regional consultations.

The UN holds that “freedom of information is a fundamental human right and the touchstone for all freedoms”. Disclosure of information creates a conductive environment for a functioning democracy as it allows individuals to understand the governance of their affairs in areas such as food, housing, health care and education.

Ghanaians have a constitutional right to information which was guaranteed under Article 21 of the 1992 Constitution. Nonetheless 19 years after the advent of the fourth republic Ghanian citizens still have no mechanism to access government records. The RTI bill is designed to finally make right to information a practical reality in Ghana. For further information on the Right to Information click here.

                                                   CHRI activists pictured below

Rwanda

Wednesday 04/05: War Crimes Trial:     The trial of two Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) leaders accused of masterminding atrocities in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo started in Stuttgart in Germany.  Ignace Murwanashyaka and his deputy Straton Musoni are both Rwandan Hutus living in Germany. They are accused of ordering militias to commit mass murder and rape in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between January 2008 and the date of their arrest in November 2009.

The FDLR was established by Hutu exiles (many of them the perpetrators of the genocide of 800,000 Tutsis), who fled to the DRC after the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front won the 1994 civil war.  The FDLR’s political leadership is largely based in Europe whilst its military arm operates in the Kivu area of the DRC.  It is believed to make millions of dollars a year from extortion and mining activities.

The trial comes under a new law which allows the prosecution of foreigners for crimes committed outside Germany. Senior public prosecutor Christian Ritscher said "We have a long list of attacks on the civilian population, killings, people shot because they were not co-operating with the FDLR, women gang raped, rape as a means of armed fight, as means of civil war"

Rwanda has been a member of the Commonwealth since 2009. See the CHRI report about Rwanda’s application by clicking here.


Uganda

Tuesday 03/05: Human Rights Campaigner Honoured:   The Matin Ennals Awards for Human Rights Defenders, a prestigious international human rights prize, has named its 2011 winner as Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera, the Ugandan founder and Executive Director of Freedom and Roam Uganda, a lesbian, gay and transgender (LGBT) human rights organization.

Kasha was chosen for her courage to appear publically and speak about LGBT issues despite being previously harassed, threatened and even attacked by people for appearing in the media. On the 26th January 2011 one of her colleagues, gay activist David Kato, was murdered following the publication of a “gay list” by the Ugandan tabloid Rolling Stone. Kasha Jacqueline’s name also appears on this list.

The Chairman of the Jury of the Awards, Hans Thoolen, describes the laureate as “an exceptional woman of a rare courage, fighting under death threat for human dignity and the rights of homosexuals and marginalised people in Africa”..

Wednesday 04/05: Right to Assembly:  300 lawyers gathered in Kampala to protest about the recent handling of protest by the police and the treatment of opposition leader Kizza Besigye. All of the lawyers were dressed in black to mourn the death of the rule of law.

Uganda Law Society’s President Bruce Kyerere gave a petition to the chief justice and said "We condemn the indiscriminate beating of protesters, including some senior and respectable members of society, the indiscriminate shooting of peaceful protesters and the firing of tear gas in schools and hospitals." (BBC World Service)

The Law Society's memebers will be on strike until next week.

Meanwhile Anne Mugisha, a top official in Besigye's Forum For Democratic Change party, said that Besigye's eyesight was improving after it was damaged by pepper spray used by the police when he was arrested in last Thursday’s walk to work protests.   

What are Human Rights and what is CHRI?

Welcome to the brand new blog for the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) in Africa. We hope you enjoy reading and discussing our posts as much as we enjoy writing them!

So what are Human Rights, what is CHRI, and what is the purpose of this blog?

Human Rights are set out in the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The thirty articles of the UDHR establish the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of people. These rights include the right to life, food and shelter, freedom of expression, the right to not be arrested and detained without being charged and the right to privacy.

CHRI is an independent non-governmental organisation created to ensure the practical realisation of these basic rights in the countries of the Commonwealth. We have been operating since 1987 and have three offices in Delhi, London and Accra.

The Africa office was opened in Accra in 2001 and is at forefront of the fight to uphold basic human freedoms in the region. We work in three main areas of human rights: Human Rights Advocacy; Access to justice and The Right to Information.

The Advocacy programme is involved in bringing to light breaches of human rights in the African members of the Commonwealth and applying pressure for change. One of the biggest feats of the CHRI advocacy team was its involvement and investigation into the case of the extra-judicial disappearances and killings of approximately 50 Africans that took place in the Gambia in 2005. We are currently looking at elections in the region. For example The Gambia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Sierra Leone all have presidential elections in 2011/2012 and we hope to ensure that people are allowed “to frame the society in which he or she lives”. This right is set out in the Commonwealth’s Harare Declaration.

The Access to Justice Programme has been involved in monitoring the accessibility of justice to Ghanaians and other Africans nationals in terms of accessibility to the judicial system, especially the right to fair trials. CHRI has also endeavoured to ensure the availability of courts and the provision of legal aid to guarantee the right to fair trial. As part of this programme CHRI have held police workshops and set up Justice Centres.

The CHRI Right to Information Programme is the secretariat of the Coalition on the Right to Information. CHRI understands that the right to information is fundamental to the process of democracy and is working tirelessly to achieve the passing of the Right to Information Bill which would help to create a more transparent and accountable government in Ghana and beyond.

So what is the purpose of this blog? This blog aims to provide an up-to-date civil society perspective of what is going on in the African members of the Commonwealth. It will be a forum for discussion on human rights and the pressing issues for Africans today. We want and need your involvement and comments to help make the Commonwealth a place where human freedoms are adhered to in letter and in spirit.