Lilungelo Lakho to Human Rights
There is consensus that despite the 2005 Constitution, improvement in democratic rights, transparency and accountable governance, human rights and the space for civil society has been slow. The news media which is an essential asset to citizen access to human rights continues to face significant challenges. With the support of the European Union, the Swaziland Editors Forum is partnering in the implementation of the national project: Advancing Civil Society Space, Human Rights and Access to Justice (Lilungelo Lakho) which seeks to support civil society efforts to advance constitutional rights.
Programme Overview
The Forum is a voluntary association of national news media leaders and therefore duty bearers for extending public access to quality and credible news and information and advance the human right to freedom of expression.
The right to access and information without limitation is a fundamental human rights enshrined in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and fully protected under our national constitution (2005). The right recognises that news support citizens with the information and knowledge that is the key to making decisions and unleashing their development potential. The news media is mandated with news and information gathering and its dissemination.
As a human rights facilitator the news media is a duty bearer responsible for ensuring that news and information are accurate, informative, enlightening, educative and entertaining. News not only sets the agenda, it also shapes the public narrative, demanding that news media disseminates information that is credible, in the public interest, is balanced, fair and free of harm to society.
Journalists who are responsible for news gathering subscribe to the principle of press freedom. Press freedom is a fundamental human right and a core necessity for a healthy democracy. It derives from a social contract in which citizens delegate journalists as their eyes and ears in all theatres where public business is transacted. This mandate imposes a public duty of loyalty to the public interest, requiring journalists to be truthful, conscientious, and to report all facts that are neccessary for citizens to hold their government and other authorities in the economic, cultural and social sphere of their society accountable for their stewardship.
Journalists as a professional collective are part of civil society to which they have a duty to account, and to support.
Under the Lilungelo Lakho (It's Your Right), the Editors Forum is collaborating with the broad range of civil society to improve the quality and quantity of media resources to expand public access to freedom of expression.
The Forum is targeting its support to the project under five key pillars under the programme.
- Capacity building for quality journalism
- Community journalism development
- Advocacy for Press Freedom
- Civil Society Dialogues
- Public Opinion Surveys
Key Pillars & Focus Areas
Programme Inquiry
Interested in enrolling or collaborating? Complete the form below and our regional coordinator will reach out to you.