reportoftheconferenceonfreedomofinformationfor-Right2Info.org.doc

A REPORT ON THE THE EAST AFRICAN AND BEYOND CONFERENCE ON FREEDOM OF INFORMATION HELD ON APRIL 21ST -23RD 2008 AT IMPERIAL ROYALE HOTEL, KAMPALA-UGANDA Conference Organizers ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? HURINET – U Human Rights Network-Uganda (HURINET-U) was established in 1993 by a group of eight human rights organizations, and was formally registered as an independent, non-partisan and not for profit organization in 1994.? The membership of HURINET-U currently sits at 31 and is drawn from organizations that are committed to diverse human rights issues but complementary in terms of areas of focus, such as child rights, gender and women’s issues, torture, peace building and conflict resolution, prisoners’ rights, refugee rights and labour rights.? Members range from purely Ugandan NGOs to international organizations. ? Open Society Justice Initiative The Open Society Justice Initiative, an operational program of the Open Society Institute (OSI), pursues law reform activities grounded in the protection of human rights, and contributes to the development of legal capacity for open societies worldwide. The Justice Initiative combines litigation, legal advocacy, technical assistance, and the dissemination of knowledge to secure advances in the following priority areas: national criminal justice, international justice, freedom of information and expression, and equality and citizenship. Its offices are in Abuja, Budapest, London, New York and Washington DC. ? Open Society Initiative for East Africa The Open Society Initiative for East Africa (OSIEA) supports and promotes public participation in democratic governance, the rule of law, and respect for human rights by awarding grants, developing programs, and bringing together diverse civil society leaders and groups. OSIEA seeks to promote open society and to consolidate democratic principles and practices through increased public participation and the creation of a strong insti