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Join MISA and participate in the drive for a free, independent and diverse media
Media Institute of Southern Africa - Zimbabwe Chapter (MISA-Zimbabwe)
November 25, 2002

We are calling on YOU! To become a MISA member and help in entrenching Media freedom and Access to Information RIGHTS in Zimbabwe.

What is MISA?
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) is a voluntary, non-profit making organisation launched in 1992 mainly by the independent media in the SADC member states.

MISA is a dynamic, member-driven network of national chapters co-ordinated by a professional regional secretariat which seeks through monitoring, training, capacity building, research and the distribution of information to foster free, independent and diverse media throughout southern Africa in service of democracy and development. This is in accordance with the 1991 Windhoek Declaration on an Independent and Pluralistic African Press, which highlights the vital role free and pluralistic media play in social, political and economic development.

The role of MISA is primarily one of a co-ordinator, facilitator and communicator, and for this reason MISA aims to work together with like-minded organisations and individuals to achieve a genuinely free and pluralistic media in Southern Africa.

MISA has its headquarters in Windhoek, Namibia.

Since 1992, MISA has undertaken to decentralise its operations and empower national chapters. This entails setting up of a full time secretariat in each of the 12 countries to service their respective membership. MISA-Zimbabwe is one such Chapter.

THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Mission
MISA-Zimbabwe will endeavour to:

• Promote media freedom and enhance independent and ethical journalism for the benefit of society.
• Improve the skills base among media workers and to allow for more effective use of the media by all its citizens.
• To create an environment in which there is dedicated professionalism and which promotes openness, independence and pluralism.

The Values
The mission and vision of MISA-Zimbabwe are based on values that seek to:

• Advance the aims and objectives of the Windhoek Declaration.
• Promote a self-reliant, non-partisan and independent media that informs, entertains and educates.
• Promote an environment in which media freedom can be turned and in which journalists can work in a professional way.

The Vision
The vision of MISA-Zimbabwe is to play a role in creating an environment of media freedom that promotes independence. This environment will consist of:

• A media that is free, independent, diverse and pluralistic.
• Access to the media from all sections and sectors of society.
• Media workers who are critical.
• Legislation and policy reform that supports media independence, diversity and pluralism.

MISA-ZIMBABWE ACTIVITIES

Advocacy work and Legal reform
MISA-Zimbabwe is working with like-minded organisations to achieve changes in the media law sector in Zimbabwe. This entails assisting individual and organisations to challenge laws as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, The Broadcasting Services Act and the Public Order and Security Act. Our advocacy work revolves around entrenching media freedom, freedom of speech and free flow of information.

Media violations monitoring
MISA-Zimbabwe monitors for media violations on a day-to-day basis and lobbying the relevant authorities so those problems that are faced by Journalists and any other media personnel are solved amicably and expediently.

Training
In this field, we aim to have well trained MISA-Zimbabwe members and to hold training programmes that develop the capacity of media practitioners. MISA-Zimbabwe is therefore involved in organising workshops for journalists for such specialised reporting. areas such election, economic and human rights reporting. This is done because there is a wide recognition of the fact that for media houses to report accurately, analytically and informatively the journalists need to be diversified and conversant with the various aspects of a nations life.

Networking and Lobbying
MISA-Zimbabwe’s role in promoting press freedom, diversity and pluralism in the media cannot be effective without formation of alliances with other civic organisations with an interest in such matters and so a deliberate policy is followed to pursue a wide networking and linkages programme. Currently we working together with The Federation of African Media Women, The Foreign Correspondents Association, The Independent Journalists Association of Zimbabwe, Kubatana.net, Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists on a campaign against repressive clauses contained in AIPPA.

Media Defence Fund

MISA-Zimbabwe has established a Media Defence Fund that is meant to assists media practitioners and organisations with legal fees and representation if ever they are arrested or taken to court on matters to do with this work.

Publications
As a member you are entitled to MISA publications, which we get from our head office in Namibia. The publications are:

• So this is Democracy? - State of the Media in Southern Africa
  This is an annual publication, which outlines the state of the media in Southern Africa and summarises all the media freedom alerts issues by MISA.
  
• Southern Africa Media Directory
  This is an annual directory, which is intended as a reference tool to be used by media practitioners and the general public.
  
• FreePress Magazine
  This is a quarterly magazine that touches on various media issues and is sent directly top your personal address or mailbox from Namibia

MISA scholarship and Exchange Programme
The scholarships are intended to train a new generation of critically-minded media workers, journalists and editorial workers (print and electronic media) including photographers, graphic artists, film and video technicians and producers, editors and managers – to ensure that the media in the region play its proper role in fostering free and independent journalism, the development of civil society, economic development, South-South co-operation, and through such linkages, the managerial or editorial capacities of the individuals concerned.

The scholarship has two facets: (a) attachment of junior to middle-level personnel in a media establishment in the SADC region for a period of 2 to 3 weeks and (b) 3 weeks to 3 months secondment of senior professional or administrative staff to regional media establishments or organisations including the MISA Regional Secretariat.

For more information on MISA-Zimbabwe please contact:
Rashweat Mukundu, Takura Zhangazha or Sarah Chiumbu
221 Fife Avenue, Harare, Zimbabwe
Box HR 8113, Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel/Fax: +263-(0)4-721841/735441
Cell: +263-(0)11-602 685, (0)11-602 448, (0)11-602 624
E-mail: misa@mweb.co.zw, misa@zol.co.zw, misazim@mweb.co.zw

Visit the MISA-Zimbabwe fact sheet

Please credit www.kubatana.net if you make use of material from this website. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License unless stated otherwise.

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