WINDHOEK– Namibian children under the auspices of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)’s Namibian Chapter recently held a workshop on International Right to Information Day, and Day of the Namibian Child, on September 28, after which they have come up with a Declaration on Children and Access to Information.
“We should have access to information to empower us and enable us to make informed decisions about our own lives, and to participate in public life and defend our rights. We require access to information that is beneficial to us; that can help us build a brighter future not only for ourselves, but for the Namibian nation as a whole. We have the right to information that is informative and empowering, not information which promotes ignorance and unhealthy behaviour (e.g. with regard to alcohol, rules prohibiting the sale to children doesn’t teach children about the dangers of alcohol, or how to consume it responsibly when they’re older).”
According to the Declaration the participants in the workshop, who were mostly children further want the full story, not half the story, or biased or distorted information. “We want current, relevant, accurate, useful information. There should be more child-friendly publications catering specifically to the information needs of children. They should be written by or with children, for children, encouraging youth entrepreneurship and youth innovation. The media should refrain from publishing information that victimises and unnecessarily classifies children. The media should print positive, empowering stories about children, without unreasonably differentiating between or discriminating against us based on race, gender, religion, disability, poverty or sexual orientation. We want an enabling environment to allow children greater access to information, allowing children to prosper, develop intellectually and academically, and to generally broaden our knowledge. Being informed of developments in our communities allows us to become more involved in those communities and contribute to society.”
Information should also, where possible, come in the form of or be accompanied by images and visuals, as these have been proven to stimulate young, developing minds. Public information should be available at no cost to children, especially information that contributes to the long-term empowerment of children. “ We live in an information age that requires access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). Government has an obligation to ensure equitable access to ICTs for children. The media should disseminate information and material of social and cultural benefit to children. The government should wherever reasonably possible facilitate and encourage access to such information by children and youth. The government has the duty to make publicly available information about educational policies and assessments of their impacts, school performance data, and budgets for education at all government levels. The government also has a positive obligation to provide information about individual schools, including their admission policies and school governance and management. Governments, civil society, education institutions, and the media should promote media and information literacy, to ensure that children can understand and take advantage of new technologies, and to be able to participate intelligently and actively in public matters, and enforce their right of access to information.”
Considering the importance of access to information for the provision of quality education and health services, the government must avail information on educational policies and practices, such as the Teacher’s Code of Conduct, school governance and performance data, as well as regional and national budgets for education. The participants also want to know what the consequences are of actions that go against policy. How, for example, are teachers held accountable when they violate their Code of Conduct? “We all have dreams for a better future but we don’t know how to achieve them. This is why we call for career guidance that is in tune with contemporary employment patterns, and considers our revolving capacity as learners. We also require information child-friendly health services, how to keep our bodies healthy, and maintain hygiene standards. Children with disabilities also need such information that is designed to cater to their needs.”
Teenage pregnancy negatively affects the health and education of many young citizens, hence also the call for sex education that is realistic and straightforward. “We are told we must condomise, but we are not shown how to use a condom or femidom. “ The participants are further of the opinion that the suicide rate among teenagers in Namibia is high because they deal with many challenges such as poverty, sexual and domestic violence. They thus are calling for information focusing on the mental and emotional health of children, and how they can maintain it despite the challenges they face daily.
Emphasising that access to information is an integral part of the fundamental human right of freedom of expression, essential for the recognition and achievement of every person’s civil, political and socio-economic rights, and as a mechanism to promote democratic accountability, good governance, they thus call for the Constitution of Namibia to be taught in school, in particular Chapter 3. While in Social Studies they are told they have rights they maintain such are not explained in detail, neither are they informed how to put their rights and responsibilities in practice. “In order to abide to the country’s laws and regulations, we need access to information to make educated decisions before we act on something that could forever change our lives. Information on our surroundings and how we as children fit in is essential. For example, shebeens are a major part of our lives because the noise and number of people frequenting them affects our family and study time. We need information on policies and laws that apply to them, such as what time they supposed to close, to hold them accountable when they do not abide by prescribed laws,” reads the Declaration.
Children are citizens too, and need representatives who can stand up and speak out for them. Therefore they need access to information on how to create a critical mass of child activists. The media should also tell the stories of those children who are already serving as leaders and activists in their communities to inspire other children to bring positive change.
They also need information on when their identity should be protected and when it can be made public. Sometimes the media exposes the identity of children when they’ve been victims of a crime or committed a crime themselves, and this can lead to victimisation.
As custodians of the Planet Earth, they maintain it is their responsibility to protect and take care of it, as it takes care of them. To do that they need access to information on how their natural resources are managed. Government and the private sector should proactively publish all information including policies, impact assessments, agreements, subsidies, licenses, permits and revenues relating to the exploitation of the natural resources. They also require information on how to protect and care for their environment so that future generations can also enjoy the natural beauty of their land of wide open spaces.