MISA_Short Term Support, 2016 MISA_Short Term Support, 2016 Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) har genom sitt regionala sekretariat (RS) lämnat in en ansökan om finansiering av ett 15-månadersprojekt som syftar till att stärka sekretariatet och säkerställa långsiktig hållbarhet i regional mediepolitisk opinionsbildning och tillgång till informationsinsatser i södra Afrika. Förslaget beskriver kortsiktiga initiativ i de nämnda områdena i södra Afrika under perioden oktober 2015 till december 2016.

Med sina nationella kapitel i åtta länder i södra Afrika, har MISA varit en framgångsrik och välrenommerad CSO-partner till Sida i mer än två decennier. Organisationen har dessvärre drabbats av krympande ekonomiska och personella resurser under de senaste två åren på grund av minskat givarstöd och därmed svårighet att behålla kompetent och erfaren personal.

Trots den senaste krisen har dock MISA varit en av Sidas viktigaste parters inom civila samhället i SADC-regionen i mer än två decennier. Tillsammans med NORAD och Danida har Sida stött MISA och dess program sedan organisationens etablering 1992. Organisationen har haft en framgångsrik meritlista, inklusive den senaste / tredje fasen av genomförandet av Strategic Partnership Program (SPP III, 2011-13) som tillsammans finansierades av de tre skandinaviska givarna.

Mot denna bakgrund beslutade Sida, genom Sveriges ambassad i Addis Abeba, att överväga ett fortsatt stöd till MISA, baserat på den sista ansökan om finansiellt stöd och med fokus på institutionell upp- och ombyggnad och fortsatt mediepolitiskt påverkansarbete.

Stödet syftar särskilt för att uppnå följande mål:

a) Att öka MISA:s kapacitet att bli en välrenommerad, stark regional organisation som tillhandahåller ledarskap och opinionsbildning inom mediefrihet, yttrandefrihet och tillgång till information i södra Afrika, och

b) Att stärka kapaciteten hos SADC-parlamentariker att genomföra en effektiv politik som erkänner kopplingen mellan pressfrihet, tillgång till information och utveckling. The Regional Secretariat (RS) of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) submitted a 15-month project designed to strengthen the Secretariat and ensure the long term sustainability of its regional media policy advocacy and access to information interventions in Southern Africa. The proposal outlines short term initiatives in the aforementioned areas in Southern Africa during the period October 2015 to December 2016.

With national chapters in eight Southern African countries, MISA has been a successful and well-reputed CSO partner of Sida in promoting media freedom and free expression in the region for more than two decades. However, the organization has suffered from dwindling financial and human resources during the last two years due to declining donor support and inability to retain skilled and experienced staff.

In spite of the recent crisis, however, MISA has been one of Sida’s key civil society partners in the SADC region for more than two decades. Along with NORAD and Danida, Sida has supported MISA and its programs since the birth of the organization in 1992. The organization has had a successful implementation record with SIDA-supported interventions including the latest/third phase of the Strategic Partnership Program (SPP III, 2011-13) which was jointly financed by the three Scandinavian donors.
The intervention is driven and supported by the MISA Trusts Funds Board (TFB) in a manner showing the increased commitment and participation of the board to the revitalization of the regional secretariat and the attainment of the results of the contribution.

It specifically seeks to achieve the following objectives:

a) To enhance MISA’s capacity to become a well regarded, strong regional organisation providing leadership on advocacy for media freedom, freedom of expression and access to information in southern Africa, and

b)To lobby and enhance the capacity of SADC parliamentarians to undertake effective policy making that recognises the link between media freedom, access to information and development. The proposed contribution seeks to address MISA’s existing organizational challenges by strengthening the institutional and human capacity of the regional secretariat in addition to proposals to undertake short term program initiatives aimed at improving the commitment of SADC parliamentarians to ensuring internet rights and freedoms and citizens’ access to information in the sub-region.
The intervention is driven and supported by the MISA Trusts Funds Board (TFB) in a manner showing the increased commitment and participation of the board to the revitalization of the regional secretariat and the attainment of the results of the contribution.
It specifically seeks to achieve the following objectives:
a)To enhance MISA’s capacity to become a well regarded, strong regional organisation providing leadership on advocacy for media freedom, freedom of expression and access to information in southern Africa, and
b)To lobby and enhance the capacity of SADC parliamentarians to undertake effective policy making that recognises the link between media freedom, access to information and development.