WPFD 2010: UNESCO Quito Office

UNESCO Quito Office is celebrating the World Press Freedom Day 2010 by organizing nine major activities to strengthen press freedom and freedom of expression in the region: 

Conference on Right to Information in Latin America, “From Law to Reality: Implementing Right to Information” 
Quito, Ecuador 

This event will be held on 3 May 2010 at the Universidad de las Américas, the institution that is partnering with UNESCO Quito for its organization. Participants will include representatives of the media, governmental bodies, academia and civil society. 

Transparency Week 
Quito, Ecuador 

Throughout the week of 3 May, UNESCO Quito and FUNDAMEDIOS will promote activities to raise awareness and support transparency, good governance and the right to information 

“Press freedom as guarantee to freedom of information” 
Guayaquil, Ecuador 

During the week of 3 May, UNESCO´s Office in Quito will support a series of events that will take place in Guayaquil, under the theme “Press freedom as guarantee to freedom of information”. They will be implemented in partnership with Fundación El Universo, Guayaquil. 

Workshop on investigative reporting 
Bogotá, Colombia 
29 April – 7 May, 2010 

Within the framework of an IPDC project, a workshop on investigative reporting, online research skills and right to information will be organized by UNESCO Quito in partnership with investigative journalist network, Consejo de Redacción. Participants will include 18 journalists and media professionals from throughout Colombia. 

Training on Access to Information in Bolivia 
La Paz, Bolivia 
3 May 2010 

On 3 May, the official launching of IPDC project “Training on Access to Information in Bolivia,” will be held. The Bolivian National Press Association (ANP) is UNESCO Quito´s partner in this activity. 

Press Kit for media outlets 
Quito, Ecuador; Bogota, Colombia; La Paz, Bolivia 
3 May 2010 

UNESCO Quito, the Ecuadorian Association of Newspapers (AEDEP), and the Bolivian National Association of the Press (ANP) are supporting the preparation of a press kit for the major media outlets and partners across the region. Press kits will be sent to the print and electronic media in the Andean countries, as well as distributed through the National Commissions. The press kit will include a press release about World Press Freedom Day and RTI; the WPFD message from the UNESCO Director-General; an analysis paper that explores the situation of press freedom and right to information in Latin America and particularly in the Andean countries; information on the World Press Freedom Prize; information about implementing the right to information; and Quito´s office publications on freedom of expression. The press kit will be distributed in Ecuador through the Ecuadorian Association of Newspapers (AEDEP), and in Bolivia through the National Association of the Press (ANP). 

Media Insert in Ecuadorian national newspaper, El Comercio 
Quito, Ecuador 
3 May 2010 

On 3 May 2010, UNESCO Quito will support a media insert in Ecuadorian national newspaper, El Comercio, which will focus on freedom of expression and the right to information. The eight-page supplemental insert will be circulated to an estimated 25,000 subscribers. 

Freedom of expression educational packet for secondary schools in the Andean region 
3 May 2010 

The Quito office has developed educational packets for secondary schools in the Andean countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela). Educational exercises with corresponding teacher guides and background materials will be distributed to high schools and teachers in the region, particularly through the networks of UNESCO Associated Schools. A dedicated website will be set up in order to publish materials online and receive feedback from participating schools. 

Freedom of expression educational booklet 
3 May 2010 

A comic-style booklet explaining the principles and concepts related to freedom of expression right to information will be prepared, printed and distributed to youth and teens. The booklet, developed by UNESCO Quito, will be circulated with the press kit to media in the region, as well as with the educational packets to UNESCO Associated Schools in the Andean region (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela). Both print and online versions of the FOE comic book will be made available. 

Conference on the state of press freedom in Colombia 
3 May 2010 
de Convenciones (Piso 7) Edificio Jose Rafael Arboleda. Universidad de Javeriana, Bogotá 

A conference on the state of press freedom in Colombia, entitled "Challenges and Threats for Journalism in Colombia” (“Retos y amenazas del periodismo en Colombia") will be supported by UNESCO-Quito and organized by Consejo de Redacción. 

Participants will include: Centro de Solidaridad de la Federación Internacional de Periodistas (CESO-FIP), Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa (FLIP), Medios para la Paz (MPP), Centro de Investigación y Educación Popular (CINEP), Alianza Medios y Democracia (PNUD, FNPI, AVINA y PEP), Instituto Prensa y Sociedad (IPYS) and Consejo de Redacción. 

UNESCO Quito website dedicated to WPFD 2010: 
http://www.unesco.org.ec/libertadprensa 

The website contains information about all activities organized by the UNESCO Quito office, as well as relevant and easily accessible information on the right to information. Importantly, it serves as a regionally specific clearinghouse of information concerning the right to information (related articles and organizations working in the field, country-specific user guides for applying RTI, international standards and national laws). It will continue to be updated, to serve as an ongoing resource for RTI in the region.