Freedom of Expression, Association and Assembly in Morocco (FEAAM)
The overall goal of the project is to foster the effective implementation of a legal framework in Morocco which is conducive to freedom of expression, association and assembly, and consistent with international standards and best practices.
The project’s first component focuses on supporting the implementation of new laws and regulations by providing input into new draft laws or draft revised laws under review, analyzing the current legal and regulatory framework in Morocco and advocating for compliance with International standards.
The project also works to foster and support a broad-based movement of civil society groups, along with a coordinated strategy to improve public understanding and support of freedom of expression, association and assembly. This is done through reinforcing media and civil society groups to perform a watchdog role for society, thus supporting implementation of current laws consistent with international human rights norms.
Timeline
- August 2017: Project launch
- 2017-2021: Policy dialogue – a series of technical meetings with (Ministries, parliamentary groups, etc.) led by media and civil society organizations (CSOs)
- 2018-2020: White papers published on Freedom of Expression, association and assembly
- 2018-2021: Capacity building training workshops for CSO, journalists and lawyers
- 2018-2019: Regional blog tours on Fundamental Freedoms held for bloggers and human rights defenders
- 2018: CSOs and media representatives attend international events
- 2019-2020: Peer-to-peer study visits for policy makers
- 2020: Advocacy for the legal recognition for community radios in Morocco
- 2020: Dialogue with the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Monitoring Committee
Donors
Special thanks to our donors:
- US Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL)
Partners
Special thanks to our partners:
- ADALA pour le droit à un procès équitable
- UNESCO regional office for Maghreb countries
- ARTICLE 19 MENA
- Association Initiatives Citoyennes (AIC)
Community information and active citizenship in the governorates of Tozeur and Kebili (TOKE)
The TOKE project developed community-based information and citizen mobilization in the regions of Tozeur and Kébili. We worked to develop freedom of expression and increase understanding and discussion of local and regional issues. We did this by working with community radios to build their capacities and professionalise their work. As such, the project has contributed to strengthening community radios in producing local information and enabling citizens to express themselves through innovative radio programming.
The project also focused on media and information literacy for young people from 4 Youth Centers in Tozeur and Kebili. We worked to develop critical thinking and strengthen their capacity to prioritize continuous flows of information published online as well as exchange and discuss current affairs in their regions.
Achievements
- Workshop on innovative economic models organised for 6 managers of Djerid FM and Nefzaoua FM
- Two financial sustainability strategies developed
- Training of trainers for ATMA staff on MIL, community journalism and radio animation
- Six trainings in community journalism and radio animation techniques for journalists from Djerid FM and Nefzaoua FM
- The production of 2 pilot radio programs
- 16 MIL activities implemented by young participants in the 4 Youth Centers in Tozeur and Kebili and MIL workshops in youth centres, which were also the subject of radio broadcasts by Djerid FM and Nefzaoua FM
- 100 young people strengthened their skills to understand and use the media responsibly
- Development of a MIL manual and a community journalism and radio animation manual
Med Media: Towards media sector reform in the Southern Mediterranean region
The Med-Media project strengthened and promoted public service orientated media in the MENA region through building:
- greater public trust in local media,
- enhanced capacity among media practitioners,
- a more competitive public service media,
- better focused international development work, and
- new platforms for dialogue and knowledge sharing
This was done through peer-to-peer mentoring and providing support and assistance to broadcasters to make qualitative improvements to their outputs, improve their engagement with their audiences, and boost their use of social media.
Achievements
- Establishment of a Special Mechanism for Media Freedom in the Arab World and the Declaration for Media Freedom in the Arab World.
- Peer-to-Peer exchanges were organised between Southern Mediterranean and European institutions, as well as between public service broadcasters from the region.
- “Youth on Screen” acted as a catalyst for programme ideas which improved the representation of young people on TV screens across the region and enabled them to engage in public dialogue.
- Creation of Khabirat, an online Arabic-language directory of women experts.
- The Declaration for Media Freedom in the Arab World.
Donors
- The European Union