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1. Freedom of Expression and Right to Information Campaign: which seeks to campaignfor citizens to embrace their right to be informed through unhindered access to information.Laws and policies that militate against these rights will be challenged and grassroots campaignson the concept of information as a basic right and need will be done. The basis of thisprogramme area is founded on the principle that informed citizens will make the best decisionsfor their wellbeing and in so doing empower themselves. This will ensure that they can holdtheir governors accountable and is so doing lead to the reduction of poverty and disease.2. Media Freedom Monitoring programme which seeks to continue the work MISA is renownedfor: monitoring and reporting media freedom violations in the region. Through thisprogramme, reports of incidents of media freedom violations, mostly by state authorities aremade and campaigns against such violations intensified. MISA is a member of the InternationalFreedom of Expression network (IFEX) since 1994 and has published an annual yearbook on the state of media freedom in the region (So this is Democracy?) every year from1994.3. The Campaign for Broadcasting Diversity programme seeks to continue the work onbroadcasting policy MISA started in 1995 which laid the foundation for the role of broadcastingin the region to enable this major source of news and opinions to operate effectively. Thethree tier system of public, commercial and community broadcasting, if operated in the correctmanner, can provide services that assist in the development and maintenance of democracy.These have since been adopted as a part of the African Charter on Broadcasting adopted bymedia practitioners and media freedom activists who gathered in Windhoek under the auspicesof UNESCO and MISA in May 2001 to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of the WindhoekDeclaration of 1991. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted similarprinciples in their Declaration on Freedom of Expression in Africa in October 2002.4. Media Support Activities which form the basis of the fourth programme area seeks toenhance Media Accountability and Professionalism, Community Broadcasting and The MISANews Exchange. The first programme area of media accountability and professionalism seeksto assist the media in ensuring that media products are professionally provided and the mediais accountable to the general citizenry and consumers of media products. It is the aim of thisprogramme area to ensure that code of ethics and a self-regulatory system are established foreach of the eleven countries in which MISA operates. The Community Broadcasting programmeis an initiative to assist in the establishment of community broadcasting stations in theregion. The News Exchange which started in 1994, will continue and be extended to include aPortuguese language exchange and a ‘rip and read’ service for broadcasting stations most ofwhich do not have resources to gather news.5. Over the years, MISA has assisted media practitioners and houses with legal fees to enablethem to engage lawyers for their defence in courts of law, mostly brought against them by theState. The majority of cases concern criminal defamation, which is still quite prevalent in theregion. The Legal Support programme area is the subject of assistance MISA plans to continueto give to media houses and practitioners who may find themselves under such situations.The major element of this programme area is the plan to establish a Legal Defence Fund ineach of the countries where MISA operates.Two strategies will assist MISA in reaching its objectives outlined in its five programme areas.These are respectively the strategies for Communication, Dissemination and Publications andthe Implementation and Monitoring. The first strategy recognises that an effective communicationand information dissemination system is essential to an advocacy organisation. Further-So This Is Democracy? 2005-299-Media Institute of Southern Africa