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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><small><span
style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";">Dear all,<br>
</span></small></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:normal"><br>
<small><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></small></p>
<small> </small>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><small><span
style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";">Freedom of
Expression in Botswana is guaranteed in the Constitution and
the country is signatory to numerous regional and
international human rights instruments, yet the government’s
conduct e.g. during the public workers’ strike shows that
the spirit of these documents has not been internalised.
Children as young as nine-years-old were arrested and held
in jail for two days during the strike, though the
government is denying this.<br>
</span></small></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:normal"><br>
<small><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></small></p>
<small> </small>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><small><span
style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";">The government
owns the biggest media companies and none of them has an
independent board of directors.<b> </b>Political
interference in editorial matters is the rule rather than
the exception. The country still has no community media. The
state dominated advertising sector is too small to sustain
community and other, private and independent media.<br>
</span></small></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:normal;text-autospace:none"><br>
<small><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"></span><span
style="font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></small></p>
<small> </small>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><small><span
style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";">The Media
Practitioners Act (MPA) of 2008 contains clauses that could
be used against journalists’ integrity who, it is argued by
media practitioners; do not toe the government line.
Fortunately, it has not been applied so far.<br>
</span></small></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:normal"><br>
<small><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"></span><span
style="font-family:"Times New
Roman","serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></small></p>
<small> </small>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><small><span
style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";">There are also
positive developments in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Botswana</st1:country-region>:
The split of <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Botswana</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s
ruling party in 2010 and the formation of a new opposition
splinter appears to have brought more openness and debate to
the country. People speak out in e-mails, call-in radio
programmes, and on facebook. Moreover, there is a vibrant
civil society and media fighting for freedom of the media.
Their joint efforts led to an Access to Information Act
being tabled in Parliament at the moment.<br>
</span></small></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:normal"><br>
<small><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></small></p>
<small> </small>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height:
normal;"><small><span style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";">You will find the
full AMB Botswana 2011 report here: <a
moz-do-not-send="true" class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://fesmedia.org/uploads/media/AMB_Botswana_2011.pdf">http://fesmedia.org/uploads/media/AMB_Botswana_2011.pdf</a></span></small></p>
<small> </small>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; line-height:
normal;"><small><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">as
well as information on the AMB in general here: </span></small><small><span
style="font-family:
"Arial","sans-serif";"><a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://fesmedia.org/african-media-barometer-amb/"><span
style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none;text-underline:none"><span
style="black">http://fesmedia.org/african-media-barometer-amb/</span></span></a><br>
</span></small></p>
<br>
<small><u1:p></u1:p></small>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:normal"><small><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA">Kind
regards<o:p></o:p></span></small></p>
<small> </small>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
line-height:normal"><span
style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><small>Blanka
Balfer<br>
</small><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</o:smarttagtype>
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<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> <span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#17365D;mso-fareast-language:
EN-ZA">Blanka Balfer<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#17365D;mso-fareast-language:
EN-ZA">Programme Manager<br>
<br>
</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <img alt=""
src="cid:part1.05050407.07040106@fesmedia.org" height="130"
width="130"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> <span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:
EN-ZA">P.O. Box 23652</span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:
EN-ZA">Windhoek</span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:
EN-ZA">Namibia</span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:
EN-ZA">Tel.: +264-61-237 438</span><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-fareast-language: EN-ZA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:
EN-ZA">Fax.:+264-61-237 441</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: 10pt; color: #1F497D"> <o:p>URL:
</o:p> <span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:
EN-ZA"><a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.fesmedia.org/" target="_blank">http://www.fesmedia.org</a></span></p>
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