International Freedom of Expression Exchange
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The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), founded in 1992, is a global network of more than 60 non-governmental organisations that promote and defend the right to freedom of expression.
Managed by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, IFEX harnesses the power of the Internet to exchange information and mobilise action on issues such as press freedom, Internet censorship, criminal defamation laws, media concentration and attacks on journalists, writers and human rights defenders. A Clearing House in Toronto coordinates the programmes and activities of IFEX.
The membership of IFEX encompasses a broad array of organisations that work in the defence of journalists and media personnel, photographers and camera operators, writers, publishers, cartoonists, community radio stations and libraries.
Members include Human Rights Watch, International PEN, Reporters Without Borders, Index on Censorship, the International Federation of Journalists, Freedom House, the International Press Institute and the Committee to Protect Journalists .
IFEX is an important information source on freedom of expression for intergovernmental bodies that monitor human rights, including the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations,the Organization of American States, the African Union and the Commonwealth of Nations.
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History
In 1992, several funding and development organizations recognized the need for more cooperation among freedom of expression groups by providing start-up support for IFEX. The Ford Foundation provided funding to hold the first IFEX meeting in Montreal, Canada. The Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation of New York supported the establishment of the IFEX Action Alert Network. UNESCO provided support through its International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC), which helped to extend IFEX's links with the developing world and promote IFEX through its own network.
Action Alert Network
One of the central components of IFEX is the Action Alert Network (AAN). Member organizations report freedom of expression abuses in their geographic region or area of expertise to the Clearing House which, in turn, circulates this information to other members and interested organisations all over the world. This efficient system enables members to stay abreast of their counterparts' activities, share information and research, and focus their energies where it is most needed.
Importantly, the AAN also allows for a rapid, world-wide and coordinated response to press freedom and freedom of expression violations. Action Alerts help focus international attention on those responsible for human rights violations. This can make a significant difference, as those who violate human rights often rely on the cover of darkness.
IFEX Communiqué
IFEX also publishes the IFEX Communiqué (www.ifex.org (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/265)), a weekly newsletter that reports on IFEX members' activities and on freedom of expression developments around the world. Distributed to thousands of subscribers in more than 150 countries, the IFEX Communiqué highlights free expression hotspots and issues including anti-terrorism laws, journalists' safety, women in the media, Internet censorship, media concentration and access to information. The newsletter is published in English, French, Spanish, Russian [1] (http://www.ifex.cjes.ru/comm/) and Arabic [2] (http://hrinfo.net/ifex/).
Outreach and Development Programme
Another key area of the Clearing House's work is the Outreach and Development Programme. Based on a recognition of current North-South disparities, this programme is designed to support and strengthen fledgling freedom of expression organizations in the developing world, Eastern Europe and in the former Soviet Union.
The risks and obstacles faced by people who attempt to start up free expression groups in countries plagued by human rights abuses or censorship can be overwhelming, and IFEX offers vital transfusions of information, financial and technical resources, expertise, and international support and recognition.
IFEX Website
IFEX's trilingual (English, French, Spanish) website (www.ifex.org) contains the largest online archive of information on free expression violations, dating back to 1995.
Members of IFEX
- Adil Soz (International Foundation for Protection of Freedom of Speech) (http://www.adilsoz.kz/)
- African Free Media Foundation (formerly Network for the Defence of Independent Media in Africa (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/23258/)
- Algerian Centre for the Defence of Press Freedom (Centre algérien de défense de la liberté de la presse) (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/66434/)
- Alliance of Independent Journalists (Aliansi Jurnalis Independen) (http://www.ajinews.or.id)
- ARTICLE 19 (http://www.article19.org/)
- Association of Independent Electronic Media (http://www.anem.org.yu/)
- Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (http://www.cihrs.org/)
- Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (http://www.cjfe.org/)
- Cartoonists Rights Network (http://www.cartoon-crn.com/)
- Center for Human Rights and Democratic Studies (http://www.cehurdes.org.np/)
- Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations (http://www.cjes.ru/)
- Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (http://www.cmfr-phil.org/)
- Center for Informative Reports on Guatemala (Centro de Reportes Informativos sobre Guatemala) (http://www.cerigua.org/)
- Center for Social Communication (Centro Nacional de Comunicación Social) (http://www.laneta.apc.org/cencos/)
- Committee to Protect Journalists (http://www.cpj.org/)
- Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (http://www.eohr.org/)
- Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/23229/)
- Federation of Quebec Journalists (Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec) (http://www.fpjq.org/)
- Freedom House (http://www.freedomhouse.org/)
- Freedom of Expression Institute (http://www.fxi.org.za/)
- Foundation for Press Freedom (Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa) (http://www.flip.org.co/)
- Free Media Movement (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/23236/)
- Glasnost Defence Foundation (http://www.gdf.ru/)
- Greek Helsinki Monitor (http://cm.greekhelsinki.gr/index.php/)
- Guatemalan Association of Journalists - Press Freedom Committee (Asociación de Periodistas de Guatemala) (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/23226/)
- Hong Kong Journalists Association (http://www.hkja.org/hk/)
- Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org/)
- Independent Journalism Center - Moldova (http://ijc.iatp.md/)
- Independent Journalism Centre - Nigeria (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/23244/)
- Index on Censorship (http://www.indexonline.org/)
- Institute for Press and Society (Instituto Prensa y Sociedad) (http://www.ipys.org/)
- Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information (Institut Studi Arus Informasi) (http://www.isai.or.id/)
- Inter American Press Association (http://www.sipiapa.org/)
- International Federation of Journalists (http://www.ifj.org/)
- International PEN - Writers in Prison Committee (http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/)
- International Press Institute (http://www.freemedia.at/)
- International Publishers Association (http://www.ipa-uie.org/)
- Journalist in Danger (Journaliste en danger) (http://www.jed-afrique.org/)
- Journalists' Trade Union (http://www.juhiaz.org/)
- Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (http://www.alliance.org.au/)
- Media Foundation for West Africa (http://www.mfwaonline.org/)
- Media Institute (http://www.kenyanews.com/)
- Media Institute for Southern Africa (http://www.misa.org/)
- Media Rights Agenda (http://mediarightsagenda.org/)
- Media Watch (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/23256/)
- Netherlands Association of Journalists (http://www.villamedia.nl/n/)
- Norwegian PEN (http://www.norskpen.no/)
- Pacific Islands News Association (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/23260/)
- PEN American Center (http://www.pen.org/)
- PEN Canada (http://www.pencanada.ca/)
- PROBIDAD (http://www.probidad.org/)
- Reporters Without Borders (http://www.rsf.org/)
- Southeast Asian Press Alliance (http://www.seapabkk.org/)
- Thai Journalists Association (http://www.tja.or.th/)
- Union of Paraguayan Journalists (Sindicato de Periodistas del Paraguay) (http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/23267/)
- West African Journalists Association (http://www.ujaowaja.org/)
- World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) (http://www.amarc.org/)
- World Association of Newspapers (http://www.wan-press.org/)
- World Press Freedom Committee (http://www.wpfc.org/)
External links
- Council of Europe Media Freedom Division (http://www.coe.int/T/E/Human_Rights/media/)
- European Court of Human Rights (http://www.echr.coe.int/)
- Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (http://www.cidh.oas.org/defaultE.htm/)
- Inter-American Court of Human Rights (http://www.corteidh.or.cr/index_ing.html/)
- European Union - Human Rights (http://europa.eu.int/pol/rights/index_en.htm/)
- OAS Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression (http://www.cidh.org/relatoria/index.asp?lID=1/)
- OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (http://www.osce.org/fom/)
- UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression (http://www.ohchr.org/english/issues/opinion/index.htm/)
- UNESCO - Division of Freedom of Expression (http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=2493&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html/)
- International News Safety Institute (http://www.newssafety.com/)nl:IFEX