Governments are supposed to be representatives of the people, delegates
of their citizens, trustees of the public good. Yet too often we see
that officials, once elected or anointed, hold information close the
vest and are loathe to share with the public. Information is power, and
in repressive regimes, the flow of information inherently challenges the
status quo. Yet in the era of digital networks and citizen media there
has been a concurrent backlash by governments across the world as they
seek to restrict access to information and the public's right to know.
On International Right to Know Day, this battle between secrecy and openness is being fought throughout the world, from the staunchest democracies to the most repressive regimes. In 2002, September 28 was established by access to information advocates around the world as the Right to Know Day, a day meant to raise awareness about the fundamental right to information. This right enables full citizen empowerment and participation in government and ensures against abuses of power by encouraging transparency and accountability. Freedom of information is the cornerstone not only of democracy but of all other freedoms, as the United Nations General Assembly recognized in 1946.
Read the rest of this post on Huffington Post.
On International Right to Know Day, this battle between secrecy and openness is being fought throughout the world, from the staunchest democracies to the most repressive regimes. In 2002, September 28 was established by access to information advocates around the world as the Right to Know Day, a day meant to raise awareness about the fundamental right to information. This right enables full citizen empowerment and participation in government and ensures against abuses of power by encouraging transparency and accountability. Freedom of information is the cornerstone not only of democracy but of all other freedoms, as the United Nations General Assembly recognized in 1946.
Read the rest of this post on Huffington Post.
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