Description
The project is developed by the FreeEx program of ActiveWatch. FreeEx has been promoting and protecting freedom of expression in Romania during the last 15 years. This fundamental right and its defenders remain weak and scarce, needing more involvement from citizens and journalists, as vectors of local change. The project aims to transfer the know-how gained by the FreeEx team, during all these years of activity, to a community of practice comprised of 50 citizens, students, journalists and civic activists, and to empower this community. Through the involvement of grassroots, motivated, local stakeholders (the members of the community of practice), the project will boost the local visibility of the FreeEx program aims and actions. It will also improve the quality of the program’s actions, bringing more opportunities for national and international outreach. The project will indirectly contribute to the coalition and professionalization of journalists, increasing editorial independence and, at the same time, media abilities in addressing issues relating to democracy and human rights.
Summary of project results
The FreeEx project - Freedom of Expression Interactive Map - has developed and expanded a national network dedicated to freedom of expression in Romania. The project encouraged active citizenship and developed a communication platform for a practice community which included dozens of citizens (journalists, human rights activists, lawyers, students, professors, artists, writers etc.) interested in freedom of expression, freedom of the press, access to public information, and in other human rights, such as the right to one’s own image, the right to privacy, the rights of minors and minorities. The FreeEx team, collaborators and volunteers (the FreeEx community) published about 200 rapid reactions, multimedia articles and blog posts and released two FreeEx Reports “Media Freedom in Romania” (in May 2014 and May 2015). They have been involved in 16 advocacy actions (legislative analyses, public letters) and contributed to three broad public initiatives (the Big Brother laws, A Cleaner Press and “Vulturilor”). They worked with a large number of NGOs (over 50), including younger NGOs who benefited from the know-how transfer from experienced organizations, as well as with NGOs for minorities or vulnerable groups. During the 18 months of the project they conducted 65 meetings with over 800 students, journalists, media managers and civil activists in Bucharest, Cluj, Turda, Sibiu, Miercurea-Ciuc, Galati, Iasi, Focsani, Ploiesti, Pitesti, Mioveni, Craiova, Baia Mare. Over 950 people have directly participated in the events and meetings organized by the FreeEx team. Thousands of people have seen and appreciated the project’s initiatives. 700 subjects were mapped by FreeEx volunteers and collaborators in the online application (FreeEx Map) created in the project. The platform integrates and maps the topics that inform the public about the issue of freedom of the press, freedom of expression and access to information of public interest, and leads to encouraging the critical (advised) consumption of media, condemning the violations of these rights, thus also helping to combat discrimination, xenophobia, homophobia, hate speech etc.
Summary of bilateral results