A newsletter containing news, views, articles, investigative stories in the field of Right to Information
From Around the World Issue No: 73 E - Alert Issue Date: 06-08-2013 Editorial: Greetings from Center for Peace and Development Initiatives, (CPDI). Interesting RTI related developments are taking place in Pakistan and India, the two South Asian neighboring countries. In Pakistan, KP province is on the verge of having RTI law for the first time in country’s history. In this connection, PTI, the ruling party is going to unveil its transparency program on 18th of August in the provincial capital. CPDI has been invited to deliver speech on the proposed KP RTI law. There are two laws under consideration of the government according to our inside sources. The one is based on CPDI model RTI law and the other one WB sponsored RTI law drafted by friend Toby Mendal. We shared our law with but KP bureaucracy tried to water it down. Our media campaign paid off and amendments were introduced in the law. So far, we have not seen the amended version but the moment we see it, we will be giving feedback to KP government. It will be interesting to see which law is adopted by KP government. According to inside sources, Toby drafted law stands better chance. The cloak of secrecy surrounding the whole process is simply amazing. In the neighboring India, the government is trying to take political parties out of the ambit of India RTI law and cabinet has approved an amendment in this regard. Civil society activists are trying to get this amendment reversed. It is heartening to see that civil society is so active in India that protest rallies are being conducted all across India against the decision of the government. We will keep you posted about the developments in both the countries. Happy reading Right to Information and Transparency Program ----------- How academics can use Freedom of Information requests Vancouver Sun (blog) There's an interesting new book out by Kwantlen criminology instructor Mike Larsen on how academics can use Freedom of Information and Access to ... Cross-border learning: Public interest fundamental in democracy ... The Express Tribune Habibullah was of the view that right to information was an integral part of any flourishing democracy. He explained how to develop the means and capacity for ... Majority of imprisoned LGBTs kept in 'solitary confinement' Hurriyet Daily News The ministry's answers, provided within the framework of the “right to information,” further indicated that providing a "health report" to prove sexual orientation ... Amended draft Right to Information to be tabled in KP assembly Pakistan Observer Monday, July 29, 2013 – Peshawar spokesman of the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has disclosed that the draft Right to Information (RTI) law which was ... Leading activists call for countrywide public action against ... Moneylife The National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI) led by Aruna Roy, Bharat Dogra, Shekhar Singh, Shailesh Gandhi and Harsh Mander Roy has ... Army of RTI kid activists is coming up Hindustan Times Two days after they were made aware of the power of the right to information (RTI) Act, students of St Francis College have filed over 1000 applications seeking ... Activists petition PM against amending RTI Deccan Herald Aruna Roy-led National Campaign for People's Right to Information (NCPRI ) on Tuesday launched an online campaign against plans to amend RTI Act to ... Top Civil Servant Calls for Review of FOI Act AllAfrica.com The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Aji, on Tuesday recommended the review of the Freedom of Information ACT (FOI), 2011. Mr. Aji made the call ... Govt. moves to keep parties outside RTI Are Australia's privacy and information laws in need of reform? ZDNet (blog) The review is also assessing the state's right to information laws, examining whether government owned corporations and private and community contracted ... Govt bid to shield parties from RTI spawns stirs Hindustan Times Widespread protests have started across India against the Centre's move to introduce amendments to the Right to Information Act to exempt political parties from ... Zahid Abdullah - Programme Manager Transparency and Right to Information Program -------------------------------------------- Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives, Pakistan (CPDI-Pakistan) Tel: 051-2101594; 4319430; 2108287 URL: www.cpdi-pakistan.org
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