Since October 2005 Globe International NGO has started to implement the project “Monitoring free expression violations and supporting the rights of independent media“ with the financial support of the Open Society Institute in London through Open Society Forum in Mongolia.
This 12-month project involves 2 inter-related activities designed to build the capacity of free-expression monitoring in Mongolia in cooperation with the Canadian-based International Free Expression eXchange /IFEX/ and Moscow-based Center for Journalists for Extreme Situation. It will help us to work effectively with the other international freedom-of-information communities in the world.
Two inter-related activities as a way of achieving its objectives are:
1. Training and Expertise: Monitoring, Legal Support, Networking,
2. Strengthening National and International Advocacy on Freedom of Expression
Activities 1 and 2 are sequential in that Globe International will apply for IFEX membership. Upon acceptance as an IFEX member, Globe International would act as the national conduit for Action Alerts to the IFEX community and Globe International will be a part of the international network and the information on the free expression situation will be disseminated a outside of the country.
As one of the overarching goals of the project was to ensure that accurate and timely information about the situation of Mongolian journalist reaches the international community Globe International established an effective free-expression monitoring network which consists of 7 skilled /journalists/ monitors and a lawyer from UB and 5 regions to investigate and report on violations. Region monitors are now urgently reporting on free expression violations and an alert coordinator is distributing the alerts nationally and internationally.
Aim of the free expression violation monitoring is to accurately analyze the condition of media freedom of expression in Mongolian media and the project implementers believe that, the monitoring conducted over the one year will contribute to the improvement of the favorable environment of the free press, which plays the in leading role in the further development of Mongolian democracy.
The project also will provide free legal consultancy for journalists through individual meetings and via the Internet, as well as through the educational handbooks.
In order to better equip the journalists with knowledge on their legal rights, the project will produce 4 types of fliers (stickers) to be printed in 2,000 copies each, informing the journalists in the relevant provisions of the Constitution, Media Freedom law and international laws such as Article 19 and also will produce 2 handbooks for journalists, entitled "Your Legal Protection" and "If You Are Facing A Problem", which will advise journalists on how to defend themselves in the face of legal problems. Upon publication of the handbooks, we plan to organize 2 seminars for journalists to explain to them how to use these handbooks, and reinforce the importance of being aware of free-expression issues. These seminars will recommend further actions that journalists can take to enhance their legal knowledge, and to help them to be more actively involved in protecting their professional rights.