The SADC countries

Netherlands institute for Southern Africa

NiZA was founded in 1997 out of the merger of three organisations with a record of support to the anti-apartheid struggle dating back to the 1960s the Holland Committee on Southern Africa, the Dutch Anti-Apartheid Movement and the Eduardo Mondlane Foundation. NiZA professes solidarity with the ‘ordinary’ people of Southern Africa and aims to help them to find structural solutions in their fight against poverty, injustice and inequality.

NiZA focuses on three areas of activity

• Access to information: Programme on Media and Freedom of Expression

• Access to justice: Programme on Human Rights and Peace Building

• Economic Development: Economy Programme

Its Media Programme focuses on improving media diversity and access for citizens, enhancing freedom of expression and media quality and strengthening the sector’s sustainability.

It supports southern African organisations that are committed to strengthen the independent media sector in southern Africa. The mediaprogram is divided in four themes

1. Advocacy Liberalisation of (colonial) press laws and legalisation on protection of journalists;

2. Broadcasting e.g. Radio by and for the community;

3. Publishing NiZa finds written media/print is an essential medium to enable people to tell their stories, to be part of the news and to make it easier for people to be involved in decision-makingprocesses;

4. Training Numerous media training initiatives have been established in southern Africa. They range from regional training institutes for working journalists to schools of journalism; from individual in-service training to on-the-job courses for editorial staff.

In order to achieve more synergy and fulfil the need for collaboration between media trainers and training institutions in the SADC region, fifty representatives of universities, technical companies, NGO’s, commercial institutions and independent media trainers established the Southern African Media Trainers Network (SAMTRAN). This network was launched in South Africa in September 2001. SAMTRAN is financed and promoted by NiZA to support regional institutes to decide on areas of collaboration and cooperation.

P.O. Box 10707, 1001 ES Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Tel +31 20 520 62 10, Fax +31 20 520 62 49

media@niza.nl

www.niza.nl/media

Contact

Bob van der Winden, Director of Programmes

Number of staff

11 (on media)

Publications

MediaNews Quarterly e-mail newsletter on media in southern Africa and NiZA’s Media and Freedom of Expression Programme

Newsletter of NiZA Media Programme

Programmes

MISA Manyarara Prize Prize for Investigative Journalism in southern Africa

HipHop project (exchange programme of young ‘rappers’ from North and South)