Deferring Citizens' “Right to Know” in an Information Age

Abstract

Namibia is one of the emerging democracies that have not yet enacted the Access to Information legislation. While the country has guaranteed freedom of expression and media in its constitution, it has not provided for Access to Information as a constitutional right. This chapter seeks to examine Namibia's reluctance to adopt an Access to Information legislation. It interrogates views that locate the omission of this fundamental human right in the country's constitutional (legal) and policy frameworks. It underscores the failure by Namibia to reverse the information black-out suffered under the Apartheid dispensation. The chapter starts with a theoretical/philosophical rationale for the right to know to elicit an understanding of this discourse and its relevance to emerging democracies, such as Namibia. It then examines attempts by state and civil society to introduce the legislation in the country. Predicted on praxis, the chapter in conclusion provides some suggestions that may help resolving the impasse in adopting the Access to Information legislation in the county.

Can PA Governance Improve PA Outcomes: A Review of the Debates

“…In recent times, the informed citizenry (through increased education, and enhanced communication and mobility) has pressed for a greater say in decisions that affect their lives including, the designation and management of PAs (Kothari, 2006;Lockwood, 2010;Heuva, 2019). Consumers (as emerging important new agents in environmental policy) and environmental activists are choosing to exercise collective power (often coordinated by transnational non-governmental organizations) to boycott polluters and poor labour practices to purchase products from companies with better environmental and social standards (Liverman, 2004;Speer & Han, 2018).…”