Conference Proceedings (HRDC)

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    Accessing government information in Namibia as a human right issue
    (University of Namibia, 2015) Nakuta, John; Mnubi-Mchombu, Chiku
    There is general consensus that access to information is indispensable for a functional democracy. It is for this reason that access to information has been recognised and guaranteed as a fundamental human right in various international, regional and national instruments. The right to access to information is not explicitly guaranteed in the Namibian Constitution but is claimable through article 144 of since Namibia acceded and/or ratified various international human rights instruments which provide for this right. This article evaluates the question as to whether access to information is regarded as a human rights issue in Namibia. In determining this, the paper analysed the findings of the pilot study of the baseline study on human rights in Namibia with that of the main study with a specific focus on the theme dealing with access to information. Both studies found that it is almost as easy as it is difficult to access government information in Namibia. Both studies also show that elderly respondents and those with no formal education found it more difficult to access government information. Both studies show that the media was considered to be the main source of government policies, programmes and services. A mere 4 percent of the respondents in both studies indicated that they use libraries as a source for accessing public information. Distance to government departments and rude members of staff/poor service delivery were listed as the main barriers to accessing public information. Respondents in the pilot study listed outdated website content as their third major barrier, whereas respondents in the main study singled out too much bureaucracy as their third highest impediment to government information. The article asserts that the current situation whereby obtaining government information is at the discretion and disposition of civil servants is untenable and inconsistent with the right to access to information. The paper will explore how Namibians, from all walks of life, access human rights information. The paper is based on research which took place in Windhoek, Namibia in April 2012. The various aspects explored include access to government information and channels used to access information including the mass media. The final part of the paper will investigate barriers to accessing government information. Some recommendations will be made on how to improve access to government information in Namibia.
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    The role of libraries in supporting human rights
    (University of Namibia, 2015) Mnubi-Mchombu, Chiku
    Human Rights can be defined as those basic standards without which people cannot live in dignity as human beings. Human rights are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace. Their respect allows the individual and community to develop fully. Mubangizi (2004) stated that human rights are referred to by various names and phrases. These include fundamental rights, basic rights, natural rights and sometimes common rights. Although these phrases don’t mean the same hing, they are usually used interchangeably. Hubbard (2001:27) defined human rights as universal moral rights that belong equally to all people because they are human beings. It has been stated that, one person’s right to swing his/her arm ends where the other person’s nose begins. (Introduction)