T IGO2013

TAIGO Days 201310, 11 and 12 December 2013 in Yaoundé

A 3-Day Forum on Transparency-Access to Information & Open Governance

�eme: Opening Cameroon: Building an Ecosystem for Transparent Transparency

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The TAIGO Days are a 3-day Forum on Transparency, Access to Information and Open Governance in Cameroon, during which various actors from public administrations and private organs fulfilling public service missions on the one hand, and citizens and public service users on the other hand, meet for mutual learning and unserstanding, with the view to fostering a culture of participation in the management of public affairs, accountability and effeciency of public service, towards effective economic and social development.

ContextFrom the premise that transparency alone is not enough to ensure accountability necessary for the full exercise of democracy and development in society, the TAIGO Days 2013 are developed within a national and international context marked by:

The absence of interaction between organs in charge of public service and users

The increase in the number of African countries that have adopted general laws on access to information

A national media environment marked by an abundance of medias with resources too to allow them to play the role of 4th estate.

A notable inaccessibility to technology for the majority of Cameroonians

The growing role of technology in the creation of solutions for the development of a more open society worldwide

Opportunities offered by initiatives promoting opening of governments such as open data and the Open Government Partnership (OGP)

DESCRIPTION & JUSTIFICATION

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ThemeThe theme of the 2013 session is « Opening Cameroon : towards a transparent transparency ecosystem ».

The TAIGO Days seek to:

Provide the Cameroonian public with a space for the exercise of their right of access to

information and participation in the management of public affairs

Provide citizens with a space to convey their requests pertaining to the functioning of

public service

Provide holders of public information and users’ rights defenders with the opportunity to

interact and exchange with public service users through thematic debates, exhibitions

and role-plays

Introduce the public to the questions of open data and open knowledge

Introduce to the Cameroonian government and public opportunities and limitations of

participation in the Open Government Partnership (OGP)

Showcase the possible role of technology in the realisation of transparency in the mana-

gement of public affairs in Cameroon

Awards: reward actions from citizens, civil society organisations and the media, that have

promoted transparency, freedom of information and open government during the year

2013.

OBJECTIVES

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The Forum is organized through thematic panels and exhibits to allow participants debate, discuss and test tech and traditional solutions for direct participation in the management of public affairs and governance. A diner will close the Forum, in honor of the winners of the TAIGO Awards for Transparency, Access to Information and Open Government.

FORMAT & THEMES

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- Office of Prime Minister- Presidency of the Republic- Civil Society

Panel : Open Government Parternship: Introduction- Objectives, criteria, state of participation- Opportunities & limitations for Cameroon

Moderating Speakers-British High Commission in Cameroon (TBC)

Invited Speakers

“We know that as of 2012, there were 300 million fewer women with mobile phones than there were men. So although information is out, we need to make sure that it’s shared equally and evenly… As technology moves on, we need to make sure that everybody has access to it.”

Ms Justine Greening, British International Development Secretary

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- ELECAM - MINFOPRA - MINMIDT - Official Gazette Directory - ANTIC - Archives Directorate - AES-SONEL - MINEPDED - CDE - MINEE - Civil Society

Panel : Open Data & Open Knowledge- Introduction to Open Data - Actors for the Creation and Opening of Data- Open Data & Business: Opportunities for Cameroon- FEOWL Project (Open Data & Access to electricity)- Open Data & Open Budget

Panel : Freedom of Information : what access to information in Cameroon- Is the Public service accessible in Cameroon : the question of reception - Availability of public information in Cameroon : government websites in question- Reliance & classification of information : legal information and archives- Environmental and Natural Resources information- Electoral information- Private organs fulfilling public service missions : water and electricity case studies

Moderating Speakers- Citizens Governance Initiatives

- Réseau de Lutte contre la Faim (RELUFA)

- SidLab (Ushaidi)

Moderating Speakers- Open Knowledge Foundation France- SidLab- Projet FEOWL

- Institut National de la Statistique - Ecam - Gicam- Tech Community

Invited Speakers

Panélistes Invités

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- Cameroon Customs Directorate- Ministry of Finances- IT Equipment Dealers/Importers- Agence de Régulation des Télécom (ART)- MINPOSTEL- MINCOM- Civil Society

Panel : What Role for the Media in the Development of an Open Cameroon- The Media Landscape in Cameroon: a brief Overview

- a brief Overview - are Wikileaks, Snowden & Greenwald possible/wishable in Cameroon

- Journalism in the Age of Technology: Can Cameroonian Media Adapt / survive ?

Panel : Technology Ecosystem for Transparent transparency: an Overview- Tech actors for transparency: developers – Programmers – Tech Training- Tech Tools for Transparency: Cost of IT Equipment- Environment & Access to Technology: Cost of access to internet and Telecoms – Regulation of Internet Content- Open Data & budget participatif

Moderating Speakers- SidLab- Internet Sans Frontières

Moderating Speakers- UPF - British High-Commission in Cameroon

- Journalists associations - Civil Society

Invited Speakers

Invited Speakers

- Working languages will be English and French

- Participants will be responsible for their transportation and accommodation if necessary

- Access into the Forum is subject to presentation of entry tickets obtained in advance

(tickets can be obtained freely through online registration or from the head office of CGI’s

office in Yaoundé)

Moderating Speakers

- RELUFA

- Open Knowledge Foundation France

- SidLab

- Projet FEOWL

- Internet Sans Frontières

- Union pour la Presse Francophone (UPF)

About CGI

Citizens Governance Initiatives (CGI) is an association registered under Cameroonian law

(Declaration N° 000135/L/J06/BAPP of 6 April 2005), which seeks to promote citizens’ participation

in governance. CGI implements projects through research, popular training and legal assistance in

five programme areas, namely: (1) Administrative Transparency, Access to Information and Open

Government; (2) Citizenship, Constitutionalism and Constitutional Rights; (3) Access to Justice,

human rights and Fundamental Freedoms; (4) Participation in the Management of Natural

Resources; (5) Regional Integration and Panafricanism. CGI founds its action on domestic and

international laws. At the local level, our action is based on constitutions and national laws of the

countries where we work.

Contacts

For more informations, please visits :

www.access-cameroon.org

www.citizens-governance.org

To contact us :

telephone : 22 01 15 68 (Ask for Emmanuel or Thierry)

PRACTICAL GUIDELINES & PROFILES

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History of TAIGO AwardsAs part of its efforts to promote the right of access to information, and in recognition of the preponde-

rant role of the media in the dissemination of information and the promotion of open societies, Citizens

Governance Initiatives (CGI) organized a 2-day workshop on the theme of « investigative journalism » in Kribi

on 10-11 September 2010. Over 20 journalists drawn from radio, print media and TV took part in the meeting.

Participants thereof recommended the organizing of an award to encourage excellence in journalism and the

development of investigative journalism in Cameroon.

On 12th May 2011, on the margins of celebrations of the international press freedom Day, the ceremony

to award prizes to winners of the competition titled “Transparency Awards” rewarded 3 journalists from the

print media following a debate on the theme “right of access to information: a working tool for the Cameroo-

nian journalist”.

Concerned with the need to stress the importance of the right of access to information for all citizens

and public service users, CGI thereafter extended the competition to ordinary citizens who, on a daily basis,

are affected by poor service delivery and limitations of the public service, notably the absence of infrastruc-

ture, bad reception and opacity in government action.

It is against this background that, in 2012, CGI’s project on freedom of information, which had become

the project on « Transparency, Access to Information and Open Government » had on the same occasion

renamed the Transparency Awards « TAIGO Awards » for Transparency, Access to Information and Open

Government, in appreciation of the transversal and multi-stakeholders nature of freedom of information.

8 winners were thus rewarded during the Ceremony that took place at the Hilton Hotel in Yaoundé on

6th December 2012, under the patronage of Mr. David McCraw, Vice-President and Assistant-General Counsel

of the New York Times Company, who had played a key role in the publication of the diplomatic cables in the

Wikileaks case by the New York Times.

TAIGO AWARDS 2013 DINER-CEREMONY

2011 Winners- 1st Prize - Nadège Christelle Bowa- 2nd Prize - Jean-Bruno Tagne- 3rd Prize - Pierre Celestin Atangana

2012 Winners2) Civil Society Award- 1st Prize: “Struggle to Economize Future Environment” (SEFE) led by Besingi Nasako

3) Media:Print Media - 1st Prize - Pierre Célestin Atangana; - 2nd Prize: Irène Fernande Ekouta;- 3rd Prize : Assongmo NecdemRadio- 1st Prize : The talkshow “CRTV m’accompagne”- 2nd Prize : Radio Communautaire Mayo-Sava

2012 Winners1) Citizen Action Award: - 1st Prize: Vanessa Tchatchou - 2nd Prize: Sarli Sardou Nana

“We know that as of 2012, there were 300 million fewer women with mobile phones than there were men. So although information is out, we need to make sure that it’s shared equally and evenly… As technology moves on, we need to make sure that everybody has access to it.”

Ms Justine Greening, British International Development Secretary

"Nous savons qu'en 2012, il y avait 300 million de femmes de moins que d'hommes qui n'avaient pas de telephones portables. Bien que l'information soit disponible, nous devons nous assurer qu'elle est partagée équitablement et de façon équilibrée...A mesure que la technologie avance, nous devons nous assurer que tout le monde y a accès".

Mme Justine Greening, Ministre Britannique du Développement International.

"Closed governments breed poverty".

"Les gouvernements fermés engendrent la

pauvreté".

David Cameron British Prime Minister speaking at the opening of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) Summit

www.access-cameroon.org

“If you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness. And all of the other shallow things will not matter.”

Martin Luther King Jr. “The Drum Major Instinct” sermon - 4 February 1968

« Oui, si vous voulez dire que j'ai été un tambour-major, dites que j'ai été un tambour-major pour la justice. Dites que j'ai été un tambour-major pour la paix. Dites que j'ai été un tambour-major pour la droiture. Et toutes les autres paroles creuses seront sans importance.»

Martin Luther King Jr, « Sermon sur l’Instinct du Tambour-Major »

4 février 1968