Right to Information Matters Most to Citizens - by Nalaka Gunawardene

RTI Matters: Information enriches democracy!

Right to Information Matters Most to Citizens

Brief PresentationBy Nalaka Gunawardene

Media researcher & ColumnistTo meeting with Sri Lankan media heads

at Ministry of Parliamentary Reforms & MediaColombo, 11 May 2016


Creative concept by Bertram NihalPart of an upcoming public awareness campaign

Do you want to be a frog in the well forever?


What is Right to InformationRTI?

Right to access and obtain information from public officials & public authorities

Already recognised as a fundamental human right in Sri Lanka’s Constitution (19th Amendment: April 2015)

RTI Act is meant to put this right into practice


Why is RTI Important? Promotes greater transparency in how

public institutions are managed Enhances financial accountability in public

bodies and public-funded other institutions Improves public participation in policy

making Minimises corruption and wastage

of public resources by officials Nurtures public trust in governance


Default historical setting: Closed Government

Much of history: public information restricted as a matter of routine

Info was shared with privileged few on a strict ‘need to know’ basis


What RTI Law does…“Laws that guarantee RTI allow public access to data held by the government. These laws establish a procedure under which requests for government-held information could be made available at minimal or no cost.”- Gehan Gunatilleke in SLPI/UNESCO Guide to RTIhttp://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002441/244113E.pdf


250 Years of Freedom of Information laws 1766 Sweden: His Majesty’s

Gracious Ordinance Relating to Freedom of Writing and of the Press

World’s first Freedom of Information Act: decreed that administrative & judiciary documents, as a rule, were public: citizens had the right to access them.


By now…100+ countries have adopted RTI Laws


RTI Laws: SAARC region coverageSri Lanka playing catch up! India (at national level): 2005 Nepal: 2007 Bangladesh: 2009 Pakistan: 2013 Maldives: 2014 Bhutan: 2014 Afghanistan: 2014


National Campaign for People’s Right to Information, India Set up in 1996 to campaign for a law

guaranteeing Right to Information Networked 100+ civil society and

community groups across India Drafted 1st version of Right to Info Act

(together with Press Council of India) Now collaborates with govt in

implementing RTI across India http://righttoinformation.info/


“One of the important democratic lessons in this entire struggle is that it’s an ordinary person’s voice that has been made into a law. Because it began with the people’s struggle with the MKSS. But it has led to legislation, it has led to the entire process being spread all over the country and to some extent outside. So it shows you how democracy can function.” – Aruna Roy, former Indian civil servant turned RTI activist

Pioneering activist speaks…


In India, RTI used most widely at local government level


Even children have become RTI activists: some filed 100+ requests


RTI is for ALL citizens:Age no barrier to use this right!


Media can benefit from RTIBut most benefits to citizens!

http://ravaya.lk/?p=13291

Nalaka Gunawardene’s weekly column in Ravaya newspaper, 1 May 2016


RTI success needs…active citizens! Anyone can question

how much money allocated AND spent for repairing a road.

How many people were paid wages? How much did materials cost?

Based on this info, citizens can assess if funds were siphoned off

Image courtesy SLPI/UNESCO book


Don’t just wait for years: DEMAND answers! Funds allocated for a

new canal system to divert water to help farmers in an area

Canal not built for years Under RTI, any farmer

can demand info on WHY canal was not built & what happened to funds



School admissions:Demand an explanation!

Through RTI, a person will have right to ask for details on admission policy of a government school and for criteria on which an application was rejected.



What happened?Don’t speculate: seek evidence!

Hospital facility in a town or village half-built and suspended.

Citizens can file RTI request from Health Min asking who the contractor was, and why construction was suspended



Local level questions…posed to local authorities…by ordinary citizens (not journalists)

RTI Day India public interest Advertisement (Times of India & Maruti)


Citizens use RTI requests to monitor public works

Poster by Transparency International Bangladesh


Media played a key role in advocating RTI law in Sri Lanka

The Sunday Times legal columnist has long advocated RTI. New media activists have recently joined that process.


Besides benefiting, what MORE can media do to promote RTI? Explain the new law in

simple language Encourage and guide

our citizens to exercise this right

Highlight pioneering citizen users of RTI law

Focus on practical difficulties they face

Image courtesy Catch India


Media can monitor RTI progress… As time passes

and more RTI requests are filed, media ca analyse stats to spot trends & identify gaps

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/10-years-after-rti-transparency-under-cloud/article7213480.ece


Look at public sector’s own challenges in meeting RTI requests

What happens when a citizen files a request under new RTI Law?

What are bottlenecks in info management?

What challenges do public officials face?

How can creative solutions be found?


There will be both good news…& not-so-good news: cover both!


Media can test RTI system – and report own experiences!

Use your mandate + imagination…

File RTI requests on own, or on behalf of affected/ needy community

Follow its progress Report/critique!


Open your print space or air time to RTI advocacy groups South Asian Examples: The Daily Star, Bangladesh:

biweekly RTI column by researchers Dr Shamsul Bari & Ruhi Naz

Times of India: reporting on RTI champions

Indian TV channels: Profiling young RTI activists

Image courtesy The Daily Star, Bd


Open your print space or air time to RTI advocacy groups…


New media + social mediaVital partners in RTI journey…

Is this going to be information hide-and-seek?

How can social media activists support govt in RTI process?

Cartoonists already have!

Cartoon by Awantha Artigala, Daily Mirror


Let’s get out of here – together!

http://nalakagunawardene.comTwitter: @NalakaG

Right to Information Matters Most to Citizens - by Nalaka Gunawardene

Government & Nonprofit

Transcript of Right to Information Matters Most to Citizens - by Nalaka Gunawardene