By Teresia Mutuku, Communication Officer and Web Manager, WACC / WACC Pacific Liaison

WACC Pacific members have developed a new action plan focusing on four strategic priorities during their annual Regional Executive Committee meeting (REC) and leadership training held in Nadi, Fiji, June 25-29. They have also formed three working groups to implement the action plan. The working groups will be led by the REC members and overseen by the regional President, Rev. Akuila Yabaki.

Among strategic objectives in the action plan, the REC “will use communication rights to address poverty of information and communication in order to hold governments accountable.” They will also develop a larger constituency of communication rights campaigners and advocates through a membership drive to be conducted in a "Pacific wide communication rights campaign.”

The training, conducted by Duncan Wallace of Craighead institute, was part of the global leadership training programme launched by the WACC global board at their meeting in October last year.

According to the new plan, the WACC-Pacific REC will continue providing leadership training and capacity building to current leaders and members on a periodical basis.

Read outcomes of the meeting/training in the statement below:

WACC Pacific Outcomes Statement

Meanwhile the REC has issued a call for action to WACC members and partners to support their campaign for “the people of Maohi-Nui to claim their legitimate right for self determination and a nuclear free Pacific!”

“We believe the French Government must be made accountable for the fragmentation of communities and environmental destruction caused by the 3 decades of nuclear testing”, they said in the statement.

See full statement below...

WACC Pacific Call to Action

Exerpts from the Action Plan:

WACC Pacific Regional Plan: Objective 2

WACC Pacific will use communication rights to address poverty of information and communication in order to hold governments accountable.

This strategic objective will enable WACC Pacific to develop a Pacific constituency of communication rights campaigners and advocates through a membership drive linked to a Pacific wide communication rights campaign. It will enable Pacific WACC members to deepen and broaden their understanding and use of communication rights to champion communication rights as a process of democratization and essential component of the human rights, peace and security and development agenda.

Through a research and policy advocacy approach WACC Pacific will proactively review the Pacific Digital Strategy and communicate with key regional inter-governmental organisations and agencies so that National ICT policies become more accountable to community priorities and not just for commercial gains.

Activites and Outputs:

(I)    WACC Pacific brochure will be re- launched on the International Day of Peace 2012

a.    Current WACC Pacific members will contribute their organizational profiles and campaign statement to REC by July 15
b.    The publication will be completed by mid August and distributed by email to all WACC Pacific members; it will be in English and French and also include a summary of the new WACC Pacific Strategic Plan with a call to action to support the WACC Pacific Communication Rights Campaign
c.    The brochure will be launched by WACC Pacific members on September 21 in their countries as part of a membership drive
d.    Members will be invited to join the REC Working Group on Communication Rights

(II)    Annual advocacy campaign

a.    Membership drive brochure in 2013
b.    Regional press campaign (Islands Business Magazine) promoting Communication Rights (2013 – 2015) – total of 15 regional ads communicating key messages developed by the Working Group  
c.    Tee shirts and stickers produced and distributed to WACC Pacific members at the 2013 regional meeting
d.    Press kits sent to national media organisations following each regional meeting
e.    Campaign kits produced in 2014 for national and regional stakeholders

(III)    Country reports on National ICT Policies will be presented at the June 2013 WACC Pacific meeting:

a.    By January 2013 the working group will develop the research framework and identify in-country researchers
b.    A regional research coordinator will be appointed
c.    From February – April 2013 the working group members will oversee the 3 month in country research programmes will be resourced which will include the of related literature including national and regional ICT policies  
d.    In May 2013 the country report will be finalised for presentation to the June 2013 WACC Pacific regional meeting

(IV)    Updated country reports and regional recommendations will be presented to representatives of key regional inter-governmental organisations invited to the June 2014 WACC Pacific meeting:

a.    July 2012 – February 2013 the RWG will review the feedback from the regional meeting and finalise the 2nd phase of the research for finalizing national and regional recommendations
b.    The recommendations will be presented through an interactive dialogue to regional inter-governmental agencies invited to the 2014 WACC Pacific meeting
c.    Advocacy campaign will be followed up to share the initial findings with the wider community including tee shirts and stickers
d.    Finalization of reports by September 2014 and distribution including to WACC partners and regional inter-governmental partners

(V)    National and regional recommendations will be finalised by March 2015 in order to contribute to national and regional reviews of national (MDG) development plans and the Pacific Plan

a.     Advocacy campaign will focus on the opportunity to integrate regional findings into key regional and international meetings including the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Pacific Forum Leaders meeting processes and UN General Assembly (September)
b.    Distribution of reports and recommendations
c.    The campaign will be reviewed at the 2016 WACC Pacific regional meeting.

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Networking websites