The freedom of Speech, the right to bear arms, and the right to a speedy and fair trial are some of the things we, as American citizens take for granted on a daily basis. Unfortunately, due to corrupt and unorganized governments, citizens of Africa aren't always able to reap these benefits. Governments censor the media so the people hear only what they want them to hear. They wrongly accuse many, and sometimes end the situation swiftly by executing the unlucky person. There is a source of hope however. Non-governmental organizations are private organizations that pursue activities to relieve suffering, promote interests of the poor, protect the environment, provide basic social services, and undertake community development projects. The basis of these organizations came from outside parties who believed the politically corrupt and ethnically tied governments would be unable to solve the nations problems. Another benefit was to start with the grassroots of the nation and provide programs that help the people of Africa help themselves. NGO's are value-based organizations that depend on charitable donations and voluntary services. The key to

"The issue at stake is the liberty of an individual to dissent from an official truth. Has the State, in its function as an auxiliary of the church or even in its own right as guardian of the social order, any right to repress heresy? And does the individual--if he appeals to the principle that belief cannot be forced--have any right to freedom of conscience?".

The issue of censorship is one that is hard to break the political and historical barriers of. Censorship has been an issue that has been questioned since the beginning of time. Henry Kamen, a writer of the sixteenth century writes:

One particular incident exemplifies the mission of MISA. On February 26, the government threatened to shut down all newspapers that published stories or cartoons that defamed the president or were found to be rebellious. The threat was made by the Director of Tanzania Information Services, Kassim Mpenda, at a ceremony launching "Media Watch", the Tanzania Media Council newsletter. During the ceremony, Mpenda urged journalists to be mindful of their work, as it would be the only way to safeguard their profession. This particular incident occurred in Tanzania, but there are also MISA programs in action in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

The NGO I chose to research is called MISA, which stands for Media Institute of Southern Africa. They are an advocacy non-governmental organization that promotes actions pertaining to their mission, act on media freedom violations, and conduct research as the basis of specialized and popularized publications. They encourage the citizens to organize programs of their own and to join in the fight against censorship. MISA is an NGO with members in 11 of the Southern Africa Development Community countries. Officially launched in September 1992, MISA focuses primarily on the need to promote free, independent and pluralistic med

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Approximate Word count = 1308
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)