We are a team of media practitioners from various backgrounds but with a common to goal to raise the profile of the MISA-Botswana Chapter. Together we aim:
1. To reenergize MISA-Botswana and turn its fortunes around to restore its dignity. For the past few years MISA Botswana has been somewhat dormant, lacking that vibrancy that characterised it when it was established in the early 1990s.
2. To enhance MISA-Botswana's advocacy role as a champion of media freedom and free speech.
3. To drive MISA-Botswana's core mandate through sustained campaigns, media visibility, training, and outreach programmes.
4. To develop sustainable fundraising strategies: resuscitate partnerships with donors and other funders, including corporate and organizational membership to build a strong resource base for the organization. Key to sustainable funding for the organization will be, among others, membership subscription.
5. To develop training, mentorship and incubation of trainee media professionals programmes. Help social/digital media journalists organise themselves into a smart networked community and move towards registering an association. Help organise freelance media workers into a vibrant sector.
6. Actively source for scholarships for members.
We need training to keep pace with the ever evolving social environment if we are to promote free speech in society.
7. To restructure and restore integrity to the MISA-Botswana Media Awards. Media practitioners need to have trust in the awards and recipients must feel proud of the awards.
8. Review and domesticate the MISA constitution and all other governing instruments.
9. Investigate and audit MISA Financials. A critical area and an exercise we must do to restore sustain donor confidence as well as that of the media practitioners who elected us with confidence we will run the organisation with utmost due diligence and transparency.
10. Re-establish linkages and partnerships with like-minded human rights and press freedom entities. This is a must because as advocacy organ we must inspire solidarity on human rights issues.
11. Unite all media outlets in Botswana to speak with one voice on issues affecting them including their welfare.
12. Work towards people-centred media through promotion of developmental news. Media practitioners have a duty to society, not themselves. They have a social responsibility to be not only the watchdog but a guiding light to human advancement.
13. To lobby Government to harness the power of community of radio to facilitate communication between communities and their policy makers as a way of promoting the right to freedom of expression by providing licensing of community broadcasting.
14.To advocate for user friendly cyber laws that allow for media freedom, free speech and sharing of ideas while at the same time protecting users against emerging cyber threats such as hate speech, defamation of character and cyber bullying peddled through the internet and social media sites.
As an individual I believe in teamwork. I am not all knowing and neither do I possess all the power to execute everything alone. I trust and have confidence that the men and women I was elected with will help make me a better leader together with those we pledged to serve.
*THOMAS NKHOMA is the MISA Botswana Chapter chairman elect.
