The Internet Society views the Internet as an essential vehicle for promoting freedom of opinion and expression, including "freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers," as enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Around 220 delegates from diverse sectors gathered together in Cape Town, South Africa, 17-19 September 2011 in a meeting that led to the signature of the African Platform on Access to Information.

Negotiating Communication Rights: Case Studies from India written by Pradip Ninan Thomas has appeared from the publishers Sage (June 2011).

Communication Rights is a key issue in contemporary societies, especially in a country like India, which faces major communication deficits. Negotiating Communication Rights explores some of the most important aspects of communication rights movements in India.

Beginning with the theoretical aspects of communication rights, the book deals with five case studies related to significant movements of our times, namely, the Right to Information, Free and Open Source Software, Women and Media, Community Radio, and Citizen Journalism. It also analyses the complexity of specific rights issues in India, such as women's rights, citizen activism and the role of media.

The book explores the processes through which ordinary citizens have developed spaces for self-expression-a concept synonymous with media democratisation. The author argues for the need for streamlining of communication rights movements in India and for an India-specific framework for communication rights.

Part 1 covers theory: A Brief History of Communication Rights; A Philosophy of Communication Rights; Observations on the Theorising of Communication Rights in India; The Communication Rights of Refugees and Displaced People.

Part 2 includes case studies in India: The Right to Information Movement; The Community Radio Movement; The Women and Media Movement; The Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Movement; The Citizen Journalism Movement. A Postscript explores the Operationalisation of Communication Rights in India Today.

Written by one of the foremost experts on communication rights and participatory communication for developmnent, this book advances the cause of communication rights at the national and local level, detailing the crucial role played by communication in pursuing social justice for all.

Further information here.

Meeting in Dakar, Senegal, during the World Social Forum  (6-11 February 2011) representatives of more than 60 communication organisations declared that the right to communicate is a fundamental right and a common good of humanity .  Meeting on the last day of the WSF, delegates went on to commit themselves to defend, support and promote all initiatives that ensure and extend the right to communication and information as a fundamental human right.

Started in Brazil 11 years ago, the WSF is a worldwide movement formed of a myriad social groups and organisations, including social movements.   Under the motto “Another World is Possible” the WSF aims to develop “a permanent world process seeking and building alternatives to neo-liberal policies”.  Since its creation several global initiatives have been strengthened with WSF help, including the World Water Forum, the global audit of the foreign debt  of the poorest countries, the continental agenda of Amazonian peoples, the global agenda on sexual and reproductive rights, and the continental agenda of Afro-American peoples.

Declaration [English]

Declaración [Español]