good governance practices for the protection of human rights

C. The role of the media in building the capacity of rights-holders
to participate in local decision-making – Philippines
Issue
In 1991, the Philippines adopted the Local Government Code to strengthen the
accountability of local governments and enable civil society and local communities
to actively participate in the management of local affairs. The Code was an
effort to address a number of local governance challenges that had a negative
impact on economic development and the protection of human rights. However,
the Code’s implementation faced numerous obstacles, including the lack of local
societal capacity to effectively participate in public affairs. These obstacles meant
that the right to participate and influence public affairs did not take hold at the
local level. Also, due to the continuing lack of accountability and transparency,
the protection of social and economic rights, including the right to an adequate
standard of living, the right to the enjoyment of physical and mental health, and
the right to education, was compromised.
Response
Civil society organizations and the media initiated a collaborative project to
strengthen, first, their ability to work together and, second, the ability of local
communities to participate effectively in local government. The effort was designed
to raise awareness within communities about their right to participate in
local government and to empower them to demand good governance practices.
The media contributed by sparking debate on local issues as well as by facilitating
advocacy networks between communities, local governments and civil
society organizations, particularly on issues important to the poor, the marginalized
and the disadvantaged. The motivation behind this endeavour was the
understanding that the media are not simply communicators of facts, but that
they also influence public policy agendas and can act as catalysts for community
efforts to demand good governance.
Design
Philippine civil society organizations operating nationwide have experience and
skills in working with diverse stakeholders to advocate public policies respectful
of human rights. In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) in the Philippines, civil society organizations and the Government
established partnerships to develop similar capacity locally.
In this context, the Center for Community Journalism and Development (CCJD),
a national NGO which works with local media partners, would train regional
and local media to work with communities on how to engage with local governments
on issues such as accountability, transparency and human rights. Training
and public forums would be used to improve the skills of local media and to help
them identify public policy issues important to local communities. Subsequently,
15