MISA Malawi is one of the eleven chapters of the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), launched in 1992 following the 1991 Windhoek Declaration and endorsed by SADC Ministers of Information. The Malawi Chapter was established in 1996 and started operation in 1997. However, in September 2000, the institution changed its name to NAMISA after it was registered as an NGO under the Trustees Incorporation Act. MISA's vision is of a southern Africa region in which the media enjoys freedom of expression, independence from political, economic and commercial interests, pluralism of views and opinions. Our vision is of a region where members of society, individually or collectively are free to express themselves through any media of their choice without hindrance of any kind. A region, too, where access to information must be unhindered and where information is readily available. The MISA vision is:
• A media that is free, independent, diverse and pluralistic.
• Access to the media and information by all sectors of society.
• Media workers who are competent, critical, accountable, sensitive to gender issues and aware of their responsibility to society.
• Legislation, regulations and policy environments that support media independence, diversity and pluralism.
• Citizens in the SADC region that are empowered to claim information as a basic right. The mission and vision of MISA are based on the following principles and values:
• Freedom of expression as defined in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
• Media freedom, independence, diversity and pluralism as provided for in the Windhoek Declaration of 1991;
• Three tier separation of power as provided for in the SADC ICT Declaration of 2001 with the government being responsible for a conducive national policy framework, independent regulator responsible for licensing and a multiplicity of providers in a competitive environment responsible for providing services;
• Three tier system of broadcasting (public, commercial and community) as provided in the African Charter on Broadcasting of 2001;
• Media professionalism and the observance of ethical standards in media products that seek to inform, empower, educate and entertain;
• Citizens' right to access to information in order to enhance transparency and citizen participation in government, judiciary and legislative issues.
• Participatory democracy, respect for human rights, equality, human dignity, freedom and non-discrimination; and
• Gender equality in and through the media and society.
