The 2015 General Meeting and Strategy Conference of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) will take place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago from October 5 to 8
The IFEX Strategy Conference is the largest global gathering of free expression advocates and is an opportunity for the IFEX network membership, made up of 95 organisations worldwide, as well as other leading free expression advocates, trainers, experts and donors, to come together in one location to discuss emerging network issues, develop strategies for the future, plan joint activities, and network with partner groups from around the world.
With the growth of the IFEX network membership over the years, the strategy conferences have also become a crucial strategic venue for capacity-building, peer networking and building lasting collaborative relationships among the network members, and for broadening awareness of and participation in the network’s work.
No other regional or thematic conference in the sector brings together the comprehensive and diverse range of free expression actors as the IFEX Strategy Conference.
The theme of the 2015 IFEX Strategy Conference, which will take place on October 5 and 6 is: “Freedom of Expression Defenders: Prepare for Impact!”
The IFEX Strategy Conference represents a pivotal opportunity for every member organisation to advance its own work as groups operating in particularly difficult or dangerous circumstances in their national-level work, welcome the opportunity to meet internationally and work with counterparts from around the world to share tactics, solve problems and develop solid partnerships for advancing free expression.
The IFEX General Meeting, which takes place as part of the overall Strategy Conference, is also the opportunity for IFEX member organisations to actively participate in defining the direction of the network as well as the policies and practices needed to achieve its goals.
The General Meeting provides the democratic space for important debates and the creation of approaches and strategies for working together to address issues and priorities identified by IFEX members.
By attending the IFEX Strategy Conference, IFEX member organizations are able to participate in the discussions that not only shape and drive the network’s strategies and free-expression activities, but also support the organizations in their work in defending and promoting free expression in their home countries.
During the Strategy Conference, IFEX delivers skills and capacity-building support to its members through specialised training and workshop sessions geared towards the members’ needs.
The goal of this skills-sharing is to better equip member organisations to meet their mandate of defending and promoting free expression and independent media in their countries. This support has been critical to the development of dozens of IFEX member organizations around the world.
Based on input from IFEX members, topics prioritised for attention at the 2015 Strategy Conference include impunity and freedom of expression online.
The workshops will focus on digital innovation in free expression reporting and advocacy, regional collaboration, advocacy opportunities and mechanisms, and exchanging best practices from successful initiatives.
