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Meet Nana Oye Lithur: Campaign Coordinator for Ghana's Right to Information Law

In Ghana, where the government is currently debating the passage of a right to information bill, Nana Oye Lithur coordinates the campaign to ensure the proposed law will conform to international standards and enhance transparency and accountability.

"The current situation in Ghana does not allow the citizens to access information and the effect is that we as citizens are not able to make informed choices and decisions," said Oye Lithur, the convener of Ghana's Right to Information Coalition and executive director of the Human Rights Advocacy Center.

She attended the Carter Center's African Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information, held in Ghana in February, which brought together more than 130 participants from 18 countries to consider the main obstacles and potential solutions to advance the right of access to information in Africa. The African Regional Findings and Plan of Action, based on conference findings and released in March, provides a blueprint to establish, develop, and nurture the right of access to information.

"What I want to learn from the conference is how to create demand, to get people more interested and able to access public information," she said. "It means a lot to me personally as I know that if we are able to get a law in place and to get people real access to information, it will help in the development of my country."

Watch the video and read the blog post about the impact of the recent African Regional Conference on the Right of Access to Information: http://blog.cartercenter.org/2010/05/11/impact-felt-from-recent-african-regional-conference-on-the-right-of-access-to-information/

Learn more about the Carter Center's Access to Information Project: http://www.cartercenter.org/peace/americas/information.html

Founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter in partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center is committed to advancing human rights and alleviating unnecessary human suffering. The Center wages peace, fights disease, and builds hope worldwide.