The mission and vision of MISA are based on values that seek to: • Advance the aims and objectives of the Windhoek Declaration of 1991 and the African Charter on Broadcasting of 2001; • Promote a self reliant, non-partisan and independent media that informs, empowers, educates and entertains; • Nurture media freedom in an ethical, competent and professional media environment; • Strengthen and support the development of a vibrant and participatory media sector; • Lobby for access to information in order to enhance transparency and citizen participation in government, judiciary and legislative issues; and • Promote democracy, human rights and the advancement of equality, human dignity, freedom and nondiscrimination. • Advocate and advance gender equality to redress imbalances in the media and society. 0,6$+LVWRU\DQGOHJDOVWDWXV is guided by the Regional Governing Council made up of the Regional Council Chairperson and the chairpersons of the national chapters. The MISA Trust Funds Board, which is autonomous, has oversight over the financial and objectives of the organisation. MISA currently has national chapters in 10 SADC countries – Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, while it has a representative to run its operations in Angola. Each national chapter is serviced by a national secretariat under the guidance of the National Governing Council. Membership in MISA is open to individual media practitioners, media houses and associations who join MISA at national level. MISA’s main achievements are in the areas of media freedom monitoring and the issuing of action alerts highlighting violations of this right in the southern African region. It has campaigned for an enabling environment for media to operate freely as part of a democratic system. MISA was established in 1992 as a nongovernmental organisation (NGO) and registered as a Trust in Windhoek, Namibia following the adoption of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration on Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press. MISA seeks to contribute to the implementation of this declaration in the SADC region. MISA operations are conducted by its Regional Secretariat based in Windhoek, Namibia which During the last 17 years, MISA has provided skills training opportunities for many media workers in the region. In line with the 1991 Windhoek Declaration, MISA established the Southern Africa Media Development Fund (SAMDEF) which provides media businesses with loan and venture capital and the Southern Africa Institute of Media Entrepreneurial Development 6R7KLVLV'HPRFUDF\"