The MISA AGM was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in September 2003 and as usual, continued to guide the other organs in mapping the direction MISA should take in its mandate to advocate for media freedom and freedom of expression in the region. The AGM also discussed the Annual Review of the operations of MISA for the first year of the SPP which had ended on March 31, 2003. The discussion of the Review gave the members an opportunity to receive a critique of the performance of the organization from external consultants and enable self-reflection on how the implementation of the SPP was taking place and how it could be improved. Recommendations of the review were also incorporated into the future plans of the organization where possible in an effort of improving outcomes and impacts of the organization in its work. HIV/AIDS staff policy MISA also hosted a one day conference on HIV/AIDS in the media in the southern African region. The focus of the conference was on the institutional responses of media organizations to the disease. The conference had the benefit of hearing first hand testimonies of two journalists living with HIV who have publicly declared their HIV status. Sadly, one of them died less than two months later. The conference resolved that MISA should find ways of encouraging media houses to come up with HIV / AIDS internal policies while MISA itself should establish its own workplace policies for its employees. The staff policy is currently being established through a consultative process to increase staff involvement, active participation and later adherence once approved and implemented. MISA Annual Report (April 2003 – March 2004) 106