around the world. IFEX was born in 1992 when leading freedom of expression organisations came together in Montreal, Canada to discuss how best to further their collective goals. The IFEX Clearing House is managed by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), and is based in Toronto, Canada. The Clearing House helps co-ordinate the work of IFEX members, by reducing overlap in its activities and making it more effective in terms of shared objectives. IFEX is governed by a Council made up of 13 IFEX members. General membership to IFEX is open to independent, non-governmental organisations working on freedom of expression. MISA served on the IFEX Council in 2006. IFEX’s website (www.ifex.org) plays an extremely important role in the operation and development of the network. All IFEX alerts and the Communiqué are posted immediately to the website in English, Spanish and French. In addition, links are created to sources of important free expression research that exists at many groups around the world. Over two million visitors access this information by logging onto the IFEX website. Both the Communiqué and the alerts are searchable in English, Spanish and French, making the information much more accessible to those using the site. Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations MISA is part of a pan-African network of free expression groups, which in October 2005 established the Network of African Freedom of Expression Organisations (NAFEO). The network seeks to improve the environment for freedom of expression in Africa over the next decade and has set out an ambitious mandate to tackle a number of the most pressing issues facing African media today, such as working to stop violent attacks and the detention of journalists, putting a stop to the financial pressures exerted on the media and improving the working conditions of media practitioners. NAFEO will also tackle legal and institutional frameworks, such as repealing criminal defamation laws, and will work towards the enactment of democratic access to information laws in all African countries. Training on professional standards and legal issues, especially with respect to privacy, accuracy and avoiding defamation, will also be a part of the network’s mandate. NAFEO and the Gambia Campaign With regard to its involvement with NAFEO, in 2006 MISA undertook a consultative workshop with members of The Gambia Press Union (GPU) aimed at devising a programme of support to the GPU and a specific programme of interventions to improve the free expression environment in The Gambia. In May 2007, NAFEO subsequently launched a campaign for an end to the impunity and violent attacks on media freedoms and freedom of expression in The Gambia by the government of President Yahya Jammeh. The campaign also demands the release of Chief Ebrima Manneh, a journalist arrested without charge or trial by the political police, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), since July 2006 but of whose whereabouts the government and its security deny knowledge. Institution and Capacity Building: Organisation des Médias d’Afrique Centrale MISA participated in the general meeting of the Central African Media Organisation (Organisation des Médias d’Afrique Centrale, or OMAC) at the end of 2006. MISA was invited to share its experiences on advocacy and cam- 24 Annual Report 2007