Posted by Egide on 2024-11-24 12:16:30 |
Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 350
By definition, “Free speech” is the right to voice your opinion, expressing your
ideas, write your articles, without caring about the punishment of the country
or any other challenge from the government.
In the country where the free speech is guaranteed,
individuals could criticize evils of different institutions, express their
theories against those of others, and express their individuality and autonomy.
If in the community there are evils and challenges their solutions are found in
the critics made. This is the importance of free speech of finding solutions to
problems of the society through speech and writing. In addition, free speech
reveals all the unlawful actions committed by the government.
Anyway, most African countries didn’t have
access to free speech in the former days because of some obstacles. There, media
were few, the technology was not were developed, and journalists were limited
to some articles. Despite this, these all obstacles to free speech should have
solutions. The problems mentioned got essence to the colonialism and the lack
of knowledge. Now some opportunities are available in order to have free
speech.
Media: In the former days, there were few media through
which the idea could pass. There were only public media controlled by the
government .Everything that passed there were on behalf of the government. Once
we have media development and education where everyone has right to write on
how he sees things in politics, economy, and education. With that opportunity,
writers contribute a lot in the development of a country that is why in schools
especially at university, students must learn the importance of media and how media
are organized and how they can use them to say what is good or bad about their
country so that leaders may change how they govern or they may change how they
are organizing things in their institutions. Then, people can hear their
rights, recognize disinformation and finish by participating in the change of
actions. And with the media, critical thinking and media literacy are well promoted;
Africans can stand well and be able to defend their rights of freedom of
expression for change.
There were only radios and through which every activity passes. The opportunity we have now; we have other Radios which are not on behalf of the government: Private radios if you find some evil activity you can pass to this private radio. Anyway, some private radios are being closed if they say the information against government.What is necessary, is to give Liberty to these radios but not close them. Because the information which passes on the private radios which reveals the evil of the government is needed to the society.
Technology and Internet: African free speech has been
hindered by the inaccessibility to the update of technology and lack of
effective access to internet. In the former years, if something is seen or
happens in the community, it was very difficult to post it in order to be seen
by the world. Now it is easy to post anything around the world. Our African
countries are now using some channels such as Facebook, WhatsApp … In order to
show the public which is not going well in community. This is another
opportunity to have access to free speech. But the government in African
countries is controlling social media for punishment.
Nowadays, internet is making everything easy to control, once you post the evil
which is happening in the country, so it is seen by some policymakers and they
could change what they are doing. Moreover, the internet created the global
platform, and a way to communicate instantly with anyone of the community
across the world. This is the reason why, today there is a big opportunity to
access to freedom of speech using the internet.
In few words, all the information
provided above should contribute to the freedom of expression and development of African counties. Once free speech is reached, we will
have a change in the institutions and developed Africa.
