September 28 – International Right to Know Day

nPosted on September 28, 2017

Is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency really testing America’s drinking water supplies? How often?

nDid a British Member of Parliament REALLY try to claim taxpayer money for his floating duck house?

How are the lottery earnings actually used?

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nIf citizens of many modern democracies have a question like these examples – and journalists, especially, often do! – they can file of Freedom of Information requests of almost every governmental organization or department. Of course there is some information that is classified for national security – but most information is not. And guaranteeing citizens access to that info helps keep governments open, honest, and accountable to the voters.

nSupposedly, at least!

The International Right to Know Day started on this date in 2002, when organizations that worked on freedom of information came from all over the world to Bulgaria in order to create the Freedom Of Information Advocates Network (also known as FOI Advocates Network).

nFOI laws had been passed in many countries:

nSweden – 1766

nUnited States – 1966

nUnited Kingdom – 2000

nBut the FOI Advocates Network probably helped to spread the idea, because by 2006, nearly 70 countries had FOI laws of some sorts, and 19 countries had FOI laws that also applied to private organizations. By now, more than 100 nations have some version of a Freedom of Information law.