Globe International Center (GIC) is implementing a six-month project called “NICE” Campaigning on Freedom of Expression started from November 2013 with the financial support of the IFEX — the Global Network Defending and Promoting Free Expression. The goals of the Campaigning dedicated to the GIC`s 15th anniversary are to raise awareness of the public and Parliamentarians on media freedom, particularly on digital rights and right to anonymity, to build up a network of young Mongolians “Nice” to transfer our knowledge and experiences to wider members of the society. Nice sounds in Mongolian language similar as NAIZ which means Friend. GIC is marking its 15th anniversary in March 2014 and it is good opportunity to combine it with our campaigning on media law reform advocacy in Mongolia. 

The Project Activities will be as follows:

1. Social media campaigning

The project will launch a Facebook account and create group “NICE!” to encourage more Mongolian public, specially youths to exchange their opinions, views and share knowledge on free expression and get involved to the actions.

We will invite the youth groups/clubs/NGOs to join the Network ‘NICE!” to continue the joint actions to protect free expression, namely digital rights and right to anonymity. 

2.  Contests among the young Mongolians 

- Contests for the law and journalism students

The project will call two contests among law and journalism students on the Best Research Works and it is aimed to encourage the students to retain their attentions in

1) for the law students on such  topics as: Mongolian laws affecting freedoms of expression, media freedom, freedom of information, secrecy laws, media ownership, media concentration, defamation, broadcast media and Internet regulation, protection of sources, content restrictions etc, and

2) for the journalism students and it will focus on topics such as:  media ethics, self-regulation, trade union, issues of media ownership and concentration that affect journalism quality, citizen journalism, editorial independence etc in connection with the existing legislation.

After the participants posted their works online, the professional Jury will read the works and select the best ten in each type of the contest and organize the Students’ Debate. 

- Students’ Debate

Purpose of the event is to allow the participants to present their works to their peers and reinforce the discussions on the topics and it will involve around 40 students and their teachers.  

- Dancing Contest

Its goal is to attain the interest of the public and decision makers to the Right to Anonymity. It will be an opportunity for the youth to express their opinions on the issues. The project will rent a dance hall and organise the performances, so the professional Jury will select the best three works. The best performances will be produced on video and posted at Youtube. They groups also will give their performances at the event “NICE!” The contest will be open for all types of the amateur dance groups.

3. Event “NICE!”

“NICE!” will be an event where we will gather the students, journalists, lawyers, Internet intermediates and decision makers. It will include the Award Ceremony and performances of the dance groups and staged readings which were produced by our last project. The event will be will be held at Black Box Theatre and it will be combined with the GIC’s 15th anniversary.

4. Strategy Development Workshop for a Youth Network “NICE!”

The project will organize one-day workshop among network members and develop the strategy and action plan for the next years. Our aim is to lobby the Government prior to the UN Human Rights Committee meeting that will discuss the Mongolian Government report on implementation of the ICCPR in 2015.

The project is directly linked to our permanent legal advocacy campaign. GIC has been advocating for favorable media legal environment since its establishment. In May 2013, on the occasion of the WPFD, we delivered the Call to the Government on dismissal of the Government decree concerning web site comments along with other issues. Call is available at https://www.gic.mn/en/post/r/1328

The GIC Action Plan for 2014 includes the formation of two volunteers’ groups of law and journalism students because there are only few media lawyers and the journalism students lack knowledge on the legal framework. It is also one of the organizational sustainability and capacity building strategies.