More than 50 community leaders from Fiji’s four divisions will gather in Pacific Harbour from today to participate in the Fiji Council of Social Services-organised Access and Agency Forum 2021.
The forum will also discuss a community diagnostic tool called Kacivaka.
Kacivaka is the iTaukei word for ‘announce’ or ‘proclaim’ and FCOSS said the aim of the project was to foster the promotion of open data and increased access to public information, particularly to support well-being at every level.
Supported by the United Nations Development Programme and United Kingdom, FCOSS hopes to raise awareness of the value of improved right to information and access to information for achieving development outcomes.
FCOSS said this included countering corruption, fostering integrity and accountability in line with SDG 16 and UN Convention Against Corruption.
“It will do this by consolidating the values of open data and public information with community generated data on issues of access and vulnerability in order to develop a citizens’ diagnostic tool or platform,” said FCOSS.
The non-governmental organisation said the project had two major activity thrusts – firstly, the convening of an Access and Agency Forum 2021 and secondly, the piloting of a Kacivaka Diagnostic Tool in the Northern Division by community leaders through the District Councils of Social Services.
