September 22, 2011
From American University Washington College of Law:
American University Washington College of Law presents its Fifth Annual International Right-to-Know-Day Celebration Wednesday, Sept. 28, 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event will convene nearly 20 leaders on international transparency issues, including a former State Department spokesman, a senior advisor at the Open Society Institute, and the Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs. The event is presented by the law school’s Collaboration on Government Secrecy.
In a development that barely could have been envisioned by the authors of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) four decades ago, and with a force that has been accelerating around the globe, people in more than 85 nations of the world now enjoy the benefits of government transparency laws akin to the FOIA.
In the United States, “Freedom of Information Day" is celebrated each year on March 16, the birthday of James Madison, and since 2002 members of the international transparency community around the world likewise have celebrated annual “International Right-to-Know Day” on Sept. 28, a day marking their progress and unity.