The Ombuds Blog: Media Coalition Calls on Obama to Revive FOIA Ombuds Office

November 10, 2008

Media Coalition Calls on Obama to Revive FOIA Ombuds Office

The Sunshine in Government Initiative, a coalition of media groups, is asking President-elect Barack Obama to take immediate steps to strengthen open government and counteract years of growing government secrecy. In particular, SGI urges the Obama administration to "create an independent, online ombudsman to help citizens access their government" by quickly implementing the Office of Government Information Services at the National Archives and Records Administration to mediate disclosure disputes. (SGI White Paper via National Journal's Congress Daily.)

Related posts: Bush Defunds FOIA Ombuds Program; NY Times Calls for Restoration of FOIA Ombuds; Federal FOIA Ombuds Office Remains in Limbo; Obama and the Future of the ADR Profession.

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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November 10, 2008

Media Coalition Calls on Obama to Revive FOIA Ombuds Office

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