IATP News

From Ministry Officials to Farmers — IATP Tajikistan Brings ICT to All

After more than nine years of working to close the digital divide and promote civil society, IATP Tajikistan will close its doors on December 10. IREX’s USAID/ECA-funded IATP program has provided free internet access and technical training to more than 15,000 local residents in the last two years alone, forming close partnerships at all levels of society—from Tajik Ministries all the way down to rural farmers.

In IATP’s e-Government project trained more than 250 ministry officials in ICT skills necessary to make full use of their modern office equipment, improve bureaucratic efficiency, and streamline services for Tajikistan’s citizens. Migration Service Senior Lieutenant Istat Shomirzoeva recalls before she learned to use her computer it took her at least an hour to prepare a simple letter. Now it only takes her 20 minutes using word processing software. Her colleague Sergeant Ismoil Zokirov also explained that the office can now process documents required for passports much more efficiently and provide more timely feedback to their citizens via e-mail.

IATP also assisted organizations in developing electronic databases to improve their services for the public. A notable example is the International Organization for Migration, who worked with IATP to develop an e-database for shelter workers designed to document reports of human trafficking they receive from the public. The national database collects, stores, and cross-references information on both victims and alleged perpetrators of trafficking.

Over the years, however, IATP in Tajikistan learned that more than just white collar workers were interested in ICT training. Rustan Nasritdinov, a businessman and head of the agricultural NGO Lola Farming, has partnered with IATP for the past several years to streamline his own organization and provide more than 145 rural farmers with mobile training programs on how to use computers and the internet. Now, farmers research questions on the use of imported feed additives and treatments for common livestock diseases on the internet at their local IATP centers. Other graduates of the training conduct online market research to price their produce competitively and stay abreast of the latest developments in their field. Nasritdinov explains, “Earlier, most of the farmers in my region conducted business in the traditional way—buying and selling crops at the local market. Now, many of them do it online.” Some farmers have even established clients and partners abroad, selling and shipping to foreign markets.

Although IATP in Tajikistan will close its doors in December, the centers will live on and continue to serve their communities as Independent Internet Centers (IICs). IATP partners will sustain the mission of bringing internet access and IT skills to more individuals in Tajikistan, where still less than five percent of the population uses the internet. Upon graduation, Tajikistan will have a total of six IICs in cities and regions across the country: Kulyab, at a branch of the Technological University; Khujand, at the Pulatov Private School; Kanibadam, at the headquarters of the local NGO Civil Bridges; Dushanbe, at the Science Academy Library; Garm, at the NGO Rasht; and Khorog, at Khorog State University. Director of the Science Academy Library and soon-to-be head of the Dushanbe IIC Alla Aslitdinova remains deeply committed to the program, “The IATP program made a considerable impact on a wide range of individuals in Tajikistan by providing opportunities for all levels of human development—from as lofty as broadening an individual’s worldview, to as concrete as helping them find a job. Our goal is to help these centers continue to do just as well in the future.”

IATP activity begins in Tajikistan: 1999
Centers offering free services: Dushanbe, Garm, Khorog, Kulyab, Khujand, Kanibadam
# users (since June 2007): 12,127
# trained (since June 2007): 3,465
# of visits to IATP centers (since June 2007): 82,693
# of training sessions (since June 2007): 624

IATP, OSI, and Internews Empower Journalists in Tajikistan with Web 2.0 Resources

Seventeen journalists and IT specialists created a portal for social networking following training on Web 2.0 technologies led by Latvian trainers Maksim and Aya Bereza from April 22 to 25 at the IATP center in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Web 2.0 describes the emerging use of the internet as a platform for two-way communication, as seen in the recent proliferation of online communities, user-created software, wikis, blogs, and content-sharing resources.

Organized by IATP and the Open Society Institute’s (OSI) media program, the training, entitled, “Social Networks as Alternative Forms of Professional Consolidation", aimed to improve the ICT skills of media professionals and provide an IT-based platform for the discussion of current issues for journalists in Tajikistan.

ICT Skills Enable Freelance Journalist to Win National Media Contest

ICT skills acquired at the IATP center in Khashuri, Georgia, helped Khashuri School #2 history teacher, freelance journalist, and active IATP user Jaba Labadze win a national media contest. A frequent IATP visitor since 2003, Labadze completed IATP’s computer and internet basics, Web design, and wiki technology training sessions, and continues to visit IATP for online research and networking.

As a freelance correspondent for the local newspaper Khalkhis Gazeti, Labadze also comes to IATP to complete and submit his articles. In 2008, the Georgian Taso Foundation held a competition titled, "The Status of Women in Georgia", to determine the best media production, including articles, videos, and radio reports, on a set of topics related to the status of women in the country. Lebadze decided to participate.

In accordance with the rules of the competition, Labadze submitted four articles on the following: women in elections, domestic violence, problems at school, and gender balance issues in the Georgian Parliament. Throughout 2008, Labadze researched, wrote, and submitted these articles at the IATP center in Khashuri, and published them in Khalkhis Gazeti.

In December 2008, Labadze learned that he was one of the six winners of the contest and that his articles were published on Taso Foundation's website. On December 8, 2008, Labadze and five colleagues were awarded certificates and monetary prizes during a ceremony held at the Open Society Georgia Foundation. The satisfied winner declared, “Thanks to the ICT skills acquired at IATP, I was able to learn about this contest, develop electronic versions of the articles, and submit them. Finally, my efforts were rewarded.” Labadze is one of hundreds of journalists trained by IATP in Eurasia to use ICT to improve their articles, access press outlets, and publish their work.

IATP Expands its Outreach, Broadcasts on Georgian News Outlets

IATP centers in Tbilisi and Gori are reaching wider audiences in their efforts to promote IATP activities and the opportunities it provides. This success stems from the centers’ new cooperation with Georgian television stations, which are broadcasting reports from IATP centers on both local and national channels.

On March 29, 2009, the Tbilisi IATP Center launched a month-long training session for 20 citizens on computer and internet basics, online job search skills, and effective resume writing. The training was a joint effort between IATP, Tbilisi City Hall, and Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC). IREX Education Programs Manager Chris Walters, Tbilisi City Hall Economic Policy Deputy George Gagoshidze, and CRRC Regional Coordinator Aaron Erlich attended the opening session. The event was covered by Imedi, a local TV channel. The next day, the report was broadcast on national Georgian television.

On April 1, the Shida Kartli region’s television channel informed residents of IATP's presentation on ICT for Journalists, held at the Gori IATP Center for 12 graduating journalism majors from Gori University. The television program showed how these aspiring journalists learned about the benefits of applying ICT in their work. These benefits included simplified data collection and processing, online information access, and faster writing with word processing software. Following the presentation, Gori student Madona Khetaguri said, “I am a future journalist and all the information I acquired at this presentation will be very useful for me in my professional work. The most interesting was blog technology – that was new for me. I am thinking about enrolling for training in this."

With help of Georgian mass media, IATP showcased its work and possibilities to numerous television viewers. Since these enhanced outreach efforts began, IATP centers in Tbilisi and Gori have registered 83 new users.

Laid-Off Journalist Finds New Outlet with Web 2.0

Inga Esterkina was once the editor-in-chief of a Zaporizhya, Ukraine, newspaper’s cultural section. When the newspaper went out of business, Esterkina decided to create her own online cultural community resource.

Esterkina began acquiring ICT skills through IATP in 2008. She went on to attend specialized instruction for mass media representatives, and in February, completed IATP’s Web 2.0 training. When Esterkina lost her print outlet, she started a blog entitled “Creative Journalism.” Available at ingaesterkina.blogspot.com, she keeps her readers and colleagues abreast of Zaporizhya’s latest cultural news, just as she did for the newspaper. Esterkina hopes her Web 2.0 knowledge can help create an online community that will organize and promote cultural projects in the city and keep her readers and partners engaged in cultural life. Thanks to IATP training, Esterkina’s work as a journalist continues.

Azeri Journalist Improves Regional Reporting, Finds Job with National Newspaper

Imishli, Azerbaijan IATP user Azer Aliyev received a job as a correspondent for the Baku-based national newspaper Azadlıq in January 2009 thanks to skills he developed at IATP.  Since 2003, Aliyev worked for Azadlıq as a part-time correspondent covering social, political, and legal, and human rights-related issues in the region.  Since Aliyev did not have a computer or access to the internet, he faced problems preparing and submitting his articles. 

IATP opened a center in Imishli in 2006, and since then, Azer Aliyev has mastered word processing, photo editing, and e-mail skills.   With IATP support, he was able to developed his work and maintain regular communication with newspaper’s editors.  Also, the free access to information online at IATP allows him to stay abreast of the latest events in Azerbaijan.

Expressing his gratitude to IATP, Aliyev noted, "I still remember the difficulty I faced while doing my work [before].  It was impossible then to find computer centers outside of the capital city and I had to go to Baku  where it was expensive to access computers.  IATP services are free and I do not face those difficulties anymore.  It is very important for us as journalists…it is a very difficult profession and such kind of services are a great support for us.  I express my gratitude to IATP and USAID for this service." 

Thanks to the free and high-quality services and support available at IATP, journalists throughout Azerbaijan can effectively collaborate with larger, national organizations and provide them with timely and reliable news from the field.

Georgian Youth in Batumi Address One-sided Media with International Forum Discussion

A group of students from Batumi independently started an online discussion from the IATP center on www.odnoklassniki.ru, one of the most popular social networking Russian-language websites. Russian media outlets, which reach most of Eurasia including Georgia, cover a one-sided account of the conflict over separatist regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The engaging, controversial forum has led to over 420 messages and the creation of 30 sub-forums and has connected odnoklassniki members directly with 348 participants and uncounted passive readers from Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Israel, Czech Republic, and elsewhere.

On August 18, Lika Bakuridze and Luiza Koridze, journalism students at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University opened their independent moderation of the forum. Students have used the online forum in order to express their view on the military conflict, share firsthand information on the events that took place around them, and discuss the war and its consequences. Lika said, “I think the aim of the forum, spreading of information and evidence of the war and making at least our small input in Georgia’s struggle against Russia, is achieved.” Without the Internet an ordinary person has limited options for spreading information, photos, videos, and personal opinion.

The forum captured the mood of both sides, and naturally, the dialogue has not always been civil or constructive and there were several inappropriate posts with a war in gear and emotions high. The student moderators asked all users to be respectful and warned that posts with swearing would be deleted. The forum does capture the moment's challenges and demonstrates how the Internet is becoming a relevant medium for sharing information by those taking initiative. Within this medium and conflict, there were some cooler heads sharing thoughts and impressions that were constructive and provided insight not covered in traditional media, including:

• A 19-year-old from Batumi, Zaza Mgaloblishvili posted the link of video that shows the part of the intentional news addition russiangeorgianwar.blogspot.com . In this video are show some pictures that demonstrate how homes of ethnic Georgians were burned. Video shows interview with Reed Brody, human Rights Watch, who says that there are: “At least five villages in which virtually all of the ethnic Georgian houses were either totally or partially burned to the ground”. One of the participants, 26 years old, Nutsa Mchedlishvili posted on the forum link of the video demonstrating how aggressive Russian soldiers are ruining and robbing Georgian military base ru.youtube.com
• Ani Tsitlidze created a sub forum “Blood” where participants posted news about who needed blood and where. She described a 12-year-old with a rare blood type and shared her contact information. Another person offered an address were any person willing to give blood to help wounded was able to do that, and asked other participants to spread the word to their families and friends.
• Participants posted on the forum pictures demonstrating the unity of Georgian people. wg14.odnoklassniki.ru – here member of the forum Ilia Dzneladze and Goga Kalihava, moderator, posted photos describing Life Chain made by Georgian citizens thought entire country on September 1. This chain was one of the demonstrations from Georgian people to entire world that Georgians are standing together in this difficult situation.

Administered by IREX, IATP provides free Internet access and training in ICT skills, including forum creation. These efforts are made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of the forums’ independent authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID, the United States Government, or IREX.

IATP Trains Journalists in ICT Techniques

As journalists face increasing demand for instant reporting, ICTs constitute an exciting new set of tools. IATP and the Independent School of Journalism Tajikistan – 21st Century are collaborating to train Tajikistan’s journalists in the latest technologies. Training for press service employees and journalists was held on October 25 and 31 at the Media Center Building in Dushanbe.

Using interactive methods of teaching, IATP staff engaged representatives of public media organizations and the Ministries of Internal Affairs and Emergency Situations press services. Dushanbe IATP Center Administrator Abdurahim Abdumajitov taught advanced ICT skills and methods of creating effective public presentations. IATP Mobile Consultant Suhrob Rahimov taught participants how to add information to a website, use email, perform online research, and utilize online tools, such as www.mail.ru, www.yahoo.com, and www.gmail.com.

The Asia-Plus media group (www.asiaplus.tj) published a news story about the IATP course in its official website. Together with the Independent School of Journalism Tajikistan - 21st Century, IATP has trained more than 15 journalists and governmental officials since August 2008.

Ukrainian Journalist Presents Firsthand Information on NATO

Every month, about 500 people visit IATP user and journalist from Vinnytsia, Ukraine, Yuriy Sikorsky’s website “NATO: Ukrainian Briefing”. The site provides information on the origins of NATO, the NATO-Ukraine partnership, and the potential consequences of Ukraine joining the alliance.

An active user of IATP services since 2004, Sikorsky has been attending IATP training to enhance his professional qualifications. After winning an online quiz organized by the NATO Information and Documentation Center in Ukraine, he earned the opportunity to visit NATO headquarters in September 2007. He was impressed by the level of accessible and transparent information about the organization, and decided to develop an independent information resource on the subject. With IATP assistance, Sikorsky designed his website, which he constantly upgrades and updates with the latest information about NATO. As one visitor to the site mentioned, “This clear explanation in simple words of the goals, objectives, and non-aggressiveness of the [NATO] alliance will help Ukrainians realize the benefits of joining NATO.” Ukraine is currently debating whether to seek membership in the alliance, while NATO is considering establishing an accession plan for Ukraine.

Government Agencies Gain Valuable Skills to Communicate with the Media

Nine press secretaries from government ministries in Tajikistan advanced their ICT skills during IATP mobile training courses in August. The courses were specially developed and conducted in collaboration with the Independent School of Journalism "Tajikistan - 21st Century" within the framework of the Access to Information: Collaboration and Transparency project. The initiative seeks to ensure reliable access to public information and build government agencies’ capacity to cooperate with the media. Mobile trainings for government press secretaries in Dushanbe, Tajikistan Representatives from three ministries, the Supreme Court, the Drug Control Agency, the Committee on the Economy, Budget, Finance, and Tax, the Tajik National Bank, and media groups received training on writing press releases. The training addressed unique communication challenges and means of solving them, such as writing press releases in the Tajik language without using Tajik characters. Participants had the opportunity to practice their new skills by sending a test press release. Ministry of Economic Development and Trade Official Gafor Rasulov commented, “The new knowledge will help me save time in preparing documents. Usually we face difficulties in typing in Tajik font because sometimes we don’t have it and thus have to write some letters by hand.”

Participants learned to prepare interactive presentations, use email, and create listservs. Drug Control Agency representative Sadulo Rahmatulloev stated, “We are planning to conduct some roundtables with journalists. Now I am sure that I can present materials in the desired form.”

At the final training, government officials learned how to manage Web content, update website information, and use graphic elements. “The skills of providing content and updating a website is of current interest for these institutions,” mentioned Tajik National Bank Official Abdugafor Qurbonov. He continued, “I will request to add to our website a simple information adoption system, such as in Joomla, or will try to transfer our website to a new platform altogether.”

The local community could read about the training in the local weekly newspaper Asia Plus. IATP in Tajikistan trained over 130 government officials last year.