EUMM Press and Public Information Unit (PPIU) organised a
Cross-Boundary Workshop for Journalists in Istanbul, Turkey. The theme of the
workshop was “Expanding Online Networks and New Tools for Journalists”. Twelve journalists
took part: four from the Tbilisi Administered Territory (TAT) and
also four each from Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The workshop was held over
three days and three nights from 23 to 26 November 2015 in the Niles Hotel,
Istanbul, in order to facilitate closer ties and better relations between the
journalists.
The main aim of the workshop was to encourage journalists from the three areas (TAT, Abkhazia and South Ossetia) to meet in a third country to enable them to work together and explore common themes, including New Tools for Journalists and also Human Rights. Istanbul was chosen because of its ease of accessibility and lack of problems regarding visas.
The Workshop
was organised in cooperation with the Institute for War and Peace Reporting
(IWPR) www.iwpr.net,
with whom we already organise the EUMM Peace Prize for Journalism. IWPR is a professional
media organisation which operates world-wide. Their Caucasus office is based in
Georgia and its director, Beka Bajelidze, conducted the selection of the
participating journalists.
The training was provided by:
(1). Onnik James Krikorian http://onnik-krikorian.com a professional
expert in communications, who designed the course programme and who delivered
the main content. Onnik has already successfully run workshops for EUMM.
(2). Harriet Ware-Austin, a recognised expert
in Human Rights. Harriet is a director of Adroit Consultants in the UK, www.adroitconsultants.com
and has run similar workshops
successfully across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia; and
(3). Giorgi Kupatadze from IWPR, an expert in
cyber security, who spoke on this topic.
The
journalists were mentored by the visiting experts and were fully involved in
the often intense discussions that characterized the lectures.
For the first
time, all administrative and logistical support for the workshop were provided
by EUMM’s own staff including interpreters, booking of flights, ground transport,
accommodation and meals, and arrangements for Travel Insurance.
We look
forward to the next workshop!
Class in session
Onnik Krikorian
Harriet Ware-Austin leads a session
Discussions