Home Democratic Gevernace Empowering Young Journalists in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's)

Empowering Young Journalists in Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's)

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Implementing Partner: Ministry of Information
Practice Area: Democratic Governance
Total Budget: US$ 695, 415 (UNDP TRAC, $85, 000), (UNDP TTF DG , $75000), (AECI Contribution $38,810 ), (British Funds, $491,790) ( Danish Funds, $ 4,185)
Total expenditures to Date (Dec 2009): US$ 618, 540:
Duration: 2007 – 2010 (initial 2 years extended)
Status: Ongoing
Location: Damascus

Description / Overview:

The project aims at empowering young journalists to actively participate in the development process and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The project will also work on a broader aim to build the capacity of the media sector to empower them to serve as strong intermediaries between the public and government particularly on development issues and communication. It will work to increase the participation of media sector in civic and social life through public journalism and media initiatives as well as empower media to further cultivate popular understanding of development themes to further complement Government efforts and priorities as outlined in the Tenth Five-Year Plan for reform and media development.

Cross-Cutting Themes:

ICT


Objectives:

Executed in partnership with young journalists, this project focuses on building knowledge, skills and good citizenship principles among young Syrian journalists by initiating and supporting a youth-based network that connects them continually. Within a national execution, the project will support the upcoming generation in the media sector to better foster an active national dialogue that will prepare and lead Syria to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and support the socio-economic reform process undertaken by the Syrian Government

Target Beneficiaries:

  • Ministry of Information
  • Media sector and media professionals in Syria

Implementation Strategy:
  • Recruitment of International Trainer to facilitate and guide the establishment of the Journalists Network
  • Prepare and launch the Network for Young Journalists to be incubated at the Ministry of Information
  • Technical training conducted for participating journalists with focus on reporting on development issues
  • Provide capacity development support to the Directorate of Development Media at the Ministry of Information to sustain the Network
  • Conduct broad-based Capacity Assessments of the Media Sector in Syria to begin working on media reform in Syria 


Achievements / Current Status:

  • Project conducted mass nation-wide search for journalists to participate in the founding of network for young Syrian journalists as well held competition to name the network.
  • Project team organized intensive three-day training on the Millennium Development Goals and reporting them to an unfamiliar audience
  • Project prepared and equipped the official space of the Network to be incubated at the Ministry of Information.
  • TAWASUL Network for Young Journalists was officially launched in May 2009 graduating 60 young journalists in the fields of TV, Radio, Print, Photography and Caricature and Animation.
  • The graduates completed a four-week intensive technical training and received additional training on how to upload and maintain the TAWASUL website.
  • In parallel, project conducted training for the entire staff of the Forat Newspaper located in Deir Ezzor as well as training for TV and Animation journalists of TAWASUL on AVID software; upon completion of training, journalists will work with training team to produce a short film on development themes relevant to Syria.
  • Journalists were also able to participate in several roundtables, including journalists from Lebanon and the Deputy Foreign Minister for Middle Eastern Affairs from the United Kingdom.
  • In 2010, TAWASUL will be integrated into the Ministry of Information’s Directorate of Development Media as a practicum for young media professionals. It will serve as an internship programme for training as well as provide the opportunity to journalists to showcase work through the interactive website.
  • Project also recruited an international consultant to develop a media reform strategy that will be developed into a separate Media for Development Project. Project signature is expected to be within the first quarter of 2010.
Partnerships:
  • Thematic Trust Fund
  • International Center for Journalists
Project Document:
UNDP Project Management: Governance Team, Media and Communications Team
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Last update of project information: February 2010