DUSHANBE, October 3, 2012, Asia-Plus — To protect rights and interests of media and ensure solidarity of journalists of Tajikistan, heads of media and media organizations of Tajikistan have worked out a plan of actions to protect rights and interests of journalists, the National Association of Independent Media of Tajikistan (NANSMIT) reports.

The plan, in particular, includes an action, dubbed “100 Days of Freedom in Tajnet.” This action stipulates holding online events in Tajnet, posting modular advertising materials on social networking sites, airing public service announcements (PSAs) on radio, creating banners for all media, general avatar for journalists for 100 days, etc. The action has started today.

A statement released by the action organizers notes that by September 8, 2012, the number of websites blocked in Tajikistan has reached 50. “Among them are websites that failed to comply with norms of the country’s legislation and morals. At the same time, there are local news websites such as www.news.tj and www.tojnews.org among them. What unites them is they were blocked ILLEGALLY, without court’s decision, bypassing the country’s legislation. ‘Departmental feudalism’ is becoming a norm in such an important sector as ICTs (information and communications technologies), unintentionally turning the authorities into “enemy of Internet,” the statement said.

Media organizations also plan to carry out individual work with managers of all Internet-cafes, release elucidative leaflets, hold roundtables, and so forth.

They also plan to lodge application to the Constitutional Court regarding pre-trial blockage of access to websites.

http://news.tj/en/news/100-days-freedom-tajnet-action-launched-tajikistan?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm

There is nothing silly about food shortages. There are, however, silly statements. On September 26, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon urged his countrymen to store two years’ worth of food reserves in order to prepare for the upcoming harsh winter.

Rahmon also reminded his countrymen that rising commodity prices makes the effective use of agricultural resources imperative.

In a country where food shortages are a serious issue, urging people to store two years worth of food reserves over the duration of several months, may prove difficult.

In Tajikistan, the majority of the population spend between 70 and 80 percent of their income on food and 47 percent survive on less than $1.33 a day.

In 2011, high food and fuel prices led to crop and livestock losses. Rahmon blamed the increasing food prices partially on local farmers, saying that prices increased because “we did not work properly last year and did not fulfill the instructions in time.”

This latest presidential decree comes at a time when there are fears of a global food crisis. This year, the United States experienced its worst drought in more than 50 years, raising fears that it could lead to major hike in maize and soybean prices.

According to the World Bank, droughts in the U.S. and Eastern Europe caused global food prices to increase by 10 percent in July.

This situation shouldn’t bother Tajiks, however, as Rahmon appears to have a plan in place to handle any food shortages that might arise…

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Источник: http://www.rferl.org/content/silly-dictators-rahmons-solution-to-food-shortages-tajikistan/24720708.

DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN – A group of journalists from Dushanbe visited the Nurek 500 kilovolt (kV) switchyard reconstruction project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Tajikistan.

The project supports the construction of a new 500 kV switchyard at the Nurek hydropower plant using an advanced gas insulated switchgear technology. The existing switchyard, built more than 30 years ago, is in need of complete replacement due to deteriorating equipment and unstable geological site.

“The project will ensure a sustainable and reliable electricity supply to support economic development,” said Asel Chyngysheva, Officer-in-Charge of ADB’s Tajikistan Resident Mission, who led the media tour. “It will also mitigate the risk of natural disasters disabling the switchyard and will stabilize the flow of electricity coming from this strategically important power plant.”

The Nurek hydropower plant with a total installed capacity of 3,000 megawatt produces more than 70% of Tajikistan’s total electricity supply.

ADB is providing a grant of $54.77 million, with the Tajik government and Barki Tojik contributing $12.1 million for the project, which is due for completion in 2014.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, and to date the institution has cumulatively approved a total assistance of more than $966 million in concessional loans, grants and technical assistance to the country. ADB’s operations benefit the population by reducing isolation, increasing communication, broadening access to electricity, improving social services, and creating more income-generating opportunities.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2011, ADB approvals including cofinancing totaled $21.7 billion.

www.adb.org

By Richard Solash
September 24, 2012

Attacks on Internet freedom are on the rise, and the tools employed by repressive governments are becoming increasingly sophisticated.

That’s according to «Freedom On The Net 2012,» a newly released report by U.S.-based rights watchdog Freedom House, that assesses 47 countries’ online track records between January 2011 and May 2012.

Sanja Kelly, the report’s director, says more «traditional» methods employed by repressive governments, such as filtering and blocking of undesirable content or imprisonment of prominent online figures, are being supplemented with more nuanced means.

«Threats to Internet freedom are becoming more diverse and are becoming much murkier than in the past,» Kelly said.

«What we’ve seen over the last year and a half is that more and more governments are turning to tactics such as proactive manipulation of online content and extralegal surveillance to more covertly manipulate and influence internet content.»

Of the countries surveyed in the report, more than a quarter used cadres of paid pro-government bloggers to try to discredit the opposition, spread false information, or prop up the official state line. Freedom House says the tactic was in the past «largely limited to Russia and China,» but has now extended to Belarus, Ukraine, Iran, and beyond.

Freedom House says cyberattacks against government critics or efforts to impersonate and discredit activists online are also becoming more common, employed from Bahrain to Burma, Kazakhstan to Syria, and Uzbekistan to Zimbabwe.

Pro-Government Bloggers

«Freedom On The Net» highlights reports in the Russian media of an alleged plan by President Vladimir Putin’s ruling United Russia party to invest more than $300,000 in an online scheme to undercut opposition blogger Aleksei Navalny.

While the Internet is considered to be a relatively open space in Russia, Kelly says the authorities have stepped up their attacks in response to the recent wave of antigovernment protests, many of which were organized through online networks.

«When we talk to the people on the ground, we hear about an increased number of phone calls by authorities, particularly in regions and on the local level, telling you that unless you stop posting online, not only will you suffer the consequences, but your family will too,» said Kelly.

Freedom House also reports an uptick in various methods of surveillance, including new regulations passed in Kazakhstan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia that increase restrictions on user anonymity.

Just under half of the countries in «Freedom On The Net 2012» passed new legislation during the survey period that could hamper free speech online.

The report also notes an increase in physical assaults — sometimes with deadly consequences — against bloggers and citizen journalists from Central Asia to the Middle East.

Overall, Iran, Cuba, China, and Syria were judged to have the least online freedom, while countries including Uzbekistan, Belarus, and Pakistan were also classed «not free.» Estonia, the United States, and Germany are rated freest.

Azerbaijan, Libya, Pakistan, and Russia were among the nations considered «particularly vulnerable to deterioration in the coming months.»

According to Kelly, Baku is beginning to implement sophisticated surveillance of the Internet and authorities are stepping up their harassment of bloggers. It may be a sign of things to come.

«When the Internet Governance Forum, which will take place in a couple of months [November 6-9] in Baku, is over, I think the strong sense is that the authorities will not have to hold back because the international attention is not going to be on them and they’re going to pursue some of these measures more harshly,» said Kelly.

Despite the negative trends, Freedom House also says pushback by civil society and technology companies have also increased, with a «victory» reported in half of the countries surveyed. For example, proposals for national firewall in Pakistan were defeated after protest by civil society.

Richard Solash, RFE/RL

Источник: http://www.rferl.org/content/freedom-house-says-online-repression-increasing-diversifying/24717793.h

Photographers who work in conflict situations can apply for a grant.

The Aftermath Project is offering a US$20,000 grant for photographers who tell the other half of the story of conflict — the story of what it takes for individuals to learn to live again, to rebuild destroyed lives and homes, to restore civil societies and to address the lingering wounds of war while struggling to create new avenues for peace.

Proposals may relate to the aftermath of numerous kinds of conflict. The conflict may have been at the community level — for example, violence between rural ethnic groups or an urban riot in an industrialized country. It may have been a regional one, such as a rebel insurgency, or it may have been a full-scale war. There is no specific time frame that defines “aftermath,” although the project generally seeks to support stories that are no longer being covered by the mainstream media, or which have been ignored by the media.

Proposals should include an explanation of the specific aftermath issues related to the project being proposed, as well as an overview of the applicant’s plans for covering the story during the course of the grant year.

The deadline for submissions is November 5.

For more information, download a .PDF file here: http://www.theaftermathproject.org/pdf/2013LetterApFinal.pdf

http://www.theaftermathproject.org/pdf/2013LetterApFinal.pdf

Journalists interested in learning more about LinkedIn can attend this free online training session.

LinkedIn is offering a tutorial and a free one-year upgrade to LinkedIn Executive. The 35-minute session will take place on October 3 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

The tutorial will be hosted by Krista Canfield, senior manager of corporate communications for LinkedIn.

The session and access to LinkedIn Executive is available to all professional journalists and members of the media. To join the session, participants must be logged in to their LinkedIn account. LinkedIn will provide a call-in number, depending on where participants are located.

For more information, click here: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Next-LinkedIn-Journalists-training-is-3753151.S.160253604?qid=48c6aedf-0586-4abe-bd41-206a44d16f27&trk=group_most_popular-mc-rr-ttl&goback=%2Egmp_3753151

http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Next-LinkedIn-Journalists-training-is-3753151.S.160253604?qid=48c6aed

Journalists, scholars and practitioners worldwide who are interested in public policy can apply for a fellowship.

The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is accepting applications for its 9-month residential fellowship program in Washington, D.C.

Fellows will conduct research and write in their areas of interest, while interacting with policymakers, Wilson Center staff and other scholars in residence. The center accepts policy-relevant, non-advocacy fellowship proposals that address key challenges confronting the United States and the world.

Fellowships include a maximum stipend of US$85,000 and 75 percent of health insurance premiums for fellows who elect center coverage, along with travel to and from the fellowship location.

The application deadline is October 1 at 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

For more information, click here: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/fellowships-grants

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/fellowships-grants

Tajik customs officials say they are holding equipment from Iran that reportedly is meant for a joint Persian-language television project.

The Customs Service says the equipment is at their depot in Dushanbe.

They say no duties are required if the gear is for use by the Iranian Embassy.

Otherwise, they say customs duties must be paid by Iran.

Earlier, the Iranian Embassy in Dushanbe said a $400,000 customs fee was set for the import of equipment costing $2.5 million.

The launch of the joint television channel has been postponed several times since the presidents of Afghanistan, Iran, and Tajikistan agreed on the project in 2006.

People in Iran, Tajikistan, and many parts of Afghanistan can understand each other because they all speak dialects of Persian.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajik-customs-agents-hold-iranian-gear-for-joint-tv-project/24707173.ht

ORAL, Kazakhstan — One of Kazakhstan’s most prominent independent journalists, Lukpan Akhmedyarov, has gone on trial in his native western city of Oral.

A local policeman filed a lawsuit against Akhmedyarov saying his reputation was damaged by the journalist’s article and demanded 3 million tenges ($19,700) from Akhmedyarov as compensation.

Akhmedyarov, a correspondent for the «Uralskaya nedelya» weekly in Oral, survived a vicious attack by unknown assailants who stabbed him and shot him with a pneumatic pistol in April.

He was later found guilty of insulting a local official in West Kazakhstan Oblast and ordered to pay the official 5 million tenges ($32,800).

Akhmedyarov says the attack and lawsuit against him were politically motivated.

Last month, Akhmedyarov won the prestigious international Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism.

http://www.rferl.org/content/kazakh-journalist-attack-survivor-tried-for-libel-again/24706288.html

Professional and amateur photographers worldwide can enter this contest.

The Freedom of Information Advocates Network is accepting submissions for its 10th Right to Know Day Photo Contest, which will celebrate Right to Know Day on September 28.

Anyone who feels able to illustrate the right to information, transparency, accountability and openness through photography can participate.

The jury will award three prizes, for a total of EUR?1,000 (roughly US$1,260), made available by the Open Society Institute. The first-place winner will receive EUR?500 (about US$630), the second-place winner will receive EUR?300 (about US$380) and the third-place winner will receive EUR?200 (about US$250).

The submission deadline is September 12.

For more information, click here: http://www.foiadvocates.net/

http://www.foiadvocates.net/