The University of Oxford offers a unique funded fellowship program for mid-career journalists at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. The fellowship scheme enables visiting journalists from across the world to do research in Oxford for a period of three to nine months.

Fellows enjoy an opportunity to critically reflect upon their profession, to research a subject of their choice under the supervision of an Oxford academic specializing in that area and to enjoy the breadth of academic, cultural and social life at the University of Oxford. This is not a degree program but the chance for journalists to engage in academic research in their professional fields of interest.

For more information, please see http://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fellowships/overview.html.
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“Decriminalization of aspersion and offence in the media is an essential step forward in development of democracy in the society” is the slogan of the International Conference held on 9 October in Dushanbe by the public organization “Khoma”. The Conference was supported by the UN Democracy Development Fund, OSCE and Internews Network.

More than 100 participants representing Tajikistan’s Supreme Court, the mass media, professors of Tajik universities, scholars and human rights watchdogs took part in the event.

The participants discussed the importance of attracting the attention of the public and the authorities to the existing legislation envisaging criminal responsibility for libel and offence in the media. Many media professionals and human rights activists consider that some articles in the Tajik laws impede the work of the media outlets, and journalists experience pressure, especially when it concerns publications about Tajik officials.

Representatives of the media and human rights organizations consider that these articles should be abolished in Tajikistan’s Criminal Code.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

“Decriminalization of aspersion and offence in the media is an essential step forward in development of democracy in the society” is the slogan of the International Conference held on 9 October in Dushanbe by the public organization “Khoma”. The Conference was supported by the UN Democracy Development Fund, OSCE and Internews Network.

More than 100 participants representing Tajikistan’s Supreme Court, the mass media, professors of Tajik universities, scholars and human rights watchdogs took part in the event.

The participants discussed the importance of attracting the attention of the public and the authorities to the existing legislation envisaging criminal responsibility for libel and offence in the media. Many media professionals and human rights activists consider that some articles in the Tajik laws impede the work of the media outlets, and journalists experience pressure, especially when it concerns publications about Tajik officials.

Representatives of the media and human rights organizations consider that these articles should be abolished in Tajikistan’s Criminal Code.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

The Union of Journalists hosted a mini workshop for Tajik media practitioners on the topic “Newest information technologies: News Evolution”.

The workshop was conducted on 10 October by Drew Sullivan, a US trainer. He told the Tajik journalists about the latest trends in the global media including the alterations in news formats and the ways of conveying information to different audiences.

Mr. Sullivan has recently returned from Khujand, Sughd province, where he conducted a similar seminar for local journalists and editors. However, the workshop was dedicated to another topic: “Journalistic investigation and accountability of the government through the media”.

Drew Sullivan is a freelance journalist working in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. Previously, Sullivan worked as an IREX advisor on printing media in Bosnia helping in strengthening media entities and making them more sustainable.

Asia Plus

The worldwide Knight News Challenge 2008 contest reopened September 2, with another $5 million in funding available for digital media experiments to innovate news and communication before applications close on November 1. Are you ready to apply?

You Invent It. We Fund It!

The contest is open to community-minded innovators worldwide, from software designers to journalists to citizens and students of any age. Do you have a big idea for informing and inspiring a geographic community using social media, Web 2.0 tools or OpenID? How about exchanging information via video, photos or text messaging? A way to integrate game theory with web browsing to support local community engagement? Come on, push the edge — we’re seeking true innovation!

Winning entries must have four elements: 1) use of a digital media, 2) delivery of news or information on a shared basis to 3) a geographically defined community, and 4) be innovative.

Entries must be open-source and share the software and knowledge created.

New in 2008: The News Challenge Garage

To support applications this year, Knight has created a new incubator — the News Challenge Garage — where prospective applicants can receive peer reviews and mentoring from screeners and awardees from previous years. To date, over 40 applications are already incubating in the Drupal-based Garage site. A diverse group of developers, online journalists, nonprofit evangelists, video bloggers and social media experts are on hand to coach at garage.newschallenge.org. The 30 mentors are available to coach and guide everyone who enters a project in the Garage. For a postable video introducing the Garage in a variety of languages, visit DotSub to find out more.

Want to get more involved? Apply at newschallenge.org.

Want more info?

The Knight News Challenge is incorporating new media tools to reach out to more diverse communities to spread the word about this year’s Challenge. You can follow us on Twitter, converse on video via Seesmic or chat about application ideas in our FriendFeed room.

Background

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation invests in journalism excellence worldwide and in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers. Since 1950, the foundation has granted more than $400 million to advance quality journalism and freedom of expression. The foundation focuses on projects with the potential to create transformational change. For more, visit www.knightfoundation.org.

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APPEAL
Of participants of the International Conference “Decriminalization of defamation and offence – an important step towards democracy” addressed to the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Majlisi Namoyandagon and Majlisi Oli (the two chambers of Parliament)

Dushanbe, 9-10 October 2008

We, participants of the International Conference “Decriminalization of defamation and offence – an important step towards democracy”, which took part in Dushanbe on 9-10 October 2008, are watching with encouragement the consistent democratic developments in our society. In this regard, and with regret we have to state that the legislation of our country has many aspects impeding the mass media, which are the carrier and promoter of these alterations, and thus disturbing the democratic programs in Tajikistan. Very often, Tajikistan’s legislation forces journalists to control themselves and restrain from investigating cases of corruption – journalists fear persecution for libel. This also impedes the implementation of the state program of fighting against corruption and contributes to rooting of corruption in the state bodies. We consider that the media could be very helpful in countering corruption.

at the Conference, we discussed the current situation in the sphere of legal regulations and enabling legislation concerning libel and offence in the country and abroad. We have also considered the international standards of the freedom of expression, including Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 19 of the International Treaty of Civil and Political Rights, as well as the general standards and commitments of the OSCE member countries. Upon the outcomes of our discussion, we have come to the conclusion that according to the international standards and best practices, libel and offence is subject to civil justice.

Tajikistan’s legislation establishes criminal responsibility for libel and offence. This limits the freedom of speech; and it is not conducive to discussion of the most essential issues in the society including the discussion of the state institutions and their activities. The existence of such laws generates self-censorship in the media and among common citizens.

Taking into account this situation, we present to you, Mr. President, as well as to Majlisi Namoyandagon and Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan the following conclusions made by the participants of the Conference:

— criminal responsibility, which includes imprisonment, is excessive and not proportionate to the seriousness of contravention of law related to offence and libel; it contributes to limiting the freedom of speech and establishing censorship and self-censorship in the media;

— sanctions for libel and offence established in the system of civil law are quite adequate;

— the existence of Article 330 “Offence against a representative of authorities” in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Tajikistan contradicts the international standards and practices, according to which high-ranked officials have to put up with criticism against them – since, choosing the path of serving the people, such persons must fully understand that their words and deeds will be in the center of attention and interests of other citizens;

Criminal responsibility for defamation is not practiced in most of the democratic countries, and this has not affected the dynamics of criminality during many years. Thus, a number of countries have cancelled criminal responsibility from their laws. It would be expedient for Tajikistan to take these trends into account in order to enhance its legislation.

Taking into account the provisions above, we suggest certain recommendations to the legislative bodies:

1. To exclude Article 135 “Libel” and Article 136 “Offence” from Tajikistan’s Criminal Code, and deflect legal relationships emerging from infliction of harm to honor and dignity towards the regulations of civil and civil-procedural legislation. Sanctions established in the system of civil law are sufficient for punishment for libel and offence.

2. To exclude Article 330 “Offence against a representative of authorities” from Tajikistan’s Criminal Code”.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

The brother of the Afghan president and chair of the Kandagar province Council Vali Karzai is going to make a legal claim against the New York Times magazine for libel. Karzai made this statement at a press conference in Kandagar.

According to some Russian online outlets, New York Times has been accusing the Afghan president’s brother of involvement in drug trade.

The Kandagar province leader says that his political adversaries stand behind such publications, and the purpose of these “ideological attacks” is to estrange him from the post of the chairman of the Council.

Vali Karzai says that the recent publication was launched after the tough statements made by Khamid Karzai against the United States after the mass killing of civilians in the Afghan city of Shindand. “I expected such a reaction from the American side after the critical speech of the president [Karzai] addressed to Washington”, — said Karzai.

After the killing of more than 90 residents of Shindand during the US air strike, the Afghan president dropped down on the US administration.

The Afghan presidents’ brother denies truthfulness in these publications. “For several years, the journalists have not come up with any real facts, — he said. — If they have any, why wouldn’t they present them to the international community?”

Karzai also said that his lawyer in New York City has already commenced the study of the case in order to initiate the lawsuit.

http://www.centrasia.ru/

Two years ago, Anna Politkovskaya, a famous journalist and human rights activist was murdered in Russia. A piquet on this occasion took place at the Russian Embassy in Helsinki, Finland.

Tajik journalists joined those who gathered at the piquet in remembrance of Politkovskaya. On that very day, Tajik journalists wanted to observe the national strike of journalists, the reason for which was the refusal of employers to satisfy collective professional requirements. However, the strike was postponed.

At present, Tajik journalists are attending a seminar organized in Helsinki for media professionals from Central Asia. The seminar is organized by the Finnish Information and Development Fund jointly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

NANSMIT Monitoring Service

Fearing that Russia would grant Tajikistan’s extradition request, Dodojon Atovullo, the exiled editor-in-chief of a Tajik opposition newspaper and the leader of Vatandor movement, has fled to Paris.

In an interview with a EurasiaNet correspondent, Atovullo said he decided to leave Russia after discovering that Tajik security agents had reportedly arrived in Moscow with the intention of taking him into custody. Authorities in Dushanbe had issued a warrant in late September for Atovullo’s arrest. The warrant accuses Atovullo of slandering President Imomali Rahmon and carrying out anti-state activities. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

«It’s good that I am here now, in Europe, safe and sound,» Atovullo said after his arrival in Paris.

Atovullo’s escape was facilitated by possession of a German travel document, which he obtained in 2001, when he was granted a German residence permit. Russian authorities made no attempt to prevent him from boarding a Paris-bound flight recently. The fact that a German television crew was there at the airport to record his departure may have helped avert an incident, he suggested.

Deciding to leave Moscow may have been a spur-of-the-moment action, but he revealed that he started thinking about the need to leave quickly when he got word that Tajik officials were mulling whether to renew their efforts to bring him back to Dushanbe. «I pre-planned some appointments with French politicians, diplomats, correspondents and NGOs to discuss Tajikistan’s problems,» says Atovullo.

France is likely only a transit country for Atovullo. He intends to move soon to Hamburg, where he will wait for the «whirlwind» in Moscow to abate.

Atovullo hopes to return to Moscow in the not-so-distant future. He explained that because Tajiks can travel to Moscow relatively easily, he is able to be more effective as a Tajik opposition activist when operating in the Russian capital.

«My stay in Europe has numerous disadvantages,» he said. «First of all, our voices reach Tajikistan later from Europe rather than Russia. Hundreds of thousands of Tajik migrants work in Russia. There are many teachers, doctors, engineers and other professionals among them. These people could constitute the backbone of a [opposition] movement. That’s why Dushanbe feared my stay in Russia. There, I could keep in touch with the Tajik diaspora directly.»

Atovullo revealed that representatives of the Rahmon administration approached him in 2007 to explore a political deal. «Last year, Rahmon’s closest aids negotiated with me almost for six months,» he said. «They tried to convince me to return to Tajikistan, to get a portfolio or pocket a huge sum of money in exchange for my silence. After I gave them cold shoulder they resumed my criminal case.»

The opposition leader assailed Rahmon’s administration saying that if drastic changes aren’t made to alleviate the severe social and economic stress that the country is enduring, the country could make a sudden turn toward instability. Rahmon in recent years has stifled mainstream, democratically oriented political opposition groups. That has created the dangerous possibility that a «Tajik Taliban» could emerge to fill a leadership void, Atovullo claimed. «Today our young [people in Tajikistan] have nothing else to do except to attend mosques and listen to populist Mullahs,» he said.

He added that Rahmon’s efforts to concentrate power in his own hands had thwarted the development of a new generation of leaders that could guide the country’s economic development. «This is a lost generation,» Atovullo said, referring to 30- and 40-somethings in Tajikistan. «There are some young brainy people among them who could have been our best ministers, MPs and politicians. But nobody knows them. In any dictatorship, people are unaware of their own hidden assets.»

Editor’s Note: Kambiz Arman is the pseudonym for a Tajik journalist.

© Eurasianet

Kambiz Arman, EurasiaNet

Источник: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav100608.shtml

Almost one-third of Tajikistan’s 6.7 million inhabitants may not have enough to eat this winter, United Nations experts worry. In an attempt to avert an emergency, the UN has issued a fresh global appeal for assistance.

The Tajik government has developed a 64-point program in an attempt to prevent a repeat of the hardships experienced last winter, when many areas of the country were left without adequate supplies of heat and electricity, to go along with a scarcity of food. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Since then, the country has experienced further adversity — in particular a severe drought and a locust infestation — that has devastated crops. Grain harvest totals for 2008 are down between 30 percent and 40 percent over the previous year. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

The combination of unfavorable circumstances has experts preparing for a worst-case scenario. Gabriella Waaijman, the Almaty-based regional disaster response advisor for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), estimated that 2.2 million Tajiks face «increased food insecurity,» with about 800,000 vulnerable to famine conditions this winter.

On September 25, the UN issued a new Human Food Security Appeal that seeks to raise $34.7 million in emergency aid for Tajiks. «The immediate aim of the appeal is to provide a temporary safety net to the most vulnerable poor people in urban and rural areas through the provision of food and cash,» Waaijman said in an email interview. «The appeal also aims to avoid a prolonged relief situation by supporting the agriculture sector through the next planting and harvest cycle and the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure.»

The UN assistance program can also plug potential gaps in the 64-point government response plan. «Preparedness planning is focusing on support to critical health care facilities, schools and targeting assistance to vulnerable households in the form of shelter and heating materials for ’one warm room,’» Waaijman wrote. «While the food security situation is the most immediate concern and the focus of the present appeal, additional funding may later be required to fill gaps in the government’s plan of action for the winter.»

The latest UN appeal runs from this October through December 2009. It follows an appeal that ran from February through August and sought $25 million. The actual total raised was $15 million, or 57 percent of the target. At the same time, $21 million was raised outside the formal appeal framework.

Thus far, the September appeal has generated only a tepid response, attracting $1.6 million, or roughly 4 percent of the target. Even though the appeal still has a long time to run, the slow start could seriously damage its chances for success in alleviating hunger. «The provision of agricultural inputs particularly is a time-critical intervention, meaning that these interventions need to begin immediately in order to yield results in the spring of 2009,» Waaijman said. «Delays in funding compromise the ability to meet the deadline for this planting season. While food and cash support to the most vulnerable have less strict deadlines, it is imperative that distributions take place before the winter period starts.»

One cause for optimism is that the President Imomali Rahmon’s administration has been working closely with international agencies to address hunger issues. «They [Tajik officials] realized that they have a problem and are looking to mitigate it, which we always view as a very positive development,» said Stephanie Bunker, a New York-based OCHA representative. Another important factor is that water levels in reservoirs, which dipped to perilously low levels last winter, have rebounded. This raises hope that the country could generate enough hydropower to avoid the same kind of blackout conditions that kept many Tajiks in the dark for much of last winter. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Some political experts believe that the Tajik government could prove more a hindrance that a help to international relief efforts. One of the skeptics is Eric McGlinchey, a professor at George Mason University, who suggested that Rahmon may be more interested in maintaining his own grip on power than he is in promoting the best interests on nation. «Recent years haven’t inspired confidence in Tajik macroeconomic policy,» said McGlinchey. «The massive presidential palace in Dushanbe, for example, is an immense spending project that is not in the best interests of the country.»

Perhaps the most egregious instance of government malfeasance occurred in the spring of 2008, when the International Monetary Fund demanded repayment in almost $48 million in loans after it discovered that the Tajik National Bank had deliberately misled the global lender about the state of the country’s finances. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].

Editor’s Note: Andrew Iacobucci is an editorial assistant at EurasiaNet.

Posted October 7, 2008 © Eurasianet

Andrew Iacobucci, EurasiaNet

Источник: http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/insight/articles/eav100708.shtml