The Business and Politics weekly jointly with the Tajik labor migrants’ trade union in the CIS countries have launched a special periodical on the issues of labor migrations.

Rakhmon Ulmasov, editor of Business & Politics told the Khovar news agency that the special edition will be published on the weekly basis. The authors and editors will be writing about the problems of labor migration, about illegal migration; special articles will cover peculiarities of legislation in the Russian Federation.

http://www.khovar.tj/

The International Journalists’ Network recently launched a YouTube page that aims to connect journalists throughout the world with an ever expanding library of online journalism training videos.

Visitors to the page, at www.youtube.com/ijnetvideo, can now access information on a range of training topics, including Journalism 2.0, Writing and Editing, and Journalism Ethics.

Journalists are encouraged to submit their own training videos to IJNet’s YouTube page, such as this video submitted by Global Radio News on conducting a two-way interview. To submit your own journalism training video:

visit the IJNet YouTube intro video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWSCjapmWWs
click «Post a video response»
create and upload a new video or choose from the videos you already have.
To be notified when IJNet posts new videos in the future, create a YouTube account at www.youtube.com and Subscribe to IJNetVideo.

Webb on the Web: Networking Do’s and Don’ts
IJNet’s column on digital tools for journalists

IJNET

Launched in September 2007, this program trains students how to cover the fast-changing world of global business, economics and finance, with a focus on China’s role in the global marketplace. The program, a joint initiative between the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ, at http://www.icfj.org) and Beijing-based Tsinghua School of Journalism and Communication (TSJC, at http://www.tsjc.tsinghua.edu.cn), is taught fully in English to international standards by noted faculty in the fields of journalism, business and economics. Learn more.

IJNET

The Tajik government decided to include the Sharki Ozod printing facility in the list of vitally important objects of infrastructure in the conditions of the ongoing energy crisis in the country.

Sharki Ozod facilitates publication of the main periodicals – both government and private outlets. Shavkat Soidov, press secretary of the Dushanbe municipality told the media that the printing house will not be cut off current during the crisis.

“The decision was made jointly by the mayor’s office and the Barki Tojik energy holding, — said Saidov. — Sharki Ozod will have uninterrupted power supply 24 hours a day. The only exception might be in case of an occasional accident within the city power grid”.

Saidov also told that the key healthcare and other important facilities are included in the list of vitally important objects.

On 12 February the authorities introduced essential limitations on power supply. Most of the Dushanbe residents have access to electricity from 5 to 9 a.m. and from 4 to 11 p.m.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

Saidali Siddikov, head of Information Department under the President’s office told journalists at a recent round table in Dushanbe that “In case of inaction after criticism in the media, public officials will be brought to responsibility according to the Law “On applications from citizens” and other relevant legal provisions”.

Siddikov also told the participants of the meeting organized by the Tajik Union of Journalists that on 7 February the President signed a special decree establishing responsibility after publications. The decree has been sent to 700 government agencies and local administrations.

According toSiddikov, the implementation of this decree will be controlled by Amirsho Miraliev, head of President’s office executive unit. The unit will develop a coordination and monitoring mechanism.

“I am sure that this initiative will be an impulse in the resolution of the most relevant issues raised in the media, — said Siddikov. — This decree is the evidence of the government’s support to the media and journalists in performing their duties”.

The official also stressed that journalists should bear professional responsibility for the materials they publish.

In 2008, the President’s office executive unit considered and discussed 140 controversial publications in the domestic media.

http://www.asiaplus.tj/

Photographers are invited to submit photos that «reflect and celebrate the importance of biodiversity to people everywhere» to an annual photo competition, which will gather photos from around the world on the theme of «Biodiversity Lost, Biodiversity Preserved.» Deadline for submissions is April 1.

The competition, held by Friends of the Earth International, seeks to capture what is being lost, and what the natural world provides.

The competition is free and open to everyone. Young people, women, and people living in the developing world are encouraged to enter.

The best shots, both winning and non-winning, will be featured in a series of materials that will launch in conjunction with the 2010 UN International Year of Biodiversity, including a calendar and an international photo exhibition.

The judges will choose a total of 12 winning photographs as well as three «popular choice» photos per category. The winning photos will be announced in mid-April.

First place photos will receive EU?400 (US$513); second place, EU?200 (US$256); and third place, EU?100 (US$128).

For more information click here or contact Niccolo Sarno at niccolo@foei.org.
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https://www.ijnet.org/ijnet/training_opportunities/entries_sought_for_annual_photo_competition_on_bi

Tell your story to the world by participating in a monthly Global Short Story Competition, which is designed to attract writers worldwide. Deadline: end of each month.

Entries on any theme must be no more than 2,000 words and be written in English. There is a UK£5 (about US$7.50) entry fee per story. Each month a winning story receives a cash prize of UK£100 (about US$150) and is published on the contest’s Web site. At the end of 12 months, each winner will be considered for an annual cash prize.

The contest is supported by the Darlington Arts Centre in England.

To learn more or submit an entry, visit http://www.globalshortstories.net/index.html.

https://www.ijnet.org/ijnet/training_opportunities/short_story_contest_calls_for_writers_from_across

Citizen-photojournalism site Demotix, aiming to «tell the real story of the credit crunch from ground-level,» is seeking defining, eye-catching and astute photographs that capture the current state of the world’s economy.

Entries should be submitted by uploading photos to Demotix.com, by February 13.

Demotix has teamed up with printing company MOO to offer the winner and the other nine shortlisted photographers their own photos printed onto a range of products, including postcards, business cards and Moo’s innovative mini-cards.

The shortlist will be compiled by The Financial Times, who will publish the winning photograph on their Alphaville blog. The winning photograph will be shown off to over 40,000 daily readers and 100,000 in Alphaville’s weekly email.

For more information and contest guidelines, go to http://www.demotix.com/page/contest.

https://www.ijnet.org/ijnet/training_opportunities/citizen_journalism_site_seeks_credit_crunch_photo

Independent environmental journalists can submit suggestions for original features on sustainable development from any country around the world to the global initiative Com+, Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development.

Com+, a joint effort of the International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ) and InterPress Service (IPS), is committed to “bringing sustainable development closer to the people through mainstream and civil society media networks.»

Journalists are encouraged to submit suggestions until February 15 to IFEJ. They can be sent in English, Spanish or French. After a feature idea is approved by the IFEJ-IPS editorial planning team, the contributor will be invited to submit an original feature of 800-1,200 words to a designated IPS editor.

Contributors will be paid US$250 by IPS once the articles are published.

For more information visit http://www.complusalliance.org or contact Darryl D’Monte darryldmonte@gmail.com.

https://www.ijnet.org/ijnet/training_opportunities/articles_on_sustainable_development_issues_sought

Outstanding media projects or organizations in the developing world are invited to nominate themselves for the Special Award for Development Media 2009, part of the One World Media Awards 2009. The deadline for entries is February 27.

An award will go to a local radio or TV initiative (including a specific program or channel, or a network of stations), print media or a new media initiative working on the ground in the developing world addressing social or developmental issues. Local media advocacy initiatives are also eligible.

The winner will be flown to London to receive a trophy at the Awards ceremony on June 22, with all expenses paid.

To enter, the following must be submitted:

Description of the project (1000-1500 words) highlighting how it fits the eligibility criteria above — including an explaination of what makes it unique and remarkable.
Full contact details (including name of Director and Web site, if available).
Name of representative who would collect the Award in London.
Letters from two independent references who have worked with the organization and know the organization well, but do not work for the organization.
There is no entry fee.

For more information click here or contact Signe Glahn at signe@owbt.org.

https://www.ijnet.org/ijnet/training_opportunities/entries_sought_for_special_award_for_development_