Mukhammad Egamzod, who during the last five years worked in the position of press attaché for the Tajik Embassy to the Russian Federation, has a new appointment at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Davlat Nazriev, head of the Foreign Ministry’s information department, Mukhammad Egamzod will be replaced in his position by the Tajik journalist and poet Salimi Khatloni, who previously was the third secretary in the Tajik Embassy to Russia.
http://www.asiaplus.tj/
Power shortages and high food prices in Tajikistan are causing concern in the West about the stability of the country of 7 million people.
Russia, which sees Tajikistan as a buffer guarding its traditional sphere of interest in the region, is also watching the nation closely for signs of trouble. The former Soviet republic has largely been calm since the end of a civil war that killed tens of thousands of people in the 1990s, but its economy has been shattered and its utilities are crumbling.
Some Western diplomats say the situation in Tajikistan, a strategically important country in the global fight against drug trafficking, is at a critical point after power shortages which they say left many people feeling abandoned by the government. «The discontent is real,» a senior Western diplomat said. «We’ve had government officials tell us things such as ‘We are lucky we’re still here after last winter’.»
«People are suffering quite severely,» another Western ambassador said.
President Imomali Rakhmon, elected in 1994 and de facto head of state since 1992, tolerates little dissent. Referring to the next scheduled presidential election, the Western ambassador said: «I don’t think they are going to be reconciled by the fact that in five years time they can always vote for somebody else.»
Consumer prices rose 19.7 percent in 2007. Gross domestic product grew by 3.2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2008, compared to 7.8 percent growth in 2007.
«There is nothing we can do. We are simply trying to survive,» said Khikoyat, a mother of six who lives in a small mud-brick house outside the capital Dushanbe. «A lot of people live without electricity and there is almost no water to grow crops. It is very difficult.» The government began daily rationing of electricity and gas this winter to help millions of Tajiks survive harsh weather, although supplies have now been partially restored. Electricity is produced domestically, mostly by hydroelectric plants, but power generation suffered this winter when rivers froze. Fuel has to be imported from neighbouring countries to cover any deficit.
In the summer, Tajikistan generates more than enough power but has problems selling it to neighbours because of a poor infrastructure and lower seasonal consumption across the region. Tajikistan’s problems are compounded by the fact it lies on the main heroin trafficking route from Afghanistan to Europe. This fuels corruption and a violent shadow economy.
Diplomats, already concerned by the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, are reluctant to predict what form frustrations may take in a country where the opposition movement is weak and fragmented. «We’ve all got an interest in staying in Tajikistan and making sure it doesn’t become a failed state,» said a Western ambassador who asked not to be named. «It’s not the area in the world where you can afford to have a country that’s gone wrong.»
The diplomats estimate that up to 1 million Tajiks have left their homeland in search of a better life, particularly in Russia, to help their families survive. Up to two thirds of the economy relies on remittances from Tajiks working abroad. Diplomats call the remittances «staying alive money».
«There are almost no real jobs, no nothing,» said Makhmadnabi Shamsiddinov, who spends most of the year working in Russia. «My wife works on a local farm and her wage is just enough to buy some butter and milk.»
Dushanbe, a city of 1 million people, is largely quiet. But many houses bear the bullet scars of the fighting in the 1990s.
REUTERS
Источник: REUTERS
The Programme in Comparative Media Law and Policy at the University of Oxford (PCMLP) is co-organizing an International Conference on regulation of freedom of expression on the Internet with a group of NGO’s based in Serbia. It will be held in Belgrade, Serbia on September 8 and 9.
Among the topics to be discussed are freedom of expression on the Internet, protection of personal rights on the Internet and regulation and/or self-regulation on the Internet
Funders of the conference include Shell International and the Council of Europe.
For more information, go to http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk.
http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk.
A meeting of the working group under the CIS Broadcasting Council is being conducted in Dushanbe.
Representatives of the Council’s press center told Khovar news agency that the participants of the meeting are discussing the mechanism of joint activities, such as creation of thematic programs, documentaries and videos. They also consider the draft project on setting up the International Information Pool, and the preparation to a TV marathon beneath the walls of the Brest fortress on 22 June 2009. The participants also discuss technical possibilities of transition towards digital broadcasting, and creation of a “TV and Radio Programs Stock Exchange”.
The Council consists of representatives of seven countries – Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.
Khovar news agency
The U.S.-based Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program will award up to $1.5 million in grants to support documentary films focused on contemporary social issues. Interested participants must submit a copy of their film dialogue transcript along with an application by July 7.
The program encourages the exploration of innovative nonfiction storytelling, and promotes the exhibition of documentary films to a broader audience. Awards will be announced in November.
To apply, applicants must complete an application, available at http://www.sundance.org/pdf/DocFundApp082206.pdf, and send materials to: Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program, 8530 Wilshire Blvd. 3rd Floor, Beverly Hills, CA 90211.
For additional information, contact sdf@sundance.org or Tel: (310) 360-1981.
IJNET
The Humphrey Fellowship Program offers a ten-month stay at a leading American university to study journalism and undertake professional affiliations at top U.S. news organizations.
The non-degree program includes financial support for studies, travel, workshops and seminars, a monthly stipend, funds for books and a computer subsidy.
Fellows take classes in journalism, public affairs, government, or other fields of their choice. Humphrey Fellows from different professional fields are assigned to 15 different U.S. campuses. Most Humphrey journalists are assigned to the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, one of the top journalism programs in the U.S. Fellows participate in field trips, workshops, lectures and many other offerings available in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area, only a 30-minute subway ride away. Fellows often use some of their professional stipend for travel within the U.S.
Applicants should have a minimum of five years of substantial professional experience, limited or no experience in the U.S., demonstrated leadership qualities and commitment to their communities. Most applicants have good English skills and university degrees.
To apply: Contact the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy or the Fulbright Commission in your home country.
Deadline: Varies by country, but usually June to September for the following year (Now for the 2009-2010 year.)
For more information: http://www.humphreyfellowship.org and/or http://www.journalism.umd.edu/Humphrey/
http://by102w.bay102.mail.live.com/mail/mail.aspx?n=2002025751&wa=wsignin1.0
Editors of newspapers, wire services, or online news outlets have until June 1 to apply for the opportunity to spend five weeks in the U.S. working in a professional newsroom.
Administered by the International Center for Journalists in partnership with the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the “International Journalism Exchange” program (IJE) is open to editors who have worked in journalism for at least five years, are proficient in English, but have little substantial previous travel to or training in the U.S.
The five-week program will begin October 10 with an orientation in Washington, D.C., followed by a newspaper assignment that offers exposure to all the departments of a U.S. newsroom. The program concludes with a two-day session in New York City that consists of professional group activities, including visit to The New York Times and final evaluation of the program.
For more information, visit http://www.icfj.org/OurWork/Fellowships/InternationalJournalismExchange/tabid/336/Default.aspx or email ije@icfj.org. Submit applications online at https://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/667, or via email (the application documents can be downloaded at http://www.icfj.org/OurWork/Fellowships/InternationalJournalismExchange/tabid/336/Default.aspx ). Or fax or mail to International Journalism Exchange, International Center for Journalists, 1616 H Street, NW, Third Floor, Washington, D.C., 20006, U.S.A.; Tel: +1-202-737-3700; Fax: +1-202-737-0530.
http://www.ijnet.org/Director.aspx?p=Announcement#a100
A seminar being held for broadcast journalists in Geneva, Switzerland from June 23 and 24 will explore the latest trends in media networks and how such networks support media production and broadcast. The deadline to apply is June 16.
The cost to attend the event, being held by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), ranges from US$541 to $1,082, depending on EBU membership status. The seminar will be held in English.
To learn more, go to http://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/Networks08_programme_tcm6-59811.pdf.
http://www.ijnet.org/Director.aspx?P=Article&ID=307677&LID=1
The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the Media Development Loan Fund (MDLF) announced on May 12 a new partnership, the Knight-MDLF International Journalism Fellowship Program. Selected fellows will spend a year implementing a detailed training project for journalists.
The partnership will draw on the work of the two organizations. MDLF helps build independent media in emerging democracies. It provides low-cost loans and other business assistance. ICFJ’s Knight International Journalism Fellows work on projects designed to make lasting, visible change in the world of journalism.
Fellows must speak the language of the target country. They must have at least 10 years’ news experience, the ability to plan a specific, detailed training project and the time to spend a year making it work.
The new partnership bolsters MDLF’s long-term strategy of adapting best media management practices to the needs of local news outlets in the developing world
MDLF will accept detailed proposals from clients by April 30 each year. MDLF and ICFJ will review the proposals to select those that meet the criteria. MDLF and ICFJ will announce the winners by July 31 of each year.
For more information, go to http://www.icfj.org/PressBox/PressReleases/PR51208/tabid/770/Default.aspx
http://www.ijnet.org/Director.aspx?P=Article&ID=307682&LID=1
The Second International Conference on Religion and Media will be held in Tehran and Qom, Iran, from November 9 to 12. The deadline for registration is August 30. Paper proposals should be submitted by June 15.
According to the conference Web site, the gathering is aimed at exploring the interaction between religion and the media and discussing the latest research in the field, and will emphasize broadcast journalism. A few scholarships are available to partially subsidize the costs of participants with selected papers.
The conference is organized by IRIB, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, which is Iran’s state-run radio and television organization.
For more information, go to http://www.religion-media.ir/.
http://www.ijnet.org/Director.aspx?P=Article&ID=307669&LID=1