KHATLON, Tajikistan — Authorities in the southern Tajik province of Khatlon have denied involvement in the disappearance of an outspoken Uzbek community leader.

Salim Shamsiddinov has been missing since March 15.

A provincial police official said an investigation has not found «any sign that Salim Shamsiddinov was beaten or kidnapped by force.»

Khatlon deputy police chief Eminjon Jalilov also rejected the March 26 statement by rights monitor Amnesty International that said Shamsiddinov’s disappearance “could have been a politically motivated abduction.”

Shamsiddinov, 58, a critic of the Tajik government, was beaten by unknown assailants in May.

He has blamed Tajik government policies for «straining relationships» with neighboring Uzbekistan.

Shamsiddinov recently called on ethnic Uzbeks living in Tajikistan to vote for an opposition candidate in the next presidential election scheduled for November.

http://www.rferl.org/content/tajikistan-disappearance/24940182.html

March 22, 2013

Despite formidable obstacles, independent media has for years managed to maintain an on-the-ground presence in Uzbekistan. 

Professional and amateur photographers from countries that are members of the International Labor Organization can participate in this contest.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is accepting entries for its photography contest, Work4Youth. The aim of the contest is to highlight youth employment issues, as well as their resilience and innovation in overcoming these challenges.

The contest focuses on issues including poor working conditions, gender barriers, discrimination, and precarious work situations.

Participants should submit up to five photos with a title, date shot, location and caption, and submit an official entry form on the organization website.

The winners will be awarded in two categories: global (a selection made from all photo entries) and regional (selection made from the Central and Eastern Europe region). The first-place winners in each category will receive US$1,000.

The deadline is April 15.

For more information, click here: http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_emp/documents/genericdocument/wcms_194593.pdf

Print, broadcast and online women journalists who focus on human rights and social justice can apply for a year-long fellowship.

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is accepting applications for the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship, named for the 1998 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award winner and Boston Globe correspondent who was killed in Iraq in May 2003.

The selected journalist will spend an academic year in a tailored program with access to MIT’s Center for International Studies and media outlets like The Boston Globe and The New York Times.

Applicants must have a minimum of three years of experience in journalism. Non-native English speakers must also have excellent written and verbal English skills in order to fully participate in and benefit from the program. Freelance journalists may apply.

A stipend will be provided, and expenses, including airfare and housing, will be covered.

The application deadline is May 1.

For more information, click here: http://iwmf.org/neufferfellowship/index.php/home/

Journalists covering science who are interested in digital media projects can apply for this fellowship.

The Knight Science Journalism program at MIT has announced its new KSJ Project Fellowship, to add to its traditional 12-person study fellowship. This new program is intended to produce a publishable product.

The proposed projects should combine in some way science journalism and digital media. The product at the end of the year should be something tangible such as a video, audio, a digital piece or written work if the subject includes or can be published in some digital form. Collaborations with news organizations are strongly encouraged.

The requirements of the fellowship will be to work at least partly in Cambridge, to attend some seminars of the Knight Fellowship, and to present updates on the project to the director and the other Knight fellows. The final project should be completed by May 30, 2014.

The length of the fellowship is up to nine months starting in August 2013. A stipend based on the proposed project, project expenses and the length of the project will be determined once the project is chosen.

The deadline is April 15.

For more information, click here: http://ksj.mit.edu/fellowships/project-fellowship

Journalists who are 25 to 35 years old and from developing countries can apply for a fellowship to report on the United Nations.

The fellowship, sponsored by the Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund for Journalists, gives participants the opportunity to report on international affairs during the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Fellows will make professional contacts, interact with seasoned journalists and gain a broader perspective on global issues.

The fellowship is open to journalists currently working full time in developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In an effort to rotate recipient countries, the fellowship will not consider journalist applications for 2013 from nations selected in 2012: Argentina, Liberia, Sri Lanka and Tunisia. Journalists from these countries may apply in 2014.

The fellowship includes travel, accommodations and a per diem allowance.

The application deadline is April 5.

For more information, click here:  http://www.unjournalismfellowship.org/

Call for proposals title: European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). Country Based Support Schemes (CBSS) for Tajikistan

Publication reference: EuropeAid/133-609/L/ACT/TJ

The Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Tajikistan is seeking proposals for supporting actions in the Republic of Tajikistan with financial assistance from the Programme «European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR). Country Based Support Schemes (CBSS) for Tajikistan». The full Guidelines for Applicants are available for consultation on the following internet site: https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/online-services/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome and http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/tajikistan/index_en.htm 

The deadline for submission of proposals is 06 May 2013, 16:30 Dushanbe time

An information session on this call for proposals will be held on 09 April 2013 at 14:00 in the EU Delegation to the Republic of Tajikistan’ s office (Dushanbe, the Republic of Tajikistan, 74 Adhamov Street, tel: (+992 37) 2217407, (44) 600-80-90. The language of the information session is English and Russian.

Prior registration via email is mandatory. Deadline to register is 05 April 2013. Only registered potential applicants, maximum two persons per organisation, will be allowed to participate in the information session. Emails should be addressed to: nargis.suyarova@eeas.europa.eu, with copy to DELEGATION-TAJIKISTAN-TENDERS@eeas.europa.eu indicating in the subject «Information session EuropeAid/133609_<name organisation attending the session>». The name and position of the two representatives of the organisation attending the session should be indicated in the text. The final number of participants per organization is subject to the European Union Delegation’s decision.

Conference “Generation Peace: New Media Technologies For Central Asia”, May 15-18, 2013, Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan

The Association of Fulbrighters of the Kyrgyz Republic would like to invite local activists from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to attend the Regional Conference “Generation Peace: New Media Technologies For Central Asia”, which will take place in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan on May 15-18, 2013.

The 1st Central Asian Generation Peace Conference 2013 is intended to bring together community leaders from across Central Asia (CAR) to accumulate peace-building resources and expertise to contribute to preventing conflicts and building peace in the region. The Conference pursues two main goals:

1.    To enhance the skills and knowledge of community leaders in using media to promote reconciliation and peace-building initiatives in the CAR in an accurate and fair manner;

2.    To facilitate new projects that can advance  rule of law, religious tolerance, and sustainable ethnic peace in the CAR through both traditional and new media.

Local activists (media, arts, NGOs, and academia) will participate in an intensive conflict analysis and conflict management techniques, peace media training course and discussion sessions. The regional conference will result in a number of follow-up projects and a series of articles to be published in local media.

The conference is designed for a maximum of 40 participants from 5 Central Asian states. Trainers are attracted from the leading media and peace-building organisations of USA, Europe, and CIS. The working languages are English and Russian.

Potential participants have to submit an application and a concept paper describing their professional experience, leadership potential and project ideas for follow-up projects which they would like to implement. The selection process is competitive and based on the following criteria:

·         Leadership experience;

·         Project idea;

·         Innovative approach (ICT, social media, etc.);

·         Balance of representation from Central Asian region.

Successful candidates will be invited, all expenses paid, to attend the conference in Issyk-Kul to participate in panel sessions, workshops, and discussions.

The deadline for proposals is March 29, 2013 (Earlier submissions are encouraged)

Please register here http://bit.ly/CAGP-2013

Conference contact information:

The Association of Fulbrighters of Kyrgyzstan (AFK)

Mr. Samagan Aitymbetov

Project Coordinator

phone: +996.777.188390

email: samagan.aitymbetov@fulbrightmail.org

The conference and the project are realized with the support of the Embassy of the United States of America in the Kyrgyz Republic

Journalists worldwide can enter a contest featuring 14 categories with prizes ranging from US$750-US$1,000.

The National Press Club presents its annual journalism competition honoring the best in traditional and newer forms of journalism.

Categories include political reporting, regional reporting on Washington, consumer reporting, press criticism, diplomatic correspondence, newsletter journalism and photography. It also includes a group of awards for areas as diverse as reporting on the welfare of animals, coverage of the journalism industry, the aviation industry, problems facing the elderly and humor writing.

To learn about last year’s winners, click here: http://press.org/about/awards/2012-awards