Georgia, Tbilisi, July 13 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
The Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) will hold a joint Azerbaijani-Armenian journalist mission in Georgia on July 13-14 under the Neighbors Project.
The Institute told Trend that this project focuses on issues affecting ethnic Armenian and Azerbaijani minority communities in two regions of Georgia - Kvemo Kartli and Samtkhe-Javakaheti.
The Neighbors Project is a unique collaborative platform for Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists, which establishes relations despite the inter-conflict between the two countries. The project provides resources, information, and networking opportunities for both communities while aiming to break down communication barriers and create a "single informational space" in the region. Dissolving existing misunderstandings and prejudices is hoped to allow for objective regional news coverage.
The IWPR Neighbors project places particular importance on establishing relations with young reporters. Thirty young journalists from Armenia and Azerbaijan have already been trained by IWPR on different topics: social media, international journalism standards, conflict-sensitive reporting, human rights, and justice.
As a result, twelve newspaper supplements, written jointly by young Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists, have been published in leading Armenian and Azerbaijani newspapers reaching an audience of at least 10,000 people.
During the new mission to Georgia, journalists will take part in workshops and meet with local government officials, analysts, experts and NGO representatives working on issues pertaining to national and religious minorities. They will then work in inter-ethnic groups to develop stories for media outlets and for publication by IWPR.
The Neighbors project is part of IWPR Building Bridges/Building Capacity in the South Caucasus Program. The Program is focused on integrated training, reporting, and outreach activities to support democracy-building and conflict-resolution throughout the South Caucasus.
The T Neighbors project's current stage is carried out with support by the US Embassy in Armenia. The Building Bridges/Building Capacity in the South Caucasus Program is funded by the Dutch Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.