MASS MEDIA PROQRAMM
On June 1, 2006 Najaf Najafov Fund (NNF) started the realization
of the second stage of "Public Television Monitoring"
project. This project is implemented with the financial
support of OSI-AF and technical support of the Eurasia Foundation.
The first stage of the project was fulfilled from September
2005 to January 2006.
The objective of the project is to monitor
if Public TV gives balanced and objective coverage of all
spheres, first of all, social and political spheres of the
life, to disclose the level of government or other structures'
interference into the activity of Public TV and the level
of their desire to form public opinion in theirs favor,
to inform the public about it. The goal of the project is
to estimate through regular monitoring how Public TV channel
meets the following requirements - Law "On Public TV",
equality, objectivity, pluralism, transparency and responsibility.
In the framework of the project monitoring
monthly results will be placed on the www.najafovfund.org
web-page and issued on CD to mass media, NGO's, Milli Mejlis
(Azerbaijani Parliament), Presidential Office, political
parties, Baku offices of the OSCE and the Council of Europe.
Students will be polled in regards to the popularity of
Public TV and poll results will be published. Presentations
and press conferences on the results of monitoring will
also be conducted.
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In order to increase the professionalism
of the regional journalists six month training seminars
are conducted in Ganja at the "Ganjabasar" weekly
newspaper. Seminars within the project "Increasing
journalist proficiency in Ganja and Western regions of Azerbaijan"
are organized by "Ganjabasar" newspaper and the
"Tomris" Mother's society with the financial support
of OSI - AF. 23 regional journalists participated in these
seminars.
The classes are conducted once a week (all day along) by
professional journalists. Trainees are gaining knowledge
about journalism history, international standards of television
journalism, language and style of modern publicizm. After
there is considered to engage 11 trained journalists in
a work at the "Ganjabasar" newspaper and others
at the newpapers in Khanlar, Goranboy, Shamkir, and Tovuz.
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From March 31, 2006, the Trade Union of
Journalists (JuHI) with support of OSI-AF started to publish
the "Trade Union" newspaper. The newspaper is
prepared in the framework of the "Publishing the field
newspaper of the Trade Union" project. The "Trade
Union" newspaper will be published twice a month for
a year and distributed for free with the support of OSI-AF.
After the project is over, JuHI will publish a newspaper
on its own and the newspaper will be distributed through
sales.
"The Trade Unions" invites those
willing to publish their materials on the given topic, or
having complaints or statements and positions to cooperation.
From
1 June to August this year with the financial assistance
of OSI- AF, Media Civil Rights Protection Fund (MCRPF) and
Press Council within the framework of the project on "Women's
rights protection journalist initiatives" launched
a competition for the best journalists' articles addressing
women's issues. The competition aims at drawing the attention
of Azerbaijani mass media to the issues of women's development
and the problem of their rights protection.
According to the chairman of MCRPF Metanet
Muslimqizi, Azerbaijan women's participation in political
life is an essential part of democratic development.
"Mass media plays a fundamental role
in highlighting gender issues, in promoting and strengthening
the participation of women in all aspects of political,
social and economic life. We hope that this competition
will help increase the quality and quantity of media coverage
of women's issues in Azerbaijan", - she said.
She also noted that journalist's materials
are received from all the regions of Azerbaijan, reflecting
the themes of gender equality in politics and decision-making,
gender stereotypes on men and women in politics. The jury
composed of representatives of NGOs and media experts will
judge these materials and in October cash prizes will be
awarded to winners. The first place winner will receive
US$250, the second place - US$200, the third place - US$150,
the fourth place and fifth place winners - US$100 and US$50.
In June, the Press Council proclaimed the
results of the first stage of the "Mass Media monitoring"
project. According to the report, the Press Council received
212 complaints against the press for this period. 115 complaints
were successfully resolved in Councils' Secretariat, 79
complaints were dismissed as groundless. The parties reached
the agreement on 97 issues.
It must be said that the realization of
"Mass Media monitoring" project was started with
the financial assistance in October 2005 and will continue
till October 2006. The following measures will be held within
the project - consideration of the complaints related to
the materials contains information insulting the dignity,
honor and business reputation of public, government officials
and ordinary citizens, studying the conflicts between government
structures and mass media by appropriate commissions of
the Press Council, the publication the quarterly bulletin
on the Press Council's activities, monitoring Mass Media
materials and their analysis.
PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM
The presentation of the first Azerbaijan
information and resource website for children with special
needs and their families, specialists and caregivers who
are working with them - the Children's Special Needs Virtual
Network (CSNVN) - was held on 25 May 2006, in Baku office
of OSI-AF.
The "Children with Special Needs'
Virtual Network" project is a joint initiative of OSI-AF,
USAID, "Save the Children" organizations and "Lotos"
Disability Awareness and Learning Center and its implementation
started on December 2005.
The presentation ceremony gathered the
representatives of local and regional NGOs and rehabilitation
centers for children with special needs. Bakhidja Aliyeva,
the website coordinator, spoke about the concept used in
the development of the CSNVN website, its composition, contents,
and development prospects.
"The new Internet resource contains
different sections providing full information on issues
in special needs in the Azerbaijani language. The Resource
Pool section provides theoretical and practical materials
for use in children's development work. Information about
centers for Children with Special needs, working in Azerbaijan,
can be found on the "Contact List" section of
this website. The Chat Room category created for the discussion
of current issues in special needs. Website members can
make friends with other specialists, caregivers and parents
of children with special needs by posting questions on messages
boards in the Forum section. The latest information about
special needs events - education conferences, workshops
and trainings - is located in the News category", -
she said.
B. Aliyeva noted that information materials
are collected from various sources and posted as a virtual
resource to the webpage. "All members of virtual network
can access them. We hope that it helps remove the information
barrier that people and organizations face in the regions,
increase the knowledge required in the sphere of children's
development, promote networking among specialists, caregivers
and parents of children with special needs", - she
said.
For the further acquaintance with the virtual
network, please, visit website www.kidsandneeds.org.
In order to increase the role of the local
media in combating HIV/AIDS, the OSI-AF organized a series
of trainings for journalists in Baku, Lankaran and Ganja
on May-June 2006. The trainings were conducted in the framework
of the "Scaling up the response to HIV/AIDS in Azerbaijan"
project supported by the Global Fund. The OSI-AF is one
of the key executors of the preventive measures in this
project.
The
trainings aim to increase the quality of journalists' materials
on HIV/AIDS related issues, by means of media to raise public
awareness on HIV/AIDS, to foster tolerance towards people
living with HIV, to combat HIV/AIDS-related stigmatization
and discrimination, to provide information on the ways of
HIV transmission and prevention.
Alexsander Tsekhanovitch, the technical
adviser of OSI's International Harm Reduction Development
(IHRD) program and Nigar Medjidova, health care reporter
were the principal trainers on the events. Other experts
also were invited to the meeting from organizations such
as the Global Fund, HIV/AIDS and anti-drug NGOs.
"The media can play a crucial role
in combating HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination,
in exploding myths about HIV/AIDS and in prevention of its
spread. For that you must provide the people with accurate
information related to HIV/AIDS. You need to bring such
stories that will promote healthy attitudes and behaviors,"
- A. Tsexanovitch told journalists, opening the training
sessions in Baku.
The comprehensive training program started
with a general introduction to HIV/AIDS, and followed by
the detailed sessions on ways of HIV transmission and prevention,
HIV epidemiology and diagnostics, on anti-retroviral therapy
(ART) and prevention campaigns for the most vulnerable groups
to HIV infection (prisoners, commercial sex workers, and
injecting drug users (IDU), mobile populations and men who
have sex with men). Participants were also trained on how
to interview and report on AIDS and had the opportunity
to interview the HIV-positive person.
CIVIL SOCIETY PROGRAM
Leyla
Aliyeva, the former chairman of Azerbaijan National Committee
on European Integration (ANCEI) with the present chairmen
Ilqar Mammadov (right) and Co-chairman Sabit Bagirov (left).
Photo from the latest press conference of ANCEI.
From 1 June 2006 OSI-AF is granting a one-year
long project named "Institutional Support for the Azerbaijan
National Committee on European Integration (ANCEI)".
The aim of this project is to contribute to the growth of
civil society in Azerbaijan and the country's integration
into Europe through support to ANCEI's organizational effectiveness.
The project is implemented by the Economic
Research Center and the following measures are considered-
logo and banner design and creation, booklet printing, website
creation, organization of various conferences and meetings,
etc. - in the framework of the project.
Ilqar Hasanli, project coordinator, spoke
about ANCEI and its activities. "On 10 February 2006,
an initiative group of 39 distinguished individuals of Azerbaijan,
including scholars, business representatives, and journalists,
was established by the Azerbaijan National Committee on
European Integration. The ANCEI aims to support the country's
integration into the European Union within the scope of
the European Neighbourhood Policy, engage the Azerbaijani
civil society in the process of negotiating the Azerbaijan
Action Plan, its subsequent implementation and monitoring,
make recommendations about how to improve progress towards
the benchmarks and submit them to the Azerbaijani government
and increase public awareness on EU, European Integration
process and European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plan",
- he said.
It must be said that in accordance with
the nine benchmarks mentioned in Azerbaijan-EU Action Plan
Draft II there are nine commissions charged with monitoring
of these benchmarks in ANCEI functioning. The sectors they
are observing include supremacy of law, human rights, environment
protection, poverty reduction, regional cooperation, civil
society, Nagorny Karabakh conflict resolution and others
Recently ANCEI published the common document
named Opinion & Recommendations on Azerbaijan Action
Plan Draft based on opinions and recommendations of these
commissions and publicly delivered it on its latest press
conference on May 18 2006. On 8 June this document was adopted
by ANCEI Assembly and submitted to official structures -
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Europe House (the representative
of EU in Azerbaijan).
"Unfortunately, we haven't had the
respond so far. But we remain open for close and any form
of cooperation with all the parties at all stages and keep
monitoring the implementation of benchmarks that are set
out in Action Plan", - said I.Hasanli.
Center
"Pragma" with Barda regional Youth and Democracy
center conducted a two-day seminar for the youth in Barda,
on 3- 4 June 2006. Seminars were organized within the project
"Freedom of information awareness among the youth"
financed by OSI-AF. Thirty young representatives, who are
working in the Barda district Executive Authority, educational
structures and NGOs, attended this event.
The main aim of the seminars was to enhance
knowledge and increase FOI awareness of the youth in the
regions. Participants gained basic knowledge about FOI and
its principles during the first day of the event. Consultation
and instructions for the way to submit an oral and written
request for information to governmental bodies, municipalities
and other information holders were also delivered. Next
day practical exercises for the participants were organized
and they were divided into two groups - "information
holders" and "requesters of information".
Group discussions and various assignments reinforced their
newly gained skills.
A Public Interest Hours was organized for
the participants to better understand the essence and need
of FOI, to develop skills needed to establish contacts with
authorities in the frameworks of the seminars. The event
was conducted with the participation of Khasay Mamedov,
the head of the socio-political department of the Barda
district Executive Authority and Anar Shakhbazov the head
of the Directorate of Youth and Sport. The young participants
requested information from the public authorities and exchanged
their views on the actual problems of the district.
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For the last 30 years more than 15 thousand
hectares of soil became saline and infertile. In order to
discuss this and other problems Social Assistance Centre
for Regions Development (SACRD) Public Union with partnership
of Neftchala District Executive Authority and City municipality
held a scientific and practical conference on "Environmental,
social and economic problems of Neftchala and the ways of
their resolution" on 30 June - 1 July 2006, in Neftchala.
The conference was organized with the financial support
of OSI-AF.
Opening the event Soltanhamid Malikov,
SACRDs, the chairman, said that there is the barest necessity
in taking immediate and appropriate measures in the sphere
of socio-economic life and in the preservation of the environment
in Neftchala district. "We hope that our activity in
scientific knowledge and practical experience implemented
in all spheres of industrial production and agriculture
throughout the regions will effectively support the State
Program on Social and Economic Development of Regions",
- he said.
Noted scientists and famous experts, representatives
of various ministries and NGOs participated in the conference.
During the event reports on current ecological, social and
economic problems in the regions were listened to, different
proposals were presented for discussion.
ARTS & CULTURE PROGRAM
Three-day seminars on "Private museum.
Positives and Negatives. Development perspectives"
held on 22-24 June, in Baku Tourism Information Centre.
"Khatt" Ltd with the financial assistance of OSI-AF
organized seminars in the framework of "Development
agency for museums" project. The project aim is to
unite people and NGOs dealing with collecting, establish
arts collection marketing agency, support the inclusion
of their collections in the existing and future tourist
routes and education programs, counsel and provide legal
aid in organization of expositions.
About 20 people - private collectors, Mass
Media representatives, officials from the Ministry of Sport
and Tourism, UNDP's "Development information tourism
centers" project implementators - participated in the
event. ART Advisory Bureau director, chairman Coordinating
Council of the "Union of Museum Workers of Volga Region"
Lyudmila Savchenko, conducted seminars.
At the end of event it was decided to establish
museum agency, implement two pilot projects for the museum
in Basqal (West region of Azerbaijan) and for the Icheri
Sheher (Old City) Community Museum, created from private
collections of Icheri Sheher inhabitants, support souvenir
production for private archaeological collection in Sheki
(North-West region of Azerbaijan).
WOMEN'S PROQRAM
About 20 Azerbaijani experts in economics,
budget and gender issues, representatives from government
institutions and NGOs were trained on how to analyze the
state budget and prepare a budget statement from a gender
perspective and learn gender budgeting experiences in different
countries within the training seminars on Gender Budgeting
(GB) jointly organized by OSI-AF, UNFPA and OXFAM GB, on
28 May - 1 June 2006 in Baku.
The honored economist of Russian Federation,
the lead Russian expert on gender budgeting Lyudmila Rjanitchina
and the candidate of economic science Irina Kalabikhina
were the principal trainers on the workshop.
According to L. Rjanitchina, the international
community as an important tool in building democratic societies
increasingly recognizes GB. "GB is an effort to analyze
national and local budgets and their differential impact
on women and men. That is why it is very important to increase
awareness about the significance of gender budgeting. Budgets
can reinforce gender equality. Gender Sensitive Budgeting
is not about having separate budgets for women or men. It
is just an analysis of any form of public expenditure or
method of raising revenue from a gender perspective",
- she said.
EAST-EAST PROGRAM
"Civilization"
Monitoring and Researches Public Union with partnership
of the Institute for European Policy (Czech Republic) have
finished realization the project "European Neighbourhood
Policy and Azerbaijan" within OSI-AF's East-East: Partnership
Beyond Borders program.
The project implementation started in April
2006 and continued till August 2006. The purpose of the
project is to make Azerbaijan people know about European
Union and its primary goals and objectives, about documents
such as "European Security Strategy" adopted in
2003 and "European Neighbourhood Policy" adopted
in 2004.
In the framework of this project "Civilization"
Monitoring and Researches Public Union took responsibility
for the following measures - publication issues, organization
of trainings, TV and radio broadcasts, setting up Internet
site, preparation of financial reports, etc. The partner
organization is responsible for invitating foreign lecturers
and their participation in trainings.
"In 2004, the Union adopted "European
Neighbourhood Policy" in order to regulate the relations
with the neighboring states. The particular importance is
given to cooperation with South Caucasus countries in this
document. The European Commission already prepared a document
about Azerbaijan in March 2005 and now negotiations are
underway between EU and official Baku on Action Plan. But
there are many people, especially the youth, who have no
idea about European Union and Neighbourhood Policy",
- said Gulnura Mehdi, "East-East" program coordinator.
During
the first stage of the project (April - June) the following
measures were held - preparation and publication of manual
and placards, preparation of badges, organization trainings
in Baku, Quba and Ganja with the participation of local
and foreign experts, holding round-table, etc.
According to G.Mehdi the second phase of
the project lasted two months and involved the following
activities: establishing an international virtual net on
ENP of NGOs in Internet together with the local and foreign
NGO, organization discussions, forums through the Internet,
holding round - tables on themes "ENP and Azerbaijan",
"European Union - Azerbaijan relations and prospects"
at the IPC in Baku.
There three half-hour radio programs "European
Union and Azerbaijan" in local radio station "Antenn
FM.104" and TV programs "What is the European
Neighbourhood Policy", "Conflicts in South Caucasus
and European Security Strategy", "Azerbaijan's
place in European Neighbourhood Policy" and "Prospects
in Azerbaijan - EU relations" in the framework of this
project were also broadcasted.
TRANSPARENCY OF OIL REVENUES AND PUBLIC
FINANCE PROGRAM
On
30 May National Budget Group (NBG) including 9 Azerbaijani
NGOs and supported by OSI-AF delivered its opinions on the
realization of 2005 state budget.
Ingilab Ahmadov, a member of NBGs management
board, head of the Public Finance Monitoring Center opened
the event with words: "Assuming the Law of Azerbaijan
Republic on "Budget system" and looking through
the reference of Chamber of Accounts and report of Government
on state budget implementation, National Budget Group, whose
mission is transferring initiatives of transparent and effective
use of budget into public interest, estimates the implementation
of 2005th year state budget as satisfactory".
According to him, NBG considers that a
36, 2% increase in budget incomes and a 42, 5% increase
in budget expenses, the fulfillment of the budget income
part on 100, 5% in 2005 compared to 2004 is a result of
the expansion of economic development opportunities in the
country.
"To form the state budget correspondent
for economic potential and needs of the country and for
transparent and effective use of the budget, the National
Budget Group considers the importance of establishing expert
group charged with analyses of the Government report on
state budget implementation in Milli Mejlis, the adoption
of a "Budget code" and "Law on State Finance
Control" and improvement on legislative basis of budget
process regulation", -said Gubad Ibadoghlu, another
member of NBG, the chairman of Economic Research Center,
closing the event.
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Economic
Research Center, one of the members of National Budget Group
alliance within the project of "Enlightening of public
on addressed social assistance mechanisms and monitoring
of the means allocated for this purpose" and financial
support issued the booklet "Guide for those who want
to get social assistance". While explaining opportunities
and mechanisms of getting this assistance, the leaflet makes
this assistance available. The terms of appeal for the assistance,
it's appointing, compensation, and also refusal and cessation
are reflected in the leaflet. Besides, there a simple sample
of calculation of social assistance was given, so that everyone
could calculate it. 3,000 copies of the booklets in Azerbaijani
were distributed to the related state agencies, NGOs, and
various social groups covering Media and different groups
of society.
