Tiziano Project: Near East

Well, we didn’t win the Microsoft Name Your Dream Assignment Contest, but this project can still become a reality with your support. Please read on to find out what we want to do.

During the summer of 2008, the Tiziano Project successfully ran a pilot program in Northern Iraq teaching young people the multimedia journalism skills necessary to tell stories that are underrepresented in mainstream media. CNN International did a live, on-air webcam interview from Iraq on the opinions of local Iraqis about the US Presidential election.

Now, we are working to create a permanent bureau in the Near East so we can continue to bring people the opportunity to tell the stories of their communities. We are currently raising money to provide the education and tools, such as cameras and computers, our students need in order to find success in citizen journalism.

The bureau will provide youth in the Kurdish regions of Southern Turkey and Northern Iraq with the equipment and training necessary to record and share their lives with the world. Our goal is to provide a self-sustaining voice to our students, who in turn will teach these skills to a new generation of journalists.

We have already established connections with an educational organization in Turkey who will help facilitate implementation of the project. In addition, we are working with the regional Minister of Education in Diyarbakir, who is fully supportive of this project.

We are currently working with news media outlets, such as CNN, to secure outlets for student work to be broadcast globally and we are seeking employment opportunities for our most talented students while developing them to be able to train other people living in their communities.

Every little bit helps, but to give you an idea:

$130 will buy one digital camera for a student
$175 will buy one video camera for a student
$500 will help support one teacher for a month
$1000 will help provide a fellowship to a local student to continue teaching their peers after we leave

Frequent flyer mileage and equipment donation are greatly appreciated as well.

For more information on the project: http://www.tizianoproject.org