Article Archive for Year 2012
The Open Society Documentary Photography Project (http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography) and Arts and Culture Program (http://www.soros.org/initiatives/arts) announce a grant and training opportunity for documentary photographers from Central Asia, the South Caucasus, Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Pakistan.
The grant is being offered to:
* visually document issues of importance in the region; and
* provide training and support to photographers from the region.
Approximately 10 cash stipends in the amount of $3,500 each will be awarded to photographers to produce a photo essay on a current human rights or social issue in the region. Grantees will participate in two master-level workshops on visual storytelling through photography and multimedia. These workshops are led by internationally-recognized photographers and industry professionals who will then provide ongoing mentorship and support throughout the six-month grant term.
The Open Society Foundations will pay travel and hotel expenses and provide a per diem to cover meals and incidentals for the workshops.
The deadline for proposals is May 10, 2012.
For more information on the grant, please visit:
- http://docphoto.soros.org/exhibit/prodgrant2012
-http://www.soros.org/initiatives/photography/focus_areas/production-individual/guidelines
Marking its 30th year of fostering the development of local media in more than 70 countries, Internews has launched InternewsNext, a year-long celebration of young new voices emerging in media and information around the world. Throughout the year, Internews will feature “30 Under 30,” highlighting media initiatives in communities around the world, working with journalists, bloggers, developers and others under the age of 30 to address the information needs of their communities.
To kick off the celebration, Internews hosted a reception and panel discussion in Washington, DC on May 2 in advance of World Press Freedom Day. The event explored the exciting future of media with young leaders in Central Asia, Afghanistan and the United States who are engaging the next generation using digital media and technology. Internews also introduced its new Internews Center for Innovation & Learning, designed to fuel inquiry, experimentation and learning across the organization’s programs and among its partners.
They say that negative attention is better than no attention at all.
This tagline has been well linked to the comedic and controversial movie Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (Borat), which enlightens the audience on the culture of Kazakhstan (among other things), for a long time.
But, in terms of tourism in 2012, the tables are beginning to turn – some negative attention is turning positive, in terms of plane tickets and passports.
Borat is the infamous movie/ mocumentary/ satire/ comedy wherein Sacha Baron Cohen plays the character of Borat (BORДT) Sagdiyev, a “sexist, homophobic and anti-semitic“ Kazakh journalist who travels through the United States, with the goal of meeting Pamela Anderson. Check out neweurasia’s views on all topics (positive and negative) Boart.
Although we all know that Central Asian societies were for generations succoured on Soviet media that was pedagogical and ideological, we often forget what this fully means. Soviet media was often in outright denial, e.g., nary breathing a word about the Chernobyl disaster. It’s my understanding that if you heard a bit too much classical music on the radio meant, there was a crisis: apparently Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” signalled the death of a leader, and was even played on 19 August, 1991, rather prophetically.
Content may change, as well as values, but form persists. In Turkmenistan today, gone is the dream of the “Soviet New Man” (новый советский человек), replaced now with the “Golden Age” (altyn asyr). Here’s a particularly disturbing info-anthropological tidbit: according to Annasoltan and other Turkmen I’ve talked with, TurkmenTV was showing singers performing songs while panic and chaos rained down in Abadan. It seems media forms and informational habits morph, mutate, adapt, in ways those of us who believe in the freedom of the press and information wish they wouldn’t…
Editor’s note: The Turkmen-language Facebook page “JaPBaKLaR”, originally intended as a forum to share popular Turkmen cartoons, has emerged as the biggest Turkmen Facebook community. More importantly, it’s exhibiting some behaviors that seem surprisingly civic. NewEurasia’s Annasoltan reports.
So, first the naysayers: yes, Turkmenistan has got the slowest Internet in Central Asia. The speed for landline Internet a mere 72 KBps, and to get anything faster can cost as much as 7,000 USD (= for “unlimited” access). It also looks like that within my nation, the number of my fellow Turkmenetizens ranges between 80,400 to 127,000, which is roughly 1.5 to 2% of the population.
But for that tiny percentage, the Internet, especially social media, has been a world-transforming experience. Take for example the Facebook page “JaPBaKLaR” (https://www.facebook.com/japbaklar), named after the fictional youngsters of the serial novel by the famous Turkmen writer Berdi Kerbabayew. Would you imagine that here, in such an innocuous place (and remember: Facebook is blocked via landline access) we could expect to see an exhibition of a civic sensibility?
Uzbekistan’s unique accomplishments in theatre and art have been respectfully recognized. On April 5th, the country’s Ilkhom Theatre (“Inspiration” in Uzbek) was prized with the 2011 Prince Claus Award, from the Prince Claus Fund for Culture and Development, for it’s cultural achievements. The Theatre (Ильхом Театр Марка Вайля) is Uzbekistan’s only independent theatre, was the first in the USSR, and today also functions as a school of dramatic art. The award was presented to the Uzbek Ilkhom Theatre, by Dutch Ambassador to Russia, HE Mr Ronald Keller.
In terms of free expression and artistic development, the 2011 Prince Claus Fund was awarded to Ilkhom Theatre for:
“the high quality of its dramatic productions, for creating a space of freedom in a zone of silence, for nurturing and inspiring the younger generations in Uzbekistan, and for upholding the role of theatre as a means of opening minds and stimulating development.”
“People would prefer to have gold or silver or platinum, some tangible asset that can preserve their wealth. So, while we’re sitting out in this isolated part of Central Asia and it seems unconnected to much of the rest of the world, this is obviously very central issue to what’s going on economically and financially right now in Europe and North America.” — Dr. Robert Moran, hydrologist/geologist
This past September, Bankwatch and I made a documentary about the Kumtor mine. You can view the video via YouTube. Some weeks later I was invited to join a State Commission which was visiting the Kumtor goldmine to do an environmental monitoring and take water samples. While we were out there, though, I also took a long series of photographs, originally posted by Bankwatch on Flickr but which I’m now re-posting with permission here to help spread the word about what’s happening in Kyrgyzstan’s mountains.
View of the Davidov Glacier with waste rock on it at the Kumtor goldmine.
Photograph by Flickr user Qardash (CC-usage).
Everyone here at NewEurasia would like to wish our readers a Happy Naw-Rúz (or, if you prefer, Nouruz, Norouz, Norooz, Narooz, Newroz, Newruz, Nauruz, Nawroz, Noruz, Nohrooz, Novruz, Nauroz, Navroz)! We know it’s been a slow few months, but we’ve got really good news on the horizon. It’s looking to be a fertile spring indeed!
Also, since this is also a religious holiday in my faith community, the Bahá’ís, I personally would like to share some words from our Master, `Abdu’l-Bahá,written on the occasion of Naw-Rúz in 1906 wherein he talks about the spirit of newness:
O ye children of the Kingdom! It is New Year; that is to say, the rounding of the cycle of the year. A year is the expression of a cycle (of the sun); but now is the beginning of a cycle of Realty, a New Cycle, a New Age, a New Century, a New Time and a New Year. Therefore it is very blessed.
I wish this blessing to appear and become manifest in the faces and characteristics of the believers, so that they, too, may become a new people, and having found new life and been baptized with fire and spirit, may make the world a new world, to the end that the old earth may disappear and the new earth appear; old ideas depart and new thoughts come; old garments be cast aside and new garments put on; ancient politics whose foundation is war be discarded and modern politics founded on peace raise the standard of victory; the new star shine and gleam and the new sun illumine and radiate; new flowers bloom; the new spring become known; the new breeze blow; the new bounty descend; the new tree give forth new fruit; the new voice become raised and this new sound reach the ears, that the new will follow the new, and all the old furnishings and adornments be cast aside and new decorations put in their places.
I desire for you all that you will have this great assistance and partake of this great bounty, and that in spirit and heart you will strive and endeavor until the world of war become the world of peace; the world of darkness the world of light; satanic conduct be turned into heavenly behavior; the ruined places become built up; the sword be turned into the olive branch; the flash of hatred become the flame of the love of God and the noise of the gun the voice of the Kingdom; the soldiers of death the soldiers of life; all the nations of the world one nation; all races as one race; and all national anthems harmonized into one melody.
Then this material realm will be Paradise, the earth Heaven, and the world of Satan become the world of Angels.
The School of Peacemaking and Media Technology announces the start of a new competition for a training session among local Kyrgyz- and Uzbek-speaking journalists, who represent print and online media in Osh, Jalalabat and Batken oblasts of south Kyrgyzstan.
In order to be eligible, participants must be younger than 35 years old.
The training is organized with an aim to encourage open discussions on peacemaking-related matters, teaching local journalists the tools of building ‘bridges’ between conflicting parties and important techniques of identifying activists that are ready for dialogue.
The five-day training is a unique initiative. We plan to invite international trainers from South Caucasus and Former Yugoslavia, who have solid experience in professional journalism in conflict societies and in conducting trainings on related topics.
One of the main prerequisites for the selection is readiness of the candidates to work in multi-ethnic groups and their motivation for team reporting.
Synchronized translation into a state-language will be organized during the event. The venue: Bishkek. Time: April, August and November of 2012. More details will be announced on the website: www.ca-mediators.net.
To participate, candidates need to send their resume or CV to peacemakingschool@gmail.com. Please enclose motivation letter with details on past work and training experience, as well as your motivation to work in a multi-ethnic team. We also need a writing sample (published or unpublished) in any of four languages (English, Kyrgyz, Uzbek or Russian).
Alternatively, you can submit an online application form on our website www.ca-mediators.net.
The School of Peacemaking and Media Technology is funded by Soros Foundation – Kyrgyzstan and the National Endowment for Democracy NED.
Popular Uzbek singer, Yulduz Usmonova, has been censored by authorities in her homeland for years… but not any longer. Usmonova is said to have received official permission to stage her first concert in Uzbekistan, since 2007. And that concert is being held today, March 6th, in the historical city of Samarkand.
The singers website says:
“Уважаемые поклонники и почитатели творчества Юлдуз Усмановой .Рады ,вам сообщить , что 6 марта 2012 года в г. Самарканд , в ресторане “Дилафруз ” пройдет концерт Народной артистки РУз Юлдуз Усмановой.”
“Dear fans and admirers Yulduz Usmanova. Glad to inform you that the March 6, 2012 in the city of Samarkand, in the restaurant “Dilafruz” will be a concert of the People’s Artist of the RU Yulduz Usmanova.” (Google Translation)
In regards to her performance in Uzbekistan, the Facebook page titled “yıldız usmanova” – which has almost 45,400 “Likes” – shares the same information as above about Usmonova’s March 6th performance.
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