Knowledge is a power and the ALCP is committed to facilitating high quality agri information transfer to rural farmers strengthening the field of journalism in Georgia and Armenia.
On 25th-29th of April an international agricultural journalist was commissioned to deliver trainings to 11 Armenian TV and press journalists and 2 heads of the Department of Journalism of Armenian universities in the Caucasus International University in Tbilisi.
Follow the link of Imedi TV news on the event.
The agri journalism initiatives started in Georgia when 45 Georgian print and TV journalists attended an agri journalism training in 2015. Since then 45 TV and press journalists trained in agri journalism in Georgia have presented 267 videos and 350 articles on animal health, Brucellosis, Mastitis, Anthrax, Foot and Mouth, farm hygiene, milking hygiene, proper nutrition, animal registration and EU regulations related to Georgia. Farmers say that now they are not afraid when they hear about new rules and EU regulations, as they have reliable information on it.
Also, an agri module was created for inclusion in BA Journalism degrees. Now Seven universities across Georgia already have the agri-journalism module established in their curriculum, lasting one semester with a total of 15 credit hours. Three more universities are about to do the same this year. 346 students have undergone the course in Georgia to date.
Now those initiatives are ready for transfer to Armenia.
Professor of the Department of Journalism Vanadzor State University in Armenia, Mane Papyan stated:
‘I attended the agri training. We have talked about developing sector specific journalism leading to the creation of qualified media professionals for years. Today we had a discussion regarding the integration of a new agro-journalism module and amendments in the electronic manuals and curricula. The Vanadzori State University Journalism Program will discuss about establishing the module, I really like the ideas’ - she said.
Photo source: Caucasus International University
Heather Briggs, agronomist, agro-consultant on plant productivity, international expert on cheese and journalist visited Tbilisi to hold the training for agro-journalists last week. "Batumelebi" newspaper interviewed her.
For the first time in Georgia a training on agro journalism was conducted for media representatives wishing to report specifically on rural issues and news. The main purpose of the training was to fill knowledge gaps of media practitioners in crops, livestock husbandry and agriculture management and to introduce the basics of agro journalism. Heather Briggs, an international expert and member of British Guild of Agricultural Journalists - was invited to lead a 5 day training from January 26th to February 2nd. About 50 representatives of regional, national broadcasters and printed media participated in the event. The training was organized by the Georgian Regional Media Association and facilitated by the Alliances Lesser Caucasus Programme.
By Helen Bradbury: Team Leader, Alliances Lesser Caucasus Programme
We are in an interesting conundrum. Gender in most places has been written-in to law. Bar a few notable exceptions, every country in the world, has varying degrees of success in applying universal suffrage. Fifty countries are signed up to the CEDAW convention (the UN’s Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women). On the CEDAW world map of Discrepant Government Behaviour Concerning Women, the countries shaded dark green which denotes ‘virtually no enforcement of laws consonant with CEDAW or such laws do not even exist’, are where you expect them to be and in fact they are relatively few. It is the next two categories which disturb, covering the vast majority of the globe, the mid and lighter green, where laws are partly or fully consonant with CEDAW but there is little effective enforcement or spotty enforcement of them and the issue is low priority or hit and miss. After the gains, the laws and ratifications of the last centuries it seems that we must tread very carefully indeed for we must counteract indifference, in which inertia and inactivity stop us moving forward.
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