MUSIQUE SERA - Music compilation release

The compilation features tracks by 7 female artists from Tunisia as well as Remixes by José Gonzaléz & Kirikoo Des.

A concert will be held in Tunis on January the 8th 2012 to mark the release.

Media Roundtable Benghazi

Media in East Libya is booming. New media outlets are established every day. More than 120 Newspapers just around the city of Benghazi have been establsihed in the past few month. MICT brings together media practitioners in workshop in Libya in July 2011 to discuss the role of media, its opportunities and its needs.

LA TUNISIE VOTE - New project builds journalism in Tunisia

On 14 July, La Tunisie Vote, a new project that aims to support professional journalism in Tunisia, unveiled their new website at an event at the MICT Offices in central Tunis.

The website highlights stories by Tunisian journalists writing about the country's situation post-revolution.

"This is a unique initiative, driven by Tunisians who want to share stories from all corners of their country with their fellow Tunisians and with the world at large about how they are dealing with the post-revolutionary situation," said Nicole Choueiry, La Tunisie Vote's Project Manager in Tunis.

The La Tunisie Vote project provides professional training to a network of young Tunisian journalists and advance their skills in reporting the reality of their surroundings, under the guidance of a team of Tunisian media experts.

"La Tunisie Vote offers Tunisian voters deeper insight into issues that have a direct impact on their lives, while supporting their right to make informed decisions in the upcoming election of a Constituent Assembly. It also strives to bridge the media gap that exists between the regions and the rest of the country," said Choueiry.

MICT is implementing this project in collaboration with the Tunisian Centre for the Freedom of Journalists. La Tunisie Vote is funded by the German Foreign Office.

MICT Summer Reception - South Sudan Independence

On July 9th, 2011, the Republic of South Sudan has gained independence as the newest state of the world. At the same time, a new state was born in North Sudan as well. Upon this historic occasion and for the release of the bilingual newspaper THE NILES, MICT held its summer reception at the Zagreus Gallery in Berlin-Mitte.

Decades of war have cost millions of lives in Sudan. Following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, in January of this year the Southern Sudanese voters have overwhelmingly opted in a referendum for secession from the North. While renewed fighting in various areas is a cause for great concern, the independence of South Sudan does bring hope for a peaceful future of both new nations. MICT has been training journalists from both parts since 2008.

Welcoming speeches were delivered by DUER DANIER GALWAK, acting chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) Germany Chapter, and JOHANNES LEHNE (German Foreign Office), input speeches by ROMAN DECKERT (MICT) and Dr. MAGDI EL GIZOULI (http://stillsudan.blogspot.com/). Also, a new production from the remix series SUDAN VOTES MUSIC HOPES (SVMH) was released, a new track by Tyler Pope feat. Alsarah and a remix of Youssif Elmosley (Edward Rmx). The crowd of guests enjoyed Northern Sudanese food and Southern Sudanese drinks, South Sudan TV as well as DJ-ing by EDWARD, KIRIKOO DES and WAHIB SOUMADE.

Opening of Media Academy Iraq in Erbil

On June 15th 2011, MICT openend the doors at their newly created Media Academy Iraq in Erbil. The academy's goals are to support and promote quality journalism as well as economic and editorial independence in Iraqi media houses.

Media Academy Iraq will provide continuing education and consultation individually tailored to the needs of journalists, editors and media houses. Training and coaching sessions will be designed and run by top class, renowned experts from Iraq, the region, Europe and North America. Continuing education programs will be held all across Iraq; wherever possible, they will take place directly in media houses or as "on-the-job training". Additional courses will be offered online or on Media Academy Iraq premises in Erbil.

The project is funded by the German Foreign Office.

Media Support and Voter Education Project in Egypt

In a common approach, the Canadian and German Foreign Office are supporting the qualification of young journalists in the run-up to the presidential and parliamentary elections in Egypt. MICT will implement this project and will further educate journalists in an on-the-job training in order to safeguard an impartial coverage of the electoral process as well as the elections. All produced content will be published on the website www.egyptvotes.org as well as in Egyptian media.

In addition, an Electionnaire will be provided. This online tool compares views on debated issues with the positions of the main parties for the upcoming elections and explains the general political and party context.

SUDANVOTES: Strengthening Referendum Coverage

SUDANVOTES trains and supports Sudanese journalists and helps them produce quality articles, photos, and radio reports from across Sudan. All stories are published locally in Sudanese media and they are available internationally on the SUDANVOTES website. Reports cover topics related to the independence referendum on 9th January 2011 as well as broader Sudanese current-affairs. Independent reporting will continue throughout and after the referendum period.

SUDANVOTES is financed by the German Federal Foreign Office and produced by MICT.

Afghanistan-Today.org launched!

The Afghanistan Today project brings together media professionals from accross Afghanistan. The website is a place for Reports, Diaries, Photos and Films from all parts of the country - made in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Today is financed by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and produced by MICT (Media in Cooperation and Transition). The reporting is unrestricted and independent.

In Afghanistan, the project is supported by the German-Afghan NGO, Mediothek.

SUDAN VOTES MUSIC HOPES Remixed

Yes to political participation! Yes to a peaceful referendum! The project aims to increase awareness of the 2011 referendum on the independence of South Sudan on an international level. The first release presents the Emmanuel Jal EP "Kuar" in two remixed versions by Olof Dreijer and Henrik Schwarz.

Several organisations have come together from across the world on the Sudan 365 - A Beat For Peace campaign to promote international awareness and advocate a free and fair referendum. The Sudan Votes Music Hopes Remixed project by MICT joins this global campaign.

tabadul.de: German-Iraqi Academic Exchange

The Iraqi-German scholarship programme will be run annually. Every year up to 100 Master's and PhD scholarships can be awarded if there are enough qualified applicants. The scholarship covers living costs and study costs, including German language courses. The programme is run jointly by MICT, The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) in Iraq and the DAAD in Germany.

Sudan Electionnaire

The Sudan Electionnaire is an online questionnaire that compares views on 30 debated issues with the positions of the 16 main parties for the upcoming elections in April 2010. A ranking shows how the answers match the party programmes. The tool is meant to offer more information before going to the ballot box.

WPI - Wirtschaftsplattform Irak

In May, MICT launched wp-irak.de, an online portal for German businesses and companies interested in working and investing in Iraq. The project is financed by the German Federal Foreign Office.

The website contains detailed information on jurisdiction, economic regulations and current issues pertaining to politics, society and the rebuilding and development of Iraq today.

WPI is realized by a team of experts based in Berlin, in continuous interaction with journalists, activists and business operators in Iraq and the wider Middle East.

Iraq Election Coverage Network

The Election Coverage Network is a voter education project for the parliamentary elections in Iraq in January 2010 financed by UNAMI. On July 5th 2009 a consortium of journalists from all parts of Iraq started the production of radio interviews, reports, and information on election issues in cooperation with a German-Arabic team of editors.

The project aims on providing the Iraqi people with background information about parties, candidates and details on the voting process. The products will be made available to a network of FM radio stations across Iraq and via Internet.

NIQASH

NIQASH is a trilingual website (Arabic, English, Kurdish) on politics, media and culture in Iraq. Since March 2005 an international editorial team, in cooperation with a network of Iraqi correspondents, researches and publishes background information on the following topics (in chronological order): preparation, holding, and analysis of the elections; constitutional process; formation of the government; regional politics and development of power; media.

NIQASH is a comprehensive and continuously updated archive to politics in Iraq, which for many experts in- and outside the country after 2003 has become an important source of information. Especially the authenticity and minuteness of the informations, as well as the comprehensive availability of "grey literature" is highly valued by the users.

Each week NIQASH sends out a newsletter with analyses of current political developments in Iraq to over 3,000 subscribers all over the world. To subscribe to the Newsletter, please send a message to wollenberg[at]mict-international.org