UNESCO Media Resource Centre

The UNESCO Media Resource Centre (MRC) has been working since 1995. Over this period it has conducted various training seminars and courses for journalists. Journalists from USA, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia and New Zealand worked at the MRC. Every month it conducts English and computer classes for local journalists. Last year TV and radio courses were organized for students of journalism faculties of the local Universities and for high school pupils at the TV and radio studios of the MRC.

MRC has a permanent staff including the manager, public relations specialist, translator, computer specialist, technical engineer, TV and radio specialists. MRC has a set of modern computers, a TV studio with BETACAM -SP and S-VHS equipment, a conference hall, where it holds press conferences, seminars and training courses. MRC has been actively cooperating with state and independent media organizations, with government agencies and NGOs. Since 1997 the Youth Press-Club for journalism students and high school pupils has been working at the MRC. It has a newsletter called "Info-Centre", which is distributed among local media, international organizations, embassies and NGOs.

MRC cooperates with the Association of Independent Electronic Mass Media of Central Asia (ANESMI), Centre of Women Journalists of Central Asia (WIMCA), Association of Print Media of Central Asia (PMACA) and Internews.

In 1998 MRC created an NGO - "Central Asian Media Resource Centre" (CAMRC). The main aims of the Centre are to enhance the professional level of journalists and to consolidate media professionals of the region, to help journalism faculties of the local universities, and to render technical and consultative aids to mass media organizations. At present it plans to organize training programs on the following themes: Modern Management Technique in Mass Media, Survey of Media of Kyrgyzstan, Advanced Journalism, the Development of Democratic Process in Kyrgyzstan, Coverage of Gender Problems in Media.

Since local journalists are interested in raising their professional skills, the Centre is willing to establish working relations with foreign media organizations. It would like to cooperate in the following fields: in conducting joint training courses in sending journalists and MRC staff to overseas workshops in exchange consultations in Mass Media in participating in joint projects

A print version of much of the information contained in this Central Asian Third Sector Organizations section can be found in Civil Society in Central Asia (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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Last updated:    November 1998