INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTRE KURDISTAN

Copy rights are a problem in Iraq, as nothing has been arranged by Iraqi law. International copyright laws are not adhered to, local ones are not implemented well. That has serious consequences for photographers selling their work. For that reason, IMCK has organized on Saturday 17th of March in coordination with IMS and the photography agency Metrography in Sulaymaniya, a conference on copyrights and photography. The day was led by IMCK-trainer Khaled Suleiman and Metrography Director Kameran Najam. Member of the parliament Saman Fawzy spoke of the existing laws in Kurdistan on copyright and photographer Chris de Bruyn gave some practical advice in dealing with copyright with international agencies. The conference did not end with talk only, a committee will be formed to research how a change in Iraq and Kurdistan can be established.

The media makers for the KDP organisations for students, youth, scientists and women gathered in the Safeer Hotel in Erbil on Saturday March 17, 2012 for the first part of a workshop that should help them improve their media. IMCK is offering them two workshops of 3 days each to make their media more attractive for the target groups they are meant for. IMCK's senior trainers Khidher Domle and Ako Mohammed will work with them on improving the quality of stories, and choosing stories that are more interesting for their readers. The opening of the workshop was conducted by the head of the KDP organisations, Sasan Awny, together with IMCK director Judit Neurink. The second part of the project will be conducted in April, to review the results of the first workshop and offer more advise for further improvement.

Editors in chief of Iraqi media visited on March 14th the workshop 'Women on the front pages!'. IMCK and international trainer Harriet Salm presented a two newspapers (with two front pages) in Kurdish and Arabic covering only women issues made by the female participants. The main goal was to convince and make the editors in chief aware of the importance of women issues on the front pages of newspapers. Women as an extra target group (almost 60 percent of all Iraqi's is female) can be the cause of an increase in revenues by selling more copies. The editors in chief or representatives present on the last day of the workshop were Karwan Anwar (PUK media), Cheman Musa (Avro), Abdul Razaq (Paymner), Luqman Ghafur (Kurdistani Nwe) and Adnan Said Husen (Rudaw). After seven days of training thirteen female participants were rewarded with an IMCK certificate. They learned how to write for a broader public, and how to recognize women stories that are worthy of the front

On the 24th of March, seventeen journalists from all over Iraq finished the third workshop of three on Natural Resources, that IMCK organised in cooperation with Mesalla and Kirkuk Journalists Group. Participants that finalized all three workshops were presented with a certificate. The workshop focused among others on transparency, details about contracts used in the oil and gas industry in Iraq, the water situation in Iraq, and on economical, environmental and social-political implications of the winning of natural resources. The results from the workshop are to be found on a special website . IMCK will choose the best story and publish that on its website and Facebook page. Trainers were James Gavin, Ben Lando and Khaled Suleiman, who is also editing the stories. The project was funded by Norwegian People's Aid.

Stories made during the Natural Resources workshop in Erbil, are being published on the special website for this project. The stories cover oil, gas and water.

Journalists and security police, they both work for the Kurdish people, was the message IMCK director Judit Neurink delivered to middle management of the security police (assaish) in Sulaymaniya on March 13, 2012.The role of journalists is to inform the people, like the role of police is to protect the people. About forty heads of units and departments from Sulaymaniya province were present during the lecture at the headquarters of assaish in the centre of Sulaymaniya. Neurink, who was seconded by IMCK's Saman Penjwini, talked about the roles of both police and press in a democratic society, and about the regulations put down in the press law on how journalists should be treated. Preventing them from taking pictures or making interviews is not in accordance with that law. IMCK is working with the Kurdish Syndicate of Journalists and assaish to improve the awareness about the safety of journalists. Part of this is the orange Press jacket that has been presented, and the developm

Twenty journalists from all over Iraq joined international trainer James Gavin in Erbil for the final of three workshops on Natural Resources. The workshop gives detailed information about oil, gas and water issues in Iraq. The five day workshop started on March 10, 2012 with a guest lecture by Ben Lando, who leads the Iraqi Oil Report website in Baghdad.He informs the participants about oil- and gas-contracts as they are used in Iraq. The project, in which IMCK partners with Mesalah and Kirkuk Journalists Group is funded by Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA). Earlier workshops took place in October and December 2011. The stories produced during the workshop will be published on the special website made for the project: Iraqi Treasures.com

International trainer Harriet Salm started a seven day training for female Iraqi journalists, to get more stories about women on the front pages of their papers. Even though almost 60 percent of all Iraqi's is female, only few stories about then can be found in the first (and most read) pages of the media. The journalists will learn how to write for a broader public, and how to recognize women stories that are worthy of the front pages. The workshop started on March 7, 2012 at the traininghall of IMCK in Sulaymaniya. The 14 participants for the course come from all over Iraq, and the training is taught in Kurdish and Arabic. Co-trainers Koral Noori and Khidher Domle will make sure all the participants understand and digest the material offered. To convince the editors in chief that women stories are important for their media, and will help them sell more copies as they will be able to reach an extra target group, they will be invited for the last day of the training. The

IMCK on Sunday March 4, 2012 started a two month starters training for print journalism. The training will run  parallel to the post graduate training of IMCK, Media bo Khalk, and will make use of the same trainers, Khaled Suleiman and Ako Mohammed. The training covers basic and civil journalism, and will prepare students for a start in journalism. All students are from Iraqi Kurdistan.