INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTRE KURDISTAN

Eddy van Wessel stayed for a second training in Kirkuk, where he worked with a group of eleven journalists on how to make a photo story on illegal immigration. The workshop was a cooperation between IMCK and STATT, to inform journalists about the issues concerning (illegal) immigration. The training started on September 27, 2012 at the offices of the Youth Media Centre in Kirkuk. For STATT, Hazhar Taha and Goran Sabah gave the participants information about illegal immigration, statistics and consequenses of immigration for the immigrants and their families, while Van Wessel focused on the photo story and gave technical advice to the photographers. For photo's of the workshops see Facebook . They, and others, are invited to submit their photo stories for a prize and a place at a special exhibition in December in Erbil that STATT and IMCK will organize in coordination with the KRG Minister of Culture. The best three photo stories on illegal immigration will be part of th...

Kirkuk needs better photographers. That is why international photographer Eddy van Wessel started a three day workshop on 'Telling a story in a picture' for photographers in Kirkuk. The workshop started on September 23 and is taking place at the Save the Children building in Kirkuk, with twelve participants from different backgrounds. Photo's of the workshop can be found on Facebook . Van Wessel has already trained a number of times for IMCK in Iraq. He is a prize winning photographer from the Netherlands, who has worked in war zones, for instance in Iraq and recently in Syria. He uses his material and that of others for the training. A second photography training, on making photo stories about illegal immigration, will take place from September 26 in Kirkuk, again with Van Wessel as the trainer.

Kirkuki journalists started on May 22, 2012 on a 3 day workshop to learn how to use social media in their profession. IMCK trainer Sardasht Aziz will be training them at the Xandan hall in Kirkuk, co-trainer is Julie Adnan. This is the sixth workshop in a project of IMCK and Irex. The last one of this series is planned for end of May in Soran.

International trainer Marco Visser works with the staff of KirkukNow  to update the website where needed. He spends two days with the editors of the site, starting on May 16, 2012. Visser helped in 2011 to set up the website, which is informing all Kirkuki's about what goes on in their city. The site publishes news about the Kirkuki's in the different languages of the city, plus English. The website is amongst others supported by Hivos and the Arab Human Rights Foundation.

Editer-in-chief Salam Ibrahim of Kirkuk Now called his reporters from Kirkuk for a meeting to the IMCK office in Sulaymaniya. Kirkuk Now is the first independent website for Kirkuk, set up by IMCK. During the meeting on Thursday 15 September, 2011, eleven reporters were present. They discussed the achievements of Kirkuk Now so far and talked about possible improvements.

The team of Kirkuk Now on Saturday April 16 launched the news website in Kirkuk, to media, ngo's, politicians and others. The presentation was organised especially for Kirkuk, to give the website as much attention as possible. Project manager Jantine van Herwijnen and leading consultant Shwan Mohammed joined IMCK-director Judit Neurink (and Saman Penjwini from IMCK) on stage to give the most important details about the website, and to ask the Kirkukis to share their information with the Kirkuk Now team. KirkukNow.com provides the people of Kirkuk with independent news and information on what is happening in their city.

The first independent news website for Kirkuk, KirkukNow.com, was officially launched on April 14, 2011. During a press conference in Sulaymaniya, IMCK senior trainer Khidher Domle spoke about 'a dream come true'. Leading consultant of Kirkuk Now is Shwan Mohammed; he spoke of a website that creates a bridge for all Kirkukis. IMCK director Judit Neurink called the website 'from Kirkukis, for Kirkukis', as they will be invited to react, give their news and send their pictures. Pictures which show 'Kirkuk as you see it' will be placed on the website, next to news from the city and concerning the city. Kirkuk Now is published in Kurdish, Arabic, Turkmen and English, to provide all people in Kirkuk with the same information. The setting up of the site is possible thanks to funding by the Dutch ngo Hivos, the Belgian and the British government. For Kirkuk, the launch of the site will take place on April 16, 2011.

IMCK trainer and photographer Soran Naksbendi trained reporters in Kirkuk on how to make pictures that can be used for the new Kirkuk newssite IMCK is setting up. The reporters were taught how to make pictures that tell a story, and were informed on some technical issues concerning photography. The training in Kirkuk lasted two days and ended on February 4, 2011.

The 'Reporting on local issues' training for Kirkuk TV-makers ended on May 5, 2010 with a program of the items produced, and a group picture. The participants showed progress, and declared their happiness about the training and about the way they were able to work in harmony with colleagues from other media in Kirkuk. The two projects for Kirkuki journalists IMCK conducted, were possible due to funding through the British consulate in Erbil. Project coordinator was IMCK's Saman Penjwini, who was assisted in Kirkuk by Mohammed Kirkukly. Trainers were Hassan Rachidi, Xdir Domle and Robert Slagt.

Print journalists from Kirkuk started a five day training at the IMCK on reporting on local issues. 15 journalists from different backgrounds, working for different newspapers in Kirkuk, gathered at the mediacentre in Sulaymaniya for the training which takes place from April 26 till May 3. Trainer is Robert Slagt, who teaches journalism in Amsterdam and who has been working as a freelance journalist for many years. Co-trainer is Mohammed Kirkukly, IMCK's coordinator in Kirkuk, translator Ferman Fazil also from Kirkuk. IMCK director Judit Neurink conducted the opening.