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Proposal from knightcontest.com

Message Text:

Mobile News Coverage for Ethnic Minority Communities in Georgia (Post Soviet Country in Eastern Europe)

Primary Contact Name

Ms. Rusudan Tsereteli

Describe your project

The rights of the ethnic and religious minorities to maintain and develop their culture and traditions are not satisfied in Georgia. Starting life over in an unfamiliar country and culture is never easy, and ethnic minorities` arrivals have encountered their share of challenges in their new communities. The ethnic and religion minorities have settled in small communities around the country. But they tend to feel isolated, due to lack of social integration. The project aims to create mobile news and mobile video reports for minority communities in Georgia and distribute them via cell phones using 3G (Third Generation Network). This project will focus on Ossetian, Abkhazian and Meshketian Turks communities and will help to improve the lives of target communities where they live, work and vote. Within the frame of the project it is planned to create special mobile news for minority communities in order to strengthen them to participate in country’s social-political life more actively. The weekly news will be prepared by young adults from minority communities and will cover the issues that interest them. In parallel, the minorities will also prepare their own mobile video reports - ``My Mobile Story,`` where they will report on their culture and traditions and also identify priorities for their social integration with major population. The mobile reports - ``My Mobile Story,`` alongside with mobile news will be distributed on the wide used digital equipment, the cell phones. ``My Mobile Story,`` will be also voted on the public and the best will be rebroadcast on local TV channel. Meanwhile, the project will also have own webpage to arrange forum discussion - ``Internet Round Table`` with participation of representatives from target communities, and authorities. Objectives Promoting freedom of expression in the target communities: • Mobile News will be the tribune for minority population and NGO representatives; • Increasing the role of local media in ensuring the accountability of the government of the regions.

Primary Contact Email

rtsereteli@gmail.com

Organization or Business Name

Who would want to use it and why?

By using mobile coverage, the minority communities will strengthen the skills to represent themselves and integrate with major population.

Why are you the best person or organization to develop this project?

Ms. Tsereteli, the project author has 10 years experience in journalism and has covered ethnic communities’ issue. Meanwhile, she has been editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Rustavi-Info, published three times a week from 1997- 2004. She visited the United States several times, first as an intern at a small, local newspaper, the Times-Republican, in Iowa. She was also a finalist in the US State Department’s Community Connections exchange program. Upon returning to Georgia, She was accepted to the newly opened, first-of-its- kind graduate program in journalism, the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs. This US-funded program has an American academic director and American curriculum. The program awarded Ms. Tsereteli a US-equivalent Master’s Degree in Journalism and Media Management in 2002. She also participated in the International Journalism exchange program in 2003, sponsored and organized by the American Society of Newspapers Editors and the international Center for Journalists, and was assigned one month to the Akron Beacon Journal in Ohio. During her participation in the International Journalism Exchange Program she initiated the idea to establish the International Editors Association (IEA) with its own newswire (IEA Wire), a unique source of daily coverage. In June, 2004 she had training in a public private program in Washington DC. The training course was focused on the role of mass media in the privatization process. In 2005 she was Nieman Fellow in Journalism at Harvard University. She was the first person from her country, as well as the Caucasus, to receive such an honor. In 2006 she completed World Press Institute Fellow in Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota. Moreover, Ms. Tsereteli has 3 years experience in project management. In 2003 she opened School of Journalism which is supported by the United States Embassy and also undertook several projects sponsored by the World Press Freedom Committee, Open Society – Georgian Foundation, and P

U.S. State

Country

Georgia

What potentially bigger thing might happen if everything went perfectly and the stars all aligned?

If everything went perfectly institutional capacity of ethnic minority communities would be developed and their social lives would be improved as well as involvement in the governance and decision-making process would be strengthened.

How will you be able to measure whether or not your project has really made a difference?

Project director will create Logframe of Project Planning Process (PPP) where all implementing activities will be indicated in order to measure accountability, performance, quality standards and learning. Meanwhile, framework for Monitoring and Evaluation can be used for preparation of monitoring and evaluation plan, reporting and feedback, managing, surveys, field visits, data collection and analysis. The project will follow subsequent types of the evaluation: A self-evaluation (sometimes called a mid-term management review) will be conducted entirely by project staff involved in an operation/implementation. An external evaluation will be conducted with assistance of external consultant and involvement of target communities. All this will give the opportunity to measure the difference and conduct the project successfully. Moreover, the project director will receive monthly report in written form from target communities (each target community will have a local/team leader who will be able to report on differences, challenges and lessons learned) where the outcomes/impact as well as further steps for improvement (in case of need) will be described.

Web site

Requested amount from Knight News Challenge

$650000

What unmet need does your proposal answer?

This proposal will strengthen the development and integration process of ethnic minority communities that help to response the need to break their social, religion and cultural isolation. In addition, the local problems specific for the minority communities will be identified in order to aware local authorities of these problems; women’s involvement in social-political processes and revealing women’s initiatives will be supported; religious and ethnic issues of the region will be publicized and the media accessibility will be ensured for these themes.

Total cost of project, including all sources of funding

$650000

What specific, unique opportunity do you see that will make this project more successful than others trying to fill that general

To involve cell phone technology in project implementation is an innovation and unique opportunity. This project will be the first in all post-soviet countries that will use mobile phones for project activities as well as promote digital media participation in communities’ life. The cell phones are wide used in Georgia; 70% of the population has access to them and the success of the project is also depends on it. The information via cell phones will be spread fast, timely and cover the majority of the population which is essential to answer unmet needs. As a result, the project will attract more partners, stakeholders, international or local non-governmental organizations who will raise interest and support for this initiative. In parallel, the idea of this proposal (to strengthen minority communities) is also unique, specific and very crucial for minority communities as well as the country for its institutional developing.

Expected amount of time to complete project (in whole years):

1years

How will people learn about what you are doing?

The special website will be created specifically for promotion of this project. At the same time, special field visits in the target minority communities will be planned. In parallel, promotion booklets and leaflets will be printed describing project goal, mission and activities. All these will be distributed free of charge. Meanwhile, the population of Georgia will receive special news on the project via cell phones. At the same time, close cooperation with media will be established. In addition, the minority’s representatives from target communities will also promote this project with ``My Mobile Story`` telling.

Do you have any other funding or investment? We’re interested in knowing who else is interested in your project.

The investment of this project is basic computer equipment, office space, and several vehicles, skilful, well-trained and professional human resources speaking in different foreign languages who will be involved in project implementation.

Are you working with anyone else to complete this project? If so, please give names and what they would do?

Ms. Rusudan Tsereteli is a primary responsible person to complete this project; she also will be a project director. The special discussions are conducted with the following people who give suggestions around the project. These people are: Mr. George Kopaleishvili, has 9 years professional work experience. He was working at Press and Information Sections of Diplomatic Missions in Georgia such as the U.S. and British Embassies. Also at various USAID funded organizations, those were providing technical assistance for Georgian Businesses and people. He also worked for the Department of Information and Press of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia as a Third Secretary and Assistant to Deputy Foreign Minister. He already has both Bachelor and another Master in Public Relations from the Georgian technical University, Humanitarian-Technical Faculty. Currently, he is studying at Suffolk University in Boston to pursue master's degree in Public Administration. He will be consultant of the project in planning and monitoring. Mr. Tamaz Okropiridze, was a manager of the local newspaper in Georgia. He graduated Tbilisi State University and holds M.A. in Georgian Language and Literature, later he completed TACIS College of Management. He has been co-author of different projects funded by the U.S. Embassy’s grant programs, Open Society of Georgia and USAID/World Learning. He will be the project coordinator.

Who else is working in this area? How does your work fit into the larger context of work in this area?

In general, several local non-governmental organizations have been working there. At the same time, European Center for Minority Issues has also conducted practice-oriented researches from time to time. Our cooperation with them will be based on information sharing and promotion of our project’s goal and activities. Moreover, our activities will not be duplication of different projects which are currently conducted in target community due to this project’s different mission - to build stronger ethnic minority communities through innovation in digital media applied to journalism. This mission will give strong possibility to be successfully fitted into the larger context of working area.

What do you guarantee will happen if you complete the activities in this proposal?

If the activates are completed in this proposal the communities will be empowered to be informed on the issues of that matter most in integration and in country’s social-political life. In parallel, project`s idea will affect people in target community. As a result, the purpose of the Knight News Challenge - to spur innovation in the delivery of information and news using digital media - will be also fulfilled.