Date: 23 November 2017
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Effective communication between civil society activists dedicated to diversity and minority rights and the media was the focus of a workshop held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on the 23rd on November. The training program organised by the School of Peacemaking and Media Technology in Central Asia, included interactive sessions and practical group exercises. The participating activists learned about the purpose of communications and newsbreaks and were taught how to make standard events interesting for the media as well as how to better interact with their audiences.
There was also a special session held focussing on freedom of expression, hate speech and stereotypes. The group learned how to work with sensitive content by compiling glossaries on overcoming hate speech.
The participants held a model press conference and practiced their communication skills through group games. Overall, the participants came away with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively communicate with the media. At the end of the workshop, everyone was presented with a practical guide in covering diversity, which were specifically developed for media experts in Kyrgyz and Russian languages.
Natalya Lyubeznova, one of the trainers at the workshop, emphasises the importance of effective communication for activists: “Acquiring the interaction skills is needed to establish contacts and relations, to understand the choice of ways of community target achievement, including through the formation of a favorable attitude, which will neutralize the public negative attitude, which was shaped due to various legal initiatives focused on the reduction of civil sector activities.”
The event was held under the Encouraging Diversity and Media Pluralism through Awareness, Toolkit Developing and Communication’s Workshop Project supported by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). The School of Peacemaking and Media Technology in Central Asia is a non-profit media development and media communications organization focused on freedom of expression, encouraging diversity and training on media issues.