DUSHANBE, May 13, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- A two-day seminar for representatives from the Khujand based human rights NGOs on how to collaborate with media will open in Khujad, the capital of Sugd province on May 14.

Organized by the Office of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) in Tajikistan, the seminar is dedicated to train local human rights activists in successfully working with media and developing communication strategy.

The seminar is being held in the framework of the project, Building Central Asian Human Rights Protection & Education through the Media, which is implemented by IWPR under financial support of the European Union.

IWPR has been working across the Central Asian region for a decade, working with reporters, editors, freelancers and human rights advocacy groups in all five of the Central Asian republics.  Currently IWPR has three major programs running in all five countries, including Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – among the world’s most repressive regimes for media freedoms.  This programming links human rights activists and independent journalists to strengthen reporting and advocacy.  At the same time, a confidence-building initiative works with media, NGOs, universities and officials to investigate and debate conflict issues through publications, radio broadcasts and public roundtables and conferences.