Graduation 22 journalists from media for people project in Erbil

Mohammed Abdullah / Erbil

Translation: Mohammed Khedr

"now I have a brother and a house in every province of Iraq, I still remember the first time when I came to Erbil, I was loaded with hopes to became a journalist, and this time I am thinking after attaining my dream and became a journalist now become a guest of the Media Center after I was one its people "said Ahmed Saleh, a slight smile on his face.

IN November 2010, 27 young graduates from all specialties except Media departments joined the project (media people), that was held by the independent media center in Kurdistan, to learn the basics of journalism.

eight months later, a ceremony was held for the graduates of second session of the Media Project (media for people) that was held at the Alsafeer Hotel in Arbil on 4 / 7, it was attended by Minister of Culture in the Kurdistan Region (Mahmoud Kawa) and a representative of the U.S. embassy, and a number of journalists.

Ahmed shows the benefit of the course, saying: "I am an agricultural engineer, I had developed my skills in the agricultural press, and I have a plan to issue an agricultural magazine along with the manager of the agricultural guidance in Najaf."The session was divided into two parts, the first training, which lasted for six months students trained  onthe hands of local and foreign trainers to learn the skills and art of printed journalism, and the second part is two months of internship in outlets of media and newspapers.

Ako Mohammed a trainer in the center, who delivered a speech at the ceremony: said "good thing that the trainees have learned the two types of print and visual journalism, and this is a good thing for the journalist to know all kinds of media, but we has to be specialized in one of them."

The course included 27 students from the provinces (Baghdad, Basra, Najaf, Kirkuk, Irbil, Sulaymaniyah), but there are five of them withdrew for personal reasons, and 22 were graduated this year.

Bashar Kazim, one of the trainees: "I am very happy for the ceremony today, as with all colleagues in the media after obtaining official certificates of graduation, my feeling is that I am have a new challenge that I should I take the responsibility of this profession, and I will try to apply all the rules of independence "


Media project for people funded by the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Dutch and U.S. Embassy, and implemented by the Center for independent media in Kurdistan.