The Mediothek Afghanistan operates five provincial offices in five different Afghan provinces which provide various programs and services. In addition, the Mediothek Afghanitans conducts different hands-on programs organized by its main office in Kabul for which the “Summer Academy” is a prime example.
The annual Summer Academy’s program series, as conducted by the Mediothek main office in Kabul, is different from the other programs of the Mediothek. These programs don’t focus on the professional and theoretical approach of journalistic issues, their core objectives rather focus
on introducing and familiarizing Afghan journalists with crucial and fundamental social, political, environmental, corruption, and economical issues as well as on studying the role the media has in these areas.
The Mediothek Afghanistan conducted the first Summer Academy in 2010 on the topic of “Media and Environmental Protection”. The second Summer Academy took place in 2011 on the topic of “Afghan Media and Media Coverage Corruption”, and this year, in 2012, the Summer Academy has conducted a program on “Media and Afghanistan’s Economic Development”.
During the third round of the Summer Academy, the Mediothek Afghanistan invited professors, experts as well as analysts and representatives from diverse institutions of economical affairs and from Kabul University, from the Chamber of Commerce and Industries as well as from diverse ministries including the Ministry of Revenue, of Mining, of Commerce and Industries, of Labor and Social Affairs and of Agriculture. Furthermore, independent institutions were invited such as AISA or the Afghanistan Investment Support Agency, Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, Equality Center for Peace Democracy, the Institute for Regional Studies, Afghan Civil Society Foundations, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and US Embassy in Kabul. Their spokesmen shared their experiences with the participants of the program and spoke about their achievements and challenges.
Next to the 22 participants of the program, 150 members and representatives of numerous media outlets, civil society institutions, national and international agencies, ministries and foreign embassies took part in the cultural evening which was held to evaluate the theoretical phase of the program.
The general coordinator of the Mediothek, Mr. Hamidullah Zazai talked about the effectiveness of the first part of the program, both from a quantitative and qualitative standpoint. He valued the first phase of the program as a good step forward in the economic development of Afghanistan and he also talked about the following practical phase of the program.
Mr. Hamidullah highlighted the constructive role of media in the sphere of economic development and growth. He praised those who dedicatedly participated in the program and in the cultural evening and those who provided outstanding inputs and information and who shared their invaluable experiences with the team.
One again Mr. Zazai renewed the commitment and dedication of the Mediothek to fundamental social, cultural and economical issues and to the role of journalism as well as to the continuous provision of learning opportunities for Afghan journalists with regards to these urging topics such as the role of media in economic development.
The Mediothek has been conducting its annual Summer Academy for the third time and the outcome and feedback have been tremendously positive and promising.
The Professor for Economic Studies’ at Kabul University Sayed Masoud spoke about the potential of this program and valued it as a great success. He spoke of an incomparable and pioneer move when speaking of the fact that the Mediothek Afghanistan has chosen to conduct the program outside of the city of Kabul, in the “learning Center” in Qala-e-MuradBig.
The fact that the program is installed in the verdant environment of Qala-e-Muradbig – a green and beautiful place just outside Kabul City and less than 10 km to the north of Kabul – not only boosts the learning and educational value and the environmental value, but it also provides a great chance and open space for teamwork and activities during the workshop. He praised the Mediothek and its programs and called this particular program a wake-up call for media to turn their attention to economic, development and growth issues.
