IREX Tajikistan

An Anti-Trafficking Program for Media Professionals

The Eurasia Professional Exchanges and Training Program for Tajikistan, a program of Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, US Department of State, takes a practical approach to address one of the contributing factors to the trafficking problem: a lack of information available both to the general public, and particularly to potential victims, in Tajikistan.

IREX’s program objectives are:
1. To increase awareness among the media community about the problem of trafficking in persons, and improve their ability to cover trafficking issues in an ethical, fact-based, and objective way.

2. To increase the availability of information resources dedicated to the issue of trafficking, including publications, broadcasts, and web-based resources.
IREX will partner with three nongovernmental organizations in Tajikistan with expertise in anti-trafficking and media issues. The program will focus on developing professional media outlets that are committed to tenets of professional and responsible journalism. To build the most effective and sustainable partnerships, IREX will combine group trainings, individualized consulting, site visits, Tajikistan-based training, and Internet use, as described below:

• Training and Consultation (http://www.irex.org/media/tajikistan/training.asp)
• Small Grants Program (http://www.irex.org/media/tajikistan/grants.asp)
• Web-based Information Resources (http://www.irex.org/media/tajikistan/web.asp)