Dushanbe, Tajikistan, May 22, 2017 – Nurali Saidov, Secretary-Coordinator of the Public Council of the Republic of Tajikistan and United States Ambassador to Tajikistan Elisabeth Millard opened a three-day Media and Social Innovation Lab in Dushanbe today. Organized jointly by the Media Academy of Tajikistan, NGO Fidokor of Tajikistan, Internews in Central Asia, and the Association for Civil Society Development (ARGO) of Kazakhstan, this event brought together more than 90 experts, representatives of media, civil society organizations (CSOs) and IT specialists from Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to collaborate on online tools and mobile applications to support local media, social, economic, and environmental initiatives to enhance citizens’ access to information.

The Media and Social Innovation Lab is split into two parts, focusing on specific goals and activities:

1. ARGO Lab participants will study and disseminate innovative methodologies, instruments and approaches that can achieve a significant social impact through CSO activities. The participants will gain knowledge and skills in developing innovative projects, discuss social innovation best practices, and consult with experts on how to best implement their project ideas. Innovative ideas presented during the Lab will later take part in a competition to obtain financial support.
2. Internews Lab brings together people of different backgrounds (media professionals, IT specialists, civil society leaders and government officials) to collaborate on new technology solutions to address critical social problems and needs in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Nine teams from three countries will present their innovative project concepts (mobile applications, new websites and webpages, longreads, interactive maps, and others) and get mentorship support for further development and public promotion of their ideas. At the end of the event, a jury of media and IT experts will name three winners to get seed funding of up to USD 2,000 and further mentorship assistance.

The Media and Social Innovation Lab is conducted within the framework of Internews Access to Information project and ARGO’s Partnership for Innovations program, with the support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Innovation for Change.

For additional information, please contact Angelika Popova, Senior Program Manager, at apopova@internews.org or 992 (37) 2271361 (office), 992 (93) 514 2027 (mobile) or Skype angelikainternews.