INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTRE KURDISTAN

IMCK and Statt run a series of workshops on Illegal migration from Iraq   and the effects on the families left behind. 50 thousand Iraqis have been refused asylum in Europe with nearly 13 thousand Iraqis applying for asylum in 2012   in the EU   (UNHCR data) . IMCK trains journalists to practice responsible, ethical journalism and to broaden their news agenda to write about a broader range of topics.    There will be a prizes for the best stories produced from the workshops. In the first series of workshops,   ended today,   participants came from Sulaymaniya, Chomchomal, Ranyia, Qaladzia, Arbat and Saed Sardq.   The workshops are supported by Statt   Consulting who provides an expert trainer to give information about illegal migration.   IMCK social media trainer teaches the participants how to use the internet and social media for   news sources and IMCK lead journalist trainer Khallid Suleiman works ...

What does it cost to leave the country with the help of a human smuggler, and what are the results of that for the life of the family of the person who leaves? What does it mean for a country when someone who had a good education leaves? Is life in Europe really so much better than in Kurdistan - how much does one earn there, what is the cost of living and what is the comparison with the situation in Kurdistan? All questions that were covered during the one day workshop on the Economics of Illegal Immigration, that IMCK and STATT organised on October 24, 2012 in Duhok. International trainer Maaike Veen talked about the statistics and backgrounds. Goran Sabah gave a briefing for STATT on the statistics of (illegal) immigration. IMCK senior trainer Khidher Domle was the moderator of the day, and he worked with the 18 participants - mostly young journalists - on how to write stories on the subject.

Eddy van Wessel stayed for a second training in Kirkuk, where he worked with a group of eleven journalists on how to make a photo story on illegal immigration. The workshop was a cooperation between IMCK and STATT, to inform journalists about the issues concerning (illegal) immigration. The training started on September 27, 2012 at the offices of the Youth Media Centre in Kirkuk. For STATT, Hazhar Taha and Goran Sabah gave the participants information about illegal immigration, statistics and consequenses of immigration for the immigrants and their families, while Van Wessel focused on the photo story and gave technical advice to the photographers. For photo's of the workshops see Facebook . They, and others, are invited to submit their photo stories for a prize and a place at a special exhibition in December in Erbil that STATT and IMCK will organize in coordination with the KRG Minister of Culture. The best three photo stories on illegal immigration will be part of th...

IMCK and STATT conducted a second workshop of a day on Feature writing in Erbil, on June 7, 2012, with Goran Sabah (in the picture) as one of the trainers, and Khaled Suleiman as the other  Around 12 journalists took part, to learn how to make a feature story, and at the same time be informed about the different aspects of illegal immigration. The theme of the workshop is 'leaving home', as many young Kurds decide to go to Europe to find a better life. Many now get stranded because asylum is only available for those who are in real danger. Information about the subject was provided by specialists from UNHCR and STATT.

May 8 and 9, IMCK will start in cooperation with STATT a photography workshop on illegal immigration in Sulaymaniya. Many young people in Iraqi Kurdistan want to leave the country. But as visas are hard to come by, many use smugglers and buy passports with a visa. This illegal immigration has many bad consequences. Therefore IMCK wants to inform Kurdish photographers, journalists and bloggers about the problems, and organize a documentary festival and a photo exhibition on the subject. The photography workshop will be the first step in the project on illegal immigration for Kurdish media. Photographers have been invited to participate on how to make a good photo story. Eddy van Wessel , a Dutch photographer who has won international prizes, will come to work with fifteen participants from Iraqi Kurdistan. IMCK tries to improve the quality of the media in Iraq. STATT will be involved by providing experts on illegal immigration, who will provide the background...

Twelve documentary makers from Sulaymaniya and surroundings on November 22, 2011 attended a briefing with IMCK and Statt Consulting on illegal immigration. The meeting took place in the training hall of the mediacentre in Sulaymaniya. The TV makers were briefed on details about illegal immigration and its results. Documentaries by Kamaran Jamal about the subject were shown, and trainer and documentary maker Salar Sultan conducted a small workshop on how to write a scenario for a documentary.