INDEPENDENT MEDIA CENTRE KURDISTAN

 On 22 April 2012, Kurds celebrated the 114th anniversary of the first Kurdish newspaper, Kurdistan , which was issued in Egypt by Miqdad Medhet al-Bedirxan. Journalists and writers gathered for the ceremony at the Women Media and Education Centre of Rewan magazine in Sulaymaniya. Among the invitees were Stran Abdullah (Kurdistan Nwe), Dr. Sherko Man Gorie, Yahya Omar and IMCK-director Judit Neurink. Judit Neurink was invited to join a discussion in the centre about the future of the newspaper (in Kurdistan). The discussion was introduced with remarks such as that Internet is a replacement for the newspaper and that Internet misses the same power as the newspaper. The rise of digital media is of great concern to some for the future of the newspaper. Decreasing revenues through advertising and paper-selling are a big threat to the continuing existence of newspapers. So how can the future of this medium be saved? Judit Neurink noted two things that are relevant to the...

Around 50 social workers attended a meeting in Sulay- maniya organised by the Kurdish ministry of education to talk about using newspapers in the classroom. On Saturday February 28 IMCK informed them about projects (of NIE, Newspapers in Education) in more then 60 countries all over the world where newspapers are used in the education, and about the positive results on students and society. Together with editors in chief and the ministry the mediacentre is trying to initiate the program in Kurdistan. IMCK-assistant Jenda Terpstra explained during the meeting some of the lessons which can be taught using the papers. Social workers showed great enthusiasm to start on the program, which will first be tested in a number of schools in Sulaymaniya.

Around twenty editors in chief (or their representatives) of Kurdish newspapers met in Irbil and decided to set up an informal club to meet regularly, to discuss matters of mutual interest. The meeting on Wednesday February 25, 2009 was the third of its kind, and the first that led to a clear decision . Two commissions have been formed to inform colleagues about the initiative and to invite them to the next meeting. That will take place after the Kurdish New Year, Newrooz , in March, in Sulaymaniya . That is where the initiative was started by IMCK , in December 2008.

Editors in chief of six newspapers in Sulaymaniya met at the IMCK to discuss possibilities of working together on different subjects, and meeting on a more regular bases. During the meeting on January 8 2009 the editors of Awena, Kurdistani Nwe, Hawlati, Lveen, Rojnama and Komal decided on organizing a meeting with colleagues from Irbil and Duhok, to discuss the possibility of working together.