This is the title of the Yerevan Press Club’s new project financed by the Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation-Armenia

It is known that the development of the free and responsible media in Armenia is being impeded, to a great extent, not only by objective factors (political, economic, financial), but also by subjective ones. The latter include, first of all, the absence of an effective system for the journalists’ training and retraining and the lack of developed legal framework. As a result, the media satisfies public demands insufficiently.

YPC project, that started on August 1 and will last one year, is carried out in partnership with the Journalism Department of Yerevan State University, the Journalists’ Union of Armenia and the Information Technologies Fund. The project aims at contributing to the enhancement of Armenian journalism’s professional level, assessment and harmonisation of laws and legal acts concerning media and free flow of information. The particular activities include: development of Masters’ Studies curricula and improvement of teaching level at the Journalism Department of YSU; conduct of courses on retraining and enhancing the professional level of the journalists practising in Armenian media; working out and lobbing in Parliament the package of laws conducive to the development of free and responsible mass media in Armenia.

Within the frame of this project preparation of a special literature is intended. It will include such themes as "Legislature and the Media Practice," "Management of Independent Media," "Media and Internet," "The Theory of Journalism and the Role of Media in Democratic Society," etc. The literature as well as internship abroad for the lecturers of YSU on "Teaching Teachers" programmes will enable to update the teaching process at the Journalism Department.

Three special courses for the journalists practising in Armenian media are devoted to the following themes: "Information Technologies in Journalism" (e-mail and Internet usage, working in local network, preparation of print publications’ electronic version); "Profession - a Journalist: How to Get Over the Conflicts in the Process of Practical Activity" (today’s situation with labour market, defence of the journalists’ rights in court, the interests of employers and employees in journalism); "Coverage of Foreign News" (Political Science and political analyses, political and state systems of foreign countries, activities of international organisations).

As for the working out of the new laws package on media, this became, especially for the last years, a vital necessity. And YPC, that in co-operation with other journalistic associations initiated the preparation of alternative draft-laws, will continue this activities covering a new legal sphere - that is, telecommunications and global information systems.

It is very important that YPC partners are respectable international organisations which will provide assistance of experts in carrying out this project.

The people, gathered in this meeting, were interested in the strengthening of the South Caucasus civil institutions' role in expanding of the regional co-operation as well as ethnic conflicts' regulation. The participants, besides the Yerevan Press Club, represented Armenian National Committee of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, Armenian Sociological Association, the Journalists' Union of Azerbaijan "Yeni Nesil," Azerbaijan Foundation for the Development of Democracy, Azerbaijan Foundation to Promote Development of Entrepreneurship and Market Economy, Georgian "Black Sea Press" news agency, International Center on Conflict and Negotiation, the Centre for Development and Co-operation (the last two from Georgia). Dr. Iain Elliot, the Director of The British East-West Centre (the YPC regular partner-organisation) was among the guests.

The meeting resulted in the joint programme aimed at uniting the efforts of South Caucasus' NGOs and the mass media for gaining peace and agreement in the region. It is intended that this initiative will be supported by all NGOs and media that are concerned with the future of South Caucasus' countries.