Fulbright Update:
Media Academy convenes; State alumni event held
This week, the Media Academy, a four day seminar introducing peace journalism to 20 Moldovan journalists, got underway at the resort area Vadul Lui Voda. What makes this event unique is that the attendees are from Moldova, an autonomous region called Gaguzia, and a break-away region called Transnistria.

The event is titled “Peace Journalism Principles and Applications,” and is sponsored by UN Human Rights’ office in Moldova. I am the project designer and lead instructor.

We’re covering a lot of ground this week, from a PJ overview to PJ and refugees; PJ and human rights reporting; PJ and hate speech/disinformation, and PJ and war reporting.

Eugenia Cretu presents at the Media Academy

On the first full day, I discussed peace journalism reporting of refugees. Then, 

Eugenia Cretu, editor in chief of Radio Europa Libera (Radio Free Europe-Chisinau), who showed compelling examples of RFE’s refugee reporting. These included compelling clips about Ukrainian refugees’ flight to freedom aboard rickety westbound trains, refugees acclimating to Moldova by learning Romanian, and a visually compelling piece about a refugeewho started a dance studio. 

Nikola Petrovski, Un Human Rights program officer, presented the basics of human rights, including cultural, economic, and social rights; as well as the UN conventions and ccommittees that monitor human rights convention compliance. He also talked about the needs approach to human rights journalism vs. the preferred rights approach  which includes a focus on the needs of rights holders and solutions. Andrei Trubceac, UN Human rights officer, then discussed Dr.  Johan Galtung’s direct, structural, and cultural violence, emphasizing the need for reporters to examine the underlying factors that fuel conflict and violence.

All week long, I've had an eye on how journalists from these regions in conflict with one another would interact and cooperate. I'll share my observations about this, and the full details on the rest of the workshop, in this space next week.

Alumni Exchange Event
About 150 State Department exchange program alumni gathered in Chisinau last weekend to compare notes, socialize, and get some good ideas about how they can leverage their exchange program experience for the betterment of Moldova.

US Amb. Ken Logsdon welcomes alumni

There are numerous such exchange programs. Some send students to study for a year in the U.S. (FLEX), while others send groups of professionals to the U.S. to tour and learn best practices from their American colleagues (IVLP). I have hosted a number of journalism professionals, for example, at my university in the Kansas City area. 

Other than meeting my fellow State Dept. alumni, the highlight of the day was hearing about the efforts of these alumni to make life better here in Moldova. Cezara Nanu discussed her efforts to fund Moldovan businesses, while Victor Lutenco, who called his exchange program “life changing,” talked about how he has connected with other exchange program alums. Other presentations included Diana Grosu, who talked about the NGO called “Youth 2.0” that involves young people in Balti, Moldova in local government); Alla Rosca, who discussed “Speranta-The School of  Young Women Leaders from both Banks of the Nistru River,” and Natalia Slepuhin, who explained her project “Primaria Mea (My City Hall),” which engages citizens in local government and encourages transparency in the government in Chisinau, the capital city.

It was great meeting these individuals dedicated to improving Moldova. In fact, I expect several collaborations to come out of the networking I did at this event. As a U.S. taxpayer, it was a reminder that the comparatively little spent on these exchange programs is money extremely well spent, both from an American perspective and from a Moldovan perspective.