Home
Subscribe
Internet Access and Training Program (IATP)
IATP News for April 2006
E-mail this pageView news from:
AZERBAIJAN
US Embassy Vice Consul Paul Jukic
answers citizens’ questions from the
US-Azerbaijan Education Center
in Baku, Azerbaijan
Citizens of Azerbaijan Discuss Visa Regulations with US Embassy Official in Online Forum
On March 30, more than 45 individuals participated in an online forum (http://forum.irex.az/) with Paul Jukic, vice consul at the US Embassy to Azerbaijan, from IATP access sites and Regional Library Information Centers (RLIC) throughout the country. During the online discussion in English, moderated by IATP and RLIC staff, Jukic answered questions touching on the application process for visas to the United States, recent changes in visa issuance procedures, scholarship programs, and the US assistance to Azerbaijan in the area of education. One participant asked about the general rules for getting a student visa to the United States, and whether the US Embassy conducts any activities to inform students about these necessary requirements. Jukic replied, “People go to the United States for different purposes, and for different lengths of time: to visit friends or relatives, to do business, to study in high school or university, to take part in academic or other exchange programs, to work for international companies… The Consular Section of the US Embassy in Baku only processes these sorts of visas that are for people going to the US temporarily.” He added, “We also conduct outreach to agencies in Baku which facilitate student travel and speak to interested audience. But the best way for students interested in traveling to US to get necessary information would be from the website www.unitedstatesvisas.gov.” The local newspaper Electronic Azerbaijan published an article about the event. Due to IATP-organized online discussions, thousands of Azeri citizens learn about US policy and hear the importance that the United States places on freedom and democracy in countries with which it has relations.
Local residents raise concerns
about local environmental
problems at the IATP access
site in Ganja, Azerbaijan
Residents Discuss Local Environmental Issues in Ganja, Azerbaijan
On April 1, the IATP access site in Ganja, Azerbaijan, hosted a two-hour seminar on local environmental issues for more than 15 people, including alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs, students of Ganja State University, representatives or the Ganja Education Information Center (GEIC), Union of Basic Geological Research, and active IATP users. IATP staff moderated the discussion in which participants discussed pollution in the Ganja district, especially riverbanks surrounded by waste products, dirty territories of other regions, and ways to address these problems. To begin the discussion, the IATP moderator gave an overview of the concept of pollution and explained primary sources, causes, effects, and solutions concerning environmental pollution. He noted, “The main sources of pollution are farmers using fertilizers and pesticides on their crops, factories using water from rivers to power or cool down machinery, people being careless throwing trash such as bottles and wrappers directly into rivers, and mines.” Discussion also included an exchange with Sevinc Mammadova (UGRAD 04) who informed participants about the effects of pollution and methods of eliminating it. She remarked, ”Polluted water also carries diseases. When animals drink water, they may get diseases, which can kill them. People can even get these diseases by eating the infected animal. This happens a lot in poor countries in Africa where people get untreated water directly from the river.” She added, “If there is financial aid, some ways are available to make people familiar with ways of solution such as using media services and hanging posters on the main streets.” Participants browsed through various online resources such as Pollution Prevention and Preventing Water Pollution to learn more about water pollution and other environmental protection issues.
TURKMENISTAN
From left to right: Mekan Byashimov
(UGRAD 05) and Jennet Dovletova
looking for newspaper advertisements
to discuss with others at the ARC
in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Alumni in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Address Human Trafficking Issues
On April 11, Zoya Prous (IV 04) led a two-hour discussion dedicated to human trafficking issues and solutions for 19 participants, including ten alumni of US-government-sponsored exchange programs, at the Alumni Resource Center (ARC) in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. Prous works as an economist and consultant at the State Trade Inspection Agency of Turkmenistan, and gained much of her expertise in human trafficking during her visit to the United States, where she attended several UN conferences of international migration organizations. The discussion was aimed to increase participants’ awareness of human trafficking issues in the world. The discussion also served to prepare five UGRAD alumni for a Central Asian UGRAD conference entitled “Migration and Trafficking in Central Asia: Prospect for Regional Cooperation” in Almaty, Kazakhstan on April 29 and 30. Prous briefly introduced alumni to the concept of human trafficking, which is defined by the UN as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer or harboring or receipt of any person…for the purposes of slavery, forced labour and servitude.” Prous assigned alumni to browse and find newspaper advertisements on studying and working abroad and asked them to explain why particular opportunities aroused their interest. “If not all, majority of attractive newspaper advertisements contain so-called “hooks” to generate a potential victim’s interest. Deceptive ease of work or study abroad, opportunity to travel on credit, unessential knowledge of foreign languages, opportunity to delay the visa, and emphasis on attractive appearance and the age qualification should alert anyone reading the ad,” remarked Prous. The alumni browsed the UN’s website on elimination of violence against women and the UN’s online portal on human trafficking, which are designed to provide facts on human rights and preventing trafficking in persons. Professor Jennet Dovletova of the Turkmen Medical Institute commented, “I gained useful knowledge, which will be spread among my students, relatives and friends so they will not get trafficked.”
AAC members plan their activities
for May and June at the IATP access
site in Dashoguz, Turkmenistan
IATP Establishes Alumni Advisory Council in Dashoguz, Turkmenistan
On April 1, six alumni of US-government-sponsored exchange programs, including Alumni Coordinator for Turkmenistan Myahrijemal Altybayeva (FLEX 04), convened at the access site in Dashoguz, Turkmenistan to form the city’s first-ever Alumni Advisory Council (AAC). The new members, Lyale Myatiyeva (FLEX 05), Merdan Bayramdurdiyev (FLEX 05), Tatyana Djiganshina (FLEX 05), Ali Hemrayev (FLEX 05), and Ashirova Ogulsoltan (FLEX 05), are among 28 alumni living in Dashoguz, a city of 137,000 located in the northern part of Turkmenistan on the border with Uzbekistan. Through the AACs, alumni foster freedom, open civil society, democratic development, education, and leadership and increase the access sites’ sustainability prospects. Altybayeva shared the experiences of AACs in other countries and the professional growth opportunities available through IATP resources and events, for example participating in cultural and educational life of the town, organizing and coordinating alumni events, and serving as volunteers and trainers in IATP access sites. Having visited the websites of their AAC counterparts in Karaganda, Kazakhstan (www.alumnikar.freenet.kz), Jalalabat, Kyrgyzstan (aaja.host.net.kg), and Samarkand, Uzbekistan (aas.freenet.uz), the alumni agreed to create a website for their AAC. Through the website, the alumni plan to establish collaborative projects with other local organizations to meet the Council’s goals and objectives, and coordinate their efforts, increasing the effectiveness of their activities in the whole region. In addition to conducting trainings on a volunteer basis, the AAC members will participate in IATP’s Web design course and plan to take over administration of the access site completely for one day on April 28, to get the management practice the members need to make a contribution toward sustainability of the program in the long term. Merdan Bayramdurdiyev (FLEX 05) remarked, “I am highly interested in sharing my US experience with local residents. By uniting in an AAC, I am sure we can make positive contributions in developing our society, and we see the IATP access site as a strong launching platform for our plans.”
MOLDOVA
Violeta Bejenaru works on
her
interactive presentation
Government Officials Discover Computer and Internet Basics in Chisinau, Moldova
From April 3 to 27, the IATP Training Laboratory in Chisinau, Moldova, hosted a Step-by-Step training series for 20 employees of the Moldovan Ministry of Health and Social Protection. IATP Assistant Cornelia Iacubovschi and IATP Training Coordinator Valeriu Senic conducted the training to enable the participants to use computer and Internet technologies in their day-to-day activities and improve the efficiency of their operations. The participants discovered basics of computer operations, learned about operating systems, mastered skills for managing files and folders, and explored different software. Iacubovschi explained how to create documents, edit texts, work with tables, and save information to various media. Then Iacubovschi demonstrated how to search the Web for information of professional interest to the attendees and send messages, images, and scanned documents via e-mail. Senic devoted part of the trainings to electronic presentation software. The participants practiced sending e-mails to each other and developing interactive presentations dedicated to various issues in their professional activities, such as reports and business plans. They also compiled lists of useful online resources for further use in their professional activity. Participant Cristina Triboi remarked, “This was the most interesting, useful, and, at the same time, the most understandable course I have ever attended.” By sponsoring the training, IATP contributed to the professional development of government officials and fostered use of information technology to increase the effectiveness of their work.
Tatiana Lefter discovers a definition
of health during Aliona Birzoi’s
presentation
Local Residents Learn about Medical Issues Online in Chisinau, Moldova
On April 7, the IATP Training Laboratory in Chisinau, Moldova, hosted a seminar entitled “Medicine Online,” dedicated to World Health Day and conducted by IATP intern Aliona Birzoi for 10 college students, professors, and employees of nonprofit organizations interested in medical issues. Birzoi introduced participants to a definition of health that is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Then she gave a tour of websites dedicated to different types of medicine: traditional medicine (www.medicina.md), natural-cure medicine (www.terapii-naturiste.com), and alternative medicine. The participants shared their opinions about medical issues in online forums; in particular, they discussed how to improve the state of their health and suppress viruses. Tatiana Lefter remarked, “I often worry about my health, but now I know how to find online all the information I need.” By sponsoring this seminar, IATP gave participants the skills and knowledge they needed to obtain information about health online and use the Internet for their professional and personal development.
KAZAKHSTAN
Prasolova shares her expertise
with colleagues during the chat
at the Independent Internet Center
in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan
Librarians Discuss Role of Libraries in Promotion of Reading
On April 21, more than 35 librarians, alumni, and educators from nine libraries came together for an hour-and-a-half online chat to discuss the role libraries play in promotion of reading and books. The chat commemorated April 23, World Book and Copyright Day, a UNESCO holiday intended to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright. Initiated by the employees of Begalin Children Library (BCL), IATP’s partner organization in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and moderated by IATP staff, the discussion focused on the most effective methods for promotion of books and reading, government efforts to introduce information technologies (IT) in libraries, e-textbooks, the challenges librarians face in using IT, and levels of Internet usage by library patrons, among other topics. Ludmila Lukzhen, the head of the Development and New Technologies Department at BCL, commented, “You cannot be born as a reader; you become a reader. As a result of development of entertainment technologies, modern young people are barely interested in books and reading. We need to popularize books among this at-risk group by enriching and improving services at libraries for them.” Tatyana Prasolova, director of the Central Childrens’ Library in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan, commented, “By enriching our library’s services with e-library and other online Web resources, we noticed a trend that the number of young visitors is increasing. However, more importantly we hope that gradually town youth will be visiting our library more often rather than e-game centers.” The library infrastructure of Kazakhstan is diversified and the network of libraries of the Ministry of Culture now constitutes more than 3,000 libraries. However, the public libraries in Kazakhstan are in need of a strategic course correction in light of the recent spread of digital and Internet technologies, transformation of different types and forms in patron service, and appearance of new media. As a result of the chat, more than 35 librarians and educators across Kazakhstan now have ideas and resources to fill in the void in promoting reading, and a better grasp of how the Internet can be used in pursuing this goal.
TAJIKISTAN
IATP volunteer Jovid Pisarejev
(rear) types answers provided by
Oghonazar Aknazarov, director of
the Ecological Center Pamir
(front), at the IATP access site
in Khorog, Tajikistan
Citizens Discuss Environmental Threat of Sarez Lake in Pamir Mountains Online
On April 28, Oghonazar Aknazarov, director of the nonprofit Ecological Center Pamir and Head of the Pamir Biological Institute, participated in an online chat entitled “The Problem of Sarez Lake and Its Significance for the Central Asian Region” with 14 students, representatives of nonprofit organizations, and alumni of US government-sponsored programs from five IATP access sites throughout Tajikistan. Sarez Lake, formed by an earthquake in 1911, lies high in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan and is held back by an unstable natural dam that could cause a huge natural disaster if it collapses, according to experts, as it contains over 17 cubic kilometers of water. Aknazarov, a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan, has written over 200 scientific publications about ecological problems and environmental protection issues. To begin the online discussion, Aknazarov gave an overview of the history and scope of the problem. He commented, “In recent years, the world community has started paying attention to Sarez Lake’s threat to security in the region. If destroyed by an earthquake, the whole lake will spill out and cause unprecedented damage across a 20,000-square-mile territory around the Panj and Amudaryo rivers in Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, inhabited by 5 million people.” Tojiddin Mirzoev, from the Youth Initiative Group for Protection of the Environment (http://ekogroup.freenet.tj/), asked, “If the problem is real and so big, why there were no serious measures taken to reduce the risk so far?” Aknazarov replied, “Academic institutions have carried out extensive research of this problem, a system for rapid awareness of population and state organizations in case of catastrophe has been developed, and special equipment has been installed for satellite communication with several institutions in Russia, Western countries, and Central Asia.” These measures are likely to be inadequate in the event of a dam-break, however. The online chat allowed participants to discuss one the major environmental problems in the country and region and promoted increased public awareness of the issue.
IATP users planted trees and
cleaned parks all over Tajikistan
in honor of Earth Day
IATP Users Celebrate Earth Day and Global Youth Service Day in Tajikistan
From April 19 to 21, over 70 people, including alumni of US government-sponsored exchange programs, students, representatives of government organizations and NGOs, and the general public participated in various events dedicated to Earth Day and Global Youth Service Day at IATP access sites throughout Tajikistan. Otabek Sultonov (UGRAD 96) conducted a two-hour seminar in English on volunteerism for 10 students of the Department of Foreign Languages of Nosiri Khusrav University at the IATP access site in Kurgan-tube on April 21. Sultonov introduced participants to the concept of volunteer activity and volunteerism in the Tajik context, covering principles for volunteer involvement such as commitment, dedication, reliability, honesty, and accountability. He also highlighted the website of the United Nations Volunteer Program as an example of an organization working for the global promotion of volunteerism. At the same time, Akmal Karimov (FLEX 04) conducted a two-hour seminar on youth involvement for 15 high school and college students at the IATP access site in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Karimov prepared and delivered a digital presentation on the role of youth in the development of society, discussed the importance and ways of increasing youth involvement, and shared his impressions about the life and priorities of young people in the United States. These and other IATP-held events promote increased youth awareness and participation in environmental protection and community service as an effective way of contributing to development of civil society.
KYRGYZSTAN
Zarina Moldobaeva, a nurse from
Naryn, follows the discussion from
the Independent Internet Center in
Naryn, Kyrgyzstan
Doctors Discuss Phenomenon of Brain Drain in Kyrgyzstan’s Health Care Sector Online
On April 14, IATP staff in Nookat led a one-hour online chat entitled “Brain Drain of Medical Professionals: Where Might it Lead?” for 23 doctors from seven cities of Kyrgyzstan dedicated to International Health Day. The doctors discussed the significance of improving the quality of medical services, training doctors, and upgrading equipment at medical institutions. The participants agreed that one of the primary reasons that health care professionals leave Kyrgyzstan is low salaries. For example, Adiljan Egemberdiev, the chief medical officer at the Nookat District Hospital, remarked, “During the last year, five doctors from Nookat moved to Russia, because they have been offered high salaries. Secondly, they were interested in working with the latest medical equipment. Lastly, they wanted to develop and grow by learning from other highly-educated colleagues.” In Kyrgyzstan, services at primary health care facilities are sub-par due to outdated equipment or shortages of medication and other medical supplies, obsolete diagnostic procedures, and poorly maintained facilities. According to the Department of Medication and Medical Equipment Supply under the Ministry of Health, only 20 percent of the needs of Kyrgyz medical institutions for medical equipment are met. While most medical institutions are subscribed to periodicals and provide training, doctors who have gone through a poorly equipped and administered educational system and lack specific information they need can greatly benefit from the Internet. However, most doctors lack strong computer and Internet skills. The IATP courses and online discussion provided the doctors with the opportunity to develop professionally while remaining in Kyrgyzstan, benefiting the thousands of patients they treat each year.
Sopoev’s e-referendum website
is now available at
ereferendum.host.net.kg
Political Activist Posts Website on E-Referendum in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
On April 14, Marzit Sopoev posted an e-referendum website to IATP’s server after a week-long Web design course and individual consultations from Country Coordinator Alexander Savchenko in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Sopoev is the deputy chairman of We are For Progress, a political party, and the vice president of the Progressive Ideas Support Center, a local nonprofit organization promoting civil society. Savchenko introduced six participants, including Sopoev, to the basic features of Web page editors from April 10 to 14 and taught them how to design a website, use a common programming language, create links, optimize images for the Web, and create user-friendly layouts. Sopoev created a website (http://ereferendum.host.net.kg/) dedicated to referendums in Kyrgyzstan with the primary goal of giving voters an opportunity have their voices heard. The website contains Sopoev’s introduction, mission and goals, an online registration form, a forum with a list of discussion threads, and links to other websites. Sopoev designed the website to begin an open discussion of the topic among government officials, representatives of nonprofit organizations, and the general public. Sopoev remarked, “The website already has over 30 registered users who are actively discussing the best type of government applicable for Kyrgyzstan. I welcome all to my website.” Constitutional reform has taken on a new urgency after the revolution on March 24, 2005, because many voters are concerned that existing legislation does not prevent new president Kurmanbek Bakiev from gaining absolute power and becoming as authoritarian as ousted President Askar Akaev. However, the country's new leaders have already found themselves in a deadlock on several issues, and appear to have no consensus on what amendments should be made or how much authority to accord to each branch of government. There are many hot discussions and debates in progress in the country, and Sopoev’s website will serve as a platform for discussion of them. The new website brings the total number of resources hosted by IATP in Kyrgyzstan to 915, representing nearly 6% of the Web content hosted in the country.
UKRAINE
Valentyna Kasymova gives a
tour of the website of the
World Health Organization
IATP Access Sites throughout Ukraine Celebrate World Health Day
In honor of World Health Day celebrated on April 7, IATP access sites throughout Ukraine sponsored events dedicated to healthy lifestyles and Internet use in medicine. On April 6, IATP Site Administrator Kateryna Popadyuk conducted a seminar entitled “Internet Resources for Learning Medicine” for 10 students of the Department of Medicine of Uzhgorod National University at the IATP access site in Uzhgorod, Ukraine. Popadyuk instructed the attendees in searching the Web for information of interest to them and discussed the importance of international exchange programs for professional development of future physicians. The participants explored websites dedicated to research in medicine, including http://www.apteka.ua/. The same day, Viktor Polohov (CC 01) delivered a presentation of the Supercourse Project for nine local public health professionals at the IATP access site in Sevastopol, Ukraine. The Supercourse Project (http://www.pitt.edu/~super1/) is an online library of interdisciplinary lectures to improve health training and research. Polohov demonstrated how to register on the website, use Internet-based distance learning materials, and join the Supercourse Faculty. Then participants searched for materials of professional interest to them on the website and explored online tools for communication with colleagues within the framework of the project. The following day, April 7, the IATP access site in Lviv, Ukraine, sponsored a seminar entitled “Changes in Lifestyle for Reducing Risk of Heart Disease” conducted by Iryna Berezovska (CI 00) for 10 local physicians and pharmacists. The participants explored an online magazine containing the latest research in cardiology (http://ukrcardio.org/), a medical electronic library, practical recommendations for specialists, and other useful materials. Then the participants shared their opinions on prevention of cardiovascular diseases. At the IATP access site in Donetsk, Ukraine, 14 local residents attended a seminar entitled “Urgent Issues in Healthy Lifestyles,” conducted by Valentyna Kasymova of the Donetsk Regional Health Center. Kasymova introduced participants to the factors influencing human health, including environment, active lifestyle, and healthy food, and gave a tour of the website of World Health Organization (http://healthinternetwork.org/en/) and other resources containing information on healthy lifestyles. IATP often organizes events around UN-sponsored observances to increase awareness of those important causes in Eurasia.
Massey Timber leads the regular
meeting of the English Club at the
IATP access site in Vinnytsia
Peace Corps Volunteers Teach English to Local Schoolchildren in Vinnytsia, Ukraine
On April 11, IATP Site Administrator Oksana Bondar received a letter from Peace Corps volunteer Massey Timber reporting on the activities of an English club at the IATP access site in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, in the winter of 2004. Since 2004, Peace Corps volunteers have been teaching English at the IATP site. The first task Timber gave to the students was to create an e-mail account and to use it to e-mail each other test letters. The next step was to find virtual pen pals with whom to communicate. Former Peace Corps volunteer Brian Benson connected the English club participants with students at the US school at which he taught. Timber wrote, “My students continue to write e-mails and exchange photographs with their new friends in America to this day.” In addition to practicing their e-mail correspondence skills in English, the students meet for two hours every Monday at the IATP access site. They are given an assignment to complete using the English language and the Internet; usually the students are given a task that corresponds to a holiday or special event. For example, on President’s Day, each student was assigned an American president and asked to tell the group about him. Timber remarked, “My students are learning to use the English language and the Internet while learning more about America. I am very thankful to have been given the opportunity to use the IATP access site. I am especially thankful to [IATP staff] who have been friendly and helpful to all Peace Corps volunteers. I will remember the IATP access site as one of the most pleasant parts of my Peace Corps experience.”
ARMENIA
Harut Nazaretyan (right) plants his
first tree in the schoolyard in
Gyumri, Armenia
IATP User Wins Grant to Plant Trees in Gyumri, Armenia
On April 22, more than 80 students and teachers of High School No. 11 in Gyumri, Armenia, planted 150 trees on the grounds of their school as part of the Plant Your Future project funded by Youth Service America (YSA), a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people. Hrayr Karapetyan, deputy director of the school, decided on this project when he participated in Step-by-Step trainings at the IATP access site in Yerevan in December. Karapetyan acquired the necessary computer and Internet skills that enabled him to type his project proposal, search the Web to find available grants by YSA, and communicate with donor organizations via e-mail. Hrayr sent his project in March, and YSA approved it at the beginning of April for a total of $500 to cover the cost of the trees, shovels, gloves, and refreshments for participants. A few days before the event, ten students of the school completed an Internet basics course at the newly opened IATP access site in Gyumri and obtained the skills to conduct research online about tree planting and care of trees from the websites of the Armenian Tree Project and the World Wildlife Fund, and shared information about tree planting and care with other students.
US Embassy Public Affairs Officer
Kimberly Hargan (center), Director
of SEUA Vahagn Shahbazyan (left),
and IATP Country Coordinator Khoren
Mamikonyan (right) field
questions from the audience
New IATP Access Site Opens its Doors in Gyumri, Armenia
On April 19, Public Affairs Officer Kimberly Hargan and Director Vahagn Shahbazyan of the Gyumri State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA) officially opened a new IATP access site at SEUA in Gyumri, Armenia. The new IATP access site was relocated from Yerevan at the conclusion of the agreement with the nonprofit organization Youth for Achievement to address the needs of Gyumri, Armenia’s second-largest city. SEUA had previously hosted an access site from 1998 to August 2005, when the site made the transition to sustainability as an independent Internet center (IIC). The combined resources of the access site and the IIC, now housed in three rooms, will improve significantly the access of Gyumri residents to informational resources. After cutting the ribbon to officially open the access site, Hargan remarked, ”This is a great opportunity for the region to be more involved and integrated in business processes throughout the country.” The event was covered by local TV stations Tsayg and Shant, reaching over one and a half million viewers throughout the country. The IATP network of four access sites and eight Independent Internet Centers in Armenia provides Internet access to nearly 3,000 users per month and training to over 200.
Tea Makhatelashvili (CC 99) shares
proposal writing techniques with
high school teachers at the IATP
access site in Telavi, Georgia
GEORGIA
Alumna Leads Proposal Writing Seminar in Telavi, Georgia
On April 19, Tea Makhatelashvili (CC 99), head of the nonprofit organization Shuamta, conducted a workshop on proposal writing for eight high school teachers at the IATP access site in Telavi, Georgia. Makhatelashvili is currently implementing a tourism infrastructure development project in one of the most important historic and architectural monuments in Georgia sponsored by the World Bank. The main goal of the workshop was to train teachers on how to write proposals for grants for the development of their schools and community. Makhatelashvili delivered a digital presentation guiding participants step-by-step through the entire grant process, sharing tips on how to research and develop mutually beneficial relationships with potential donors, create a development plan, write relevant proposals, develop budgets, and write letters of inquiry. In addition, she directed the trainees to browse such websites with tips on writing and winning grant proposals. Participants learned more useful tips on the topic, such as being explicit and specific while working on the project and being realistic when developing project proposals. Participant Nino Khutsishvili commented, “The Ministry of Education and Sciences is intensively carrying out educational reforms in the country. It will be timely if we win grants and contribute the development of this vitally important sphere.” The seminar helped the teachers learn about proposal writing rules and opportunities and get acquainted with the abundant resources available on the Internet that can help them pursue educational development projects and professional growth.
The website of the independent
Internet center (infobit.iatp.ge)
is now hosted on IATP’s server
in Tbilisi, Georgia
Independent Internet Center Launches Online Presence in Kutaisi, Georgia
On April 18, Lela Kopaliani, assistant administrator of the independent Internet center (IIC) in Kutaisi, Georgia, created and posted the official website of the IIC (http://infobit.iatp.ge) to promote the center, and its resources and services among local residents and organizations. The IIC moved toward sustainability successfully in September 2005 due to enthusiastic work by staff of the host organization, the Kutaisi Scientific Center of the Academy of Sciences of Georgia and thanks to a grant of equipment and funds for room renovation from IREX. Although promotion and advertising are new concepts for IIC staff, they have learned to raise the center’s profile through advertising campaigns and presentations at local educational institutions and other organizations. The newly posted Georgian-language website contains information about the IIC’s wide range of computer courses, Internet access, and office work assistance. The new Web resource brings the total number of websites hosted by IATP in Georgia to 510, while this is a first IIC to establish its own online presence.
Youth and IATP
- To date, IATP has provided services to more than 100,000 people under the age of 22;
- Each month, approximately 9,000 young people use IATP resources;
- More than 1,500 people under the age of 22 are trained each month in IATP trainings.