DOTCOM

Through DOTCOM, 90 Armenian, American, and Azerbaijani students will explore youth issues through the lens of media, ultimately creating their own documentaries, digital stories, short films, public service announcements (PSAs) and other media for distribution internationally. The organisations supporting the programme will use the media created by youth to advocate for the issues addressed during the programme, to the end of (hopefully) raising awareness and fostering civic action.

The 90 participants are working online to explore media literacy and the role that web-based social networking can play in changing stereotypes and perceptions. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is here intended to enable connection - even in the face of negative stereotypes of the other perpetuated by the national media in Armenia and Azerbaijan. The idea is that, even if separated by geopolitical divides, the bloggers will be able to glimpse into each other's lives and perhaps develop bridges of understanding.

Among these students, 10 from each country were selected to participate in advanced media training in Vermont and Washington, DC, in July 2009. These students were selected based on their commitment to the programme, grasp of media literacy, and willingness to engage constructively in cross-cultural dialogue. The American students will then travel to Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Georgia for a regional media conference to showcase their work to a global audience and to work with their DOTCOM peers to motivate change in their communities. Specifically, they will head to the South Caucasus in March 2010. Among their activities in the region will be participation in the 2010 Social Media for Social Change conference, sponsored by PH International and the Open Society Foundation in Georgia (for further information, click here).

Students not selected for the physical exchange will remain engaged online through the programme forums, and will vie for mini-grants to implement civic initiatives. These community service projects with youth and community groups in the US and abroad will be designed to provide an opportunity for students to engage in community service in a tangible, concrete way with their DOTCOM peers.

Media produced during the programme will be released via the internet and through a network of global non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and media organisations, using Web 2.0 tools such as personal blogs, mySpace, Flickr, and YouTube to reach audiences worldwide. A participant-run weblog is an online community providing an open exchange of news and images from participants' communities and countries, allowing for dialogue and exchange among participants on current events and social issues. The DOTCOM YouTube channel, Facebook page, and website provide further information and means of interaction.

Youth, Conflict, Media Literacy.

According to organisers, nearly 15 years after a ceasefire agreement put the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh on hold, a lasting peace remains elusive and few citizens of either country have the opportunity to meet or communicate with the other.

In 1985, three people in a small town in Vermont shared the idea that personal contact between people of the US and Soviet Union could help ease the tensions of the Cold War. "Project Harmony" began with the exchange of student choir groups between high schools in America and the Soviet Union in the spring of 1985. Other youth performing arts exchanges followed, with the goal of breaking down walls and building personal relationships through musical exchanges. Since then, PH has grown to have offices in 6 countries and embrace a wide variety of educational programmes for American and overseas participants. As its network of US and overseas partners grew, PH built professional development programmes focused on building the capacity of citizens to support democratic institutions in their communities. As early as the late 1990s, PH realised that access to information is a key to breaking down the stereotypes and barriers that separate people, and began working on ICT programmes.