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Story Behind the Story

The Story Behind the Story gives an insight into the work that goes into IWPR articles and the challenges faced by our trainees at every stage of the editorial process. This feature allows our journalists to explain where they get the inspiration for their articles, why the subjects matter to them, and how they personally have felt affected by the often controversial issues they explore. It also shows the difficulties writers can face as they try to get to the heart of a story.

Tracking Down Shady Passport Trade in Afghanistan
Abdol Wahed Faramarz
3 Feb 12
Clandestine meetings and confrontational officials make pinning down details of illicit passport sales a difficult job.

Visitors from Serbia laying flowers at a monument to those killed at the Ovcara farm. Yugoslav army soldiers took some 260 patients and staff from Vukovar’s hospital and murdered them here. (Photo: Vladimir Dmitric)
Vukovar Trip Leaves Indelible Impression of Horror
Iva Martinović
23 Jan 12
Serbian journalist recounts emotional visit to scenes of past bloodshed in Croatia.

DRC Rape Victims Waiting for Justice
Passy Mubalama
31 Oct 11

“After you were raped in 2003 did you go see a doctor?” asked Nick Kaufman, the lawyer representing alleged Congolese warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba, detained in The Hague on charges for war crimes and crimes against humanity since 2008.

Kyrgyz Politicians Fail to Inspire
Timur Toktonaliev
19 Oct 11

The process of preparing exclusive interviews with selected candidates for the presidential election on October 30 turned out to be an interesting exercise.

Local Reconstruction Effort Goes Awry
Maiwand Safi
18 Oct 11

I was going from the centre of Kapisa province to my own district, Tagab, in a crowded taxi one day.

Batumi is a major port on the Black Sea but many Georgian sailors venture much further onto the high seas. (Photo: Giorgi Kupatadze)
Georgian Sailors Brave Piracy, Bureaucracy
Natia Kuprashvili
16 Sep 11

A year has passed since 15 Georgian sailors were captured in Somalia, and while the Georgian and foreign media occasionally report on the subject, they mention only details, without describing the full picture of what makes our sailors take the risks they do.

Armenian-Azeri Dispute Shifts to European Court
Naira Bulghadaryan
28 Jul 11

Armenian journalists are used to writing about the Nagorny Karabakh war, but no amount of experience prepared me for meeting Arthur Badalyan.

Grave Corruption in Armenian Capital
Galust Nanyan
8 Jul 11

A few months ago, a friend of mine told me how he had to bribe an official to secure a burial site for a relative. I was so shocked that I began to investigate. As it turned out, such experiences were frequent; many Armenians seem to have gone through the same thing.

Amra Draginic, one of many young Bosnians who prefer to travel abroad than to other parts of their country. (Photo: Mirza Ajnadzić)
Bosnia's Youth Divided by Legacy of War
Mirza Ajnadžić
1 Jul 11

When in December 2010 the European Union decided to waive visa requirements for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), I knew young people like myself would travel abroad much more often than before. We have always been keen on travelling around Europe and widening our horizons, seeing new places and meeting new people.

Grave Abuse Alleged at Kabul Juvenile Centre
Mina Habib
23 Jun 11

On the television news one night I saw the story of a 17-year-old boy called Masud who had been killed while in a juvenile detention centre in Kabul.