Focus

Amplify, Verify, Engage

Years active: 2021-present

The Amplify, Verify, Engage: Information for Democratisation and Good Governance in Eurasia project builds on IWPR's previous Norwegian-supported initiatives, including the Giving Voice, Driving Change project. AVE will continue to promote democratic growth, participatory governance, and cross-border cooperation, by strengthening civil society and independent media across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus.

Amplify, Verify, Engage (AVE) has three key objectives, through which IWPR will:

Amplify journalists and independent media voices producing verified, evidence-based reporting;
Verify reliable information by strengthening the capacity of civil society and independent media to counter misinformation and disinformation;
Engage civil society, independent media, public officials and the general public to foster increased dialogue and cooperation.

Established in collaboration with and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the project directly supports Norwegian priorities and values, builds on long-standing Norwegian supported programming in the region, and expands on IWPR’s extensive local and regional networks of independent media and civic groups.

Latest from the project

Political prisoners in Belarus infographic 1/8.

Belarus’ Political Prisoners

Even those who flee the country are liable to prosecution.

Ayten Osmanova arranges a colourful hijab in her atelier in Azerbaijan's capital Baku. The designer started her fashion business to cater for the increasing number of liberal believers who, like her, sought a modest apparel with a modern, colourful twist. © Lamyia Adilgizi

Azerbaijani Women Embrace The Headscarf

Islam is on the rise in the oil-rich, secular South Caucasus country and the hijab is a way to make a statement.

Project Highlight

Central Asian Analysts Meet Georgia’s Vibrant Civil Society

Cross-border visit supports delegates’ research and analytical skills and builds regional cooperation.

A microdistrict with more than 10 three-story buildings is being built in the village of Ivanyan, close to next to the base of Russian peacekeepers. Construction is ongoing to house thousands who have been displaced from the territories that Azerbaijan's armed forces regained control of as a result of the 2020 war. © Arshaluis Mghdesyan

Nagorny Karabakh’s Fearful Calm

Residents of the South Caucasus region feel subject to political maneuvering beyond their control.

High migration and low birthrate are the key causes of Armenia's depopulation. For the first time since 1998, in the first quarter of 2022, the number of deaths registered exceeded the number of births by 609 people. © Gayane Markosyan

Armenia Faces Demographic Risks

For the first time since 1998, deaths outnumber births, escalating the country’s demographic crisis.

Uzbekistan: Lack of Dialogue Behind Protests in Karakalpakstan

Experts warn that unresolved questions of national self-determination and social problems need to be treated sensitively.

Border between Turkey and Armenia showing a Turkish border tower.

Comment

Armenia-Turkey Border Set to Reopen After Three Decades

The plan to allow third-country nationals to cross is seen as the next step towards full normalisation between the two neighbours.

Tajikistan’s New Round of Media Repression

Detentions come amid a crackdown on street protests in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

A Ukrainian soldier walks past a missile from the MLRS Uragan at the frontline positions near Izyum, the south of the Kharkiv region. May 23, 2022. © Anatoliy Stepanov

Ukraine: Life in Occupied Izyum

Communication is sketchy in the Russian-occupied city as former residents try to locate loved ones struggling to access fuel, food and water.

IWPR ACADEMY

Newsrooms Countering Disinformation

IWPR film and online course available in seven languages is supporting young journalists across the Eastern Partnership region and Central Asia to detect and combat disinformation in their daily work.

Related Social Media pages

The Amplify, Verify, Engage (AVE) project builds on IWPR's previous Norwegian-supported initiatives, including the Giving Voice, Driving Change project. AVE will continue to promote democratic growth, participatory governance, and cross-border cooperation, by strengthening civil society and independent media across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus.