Focus

Amplify, Verify, Engage

The Amplify, Verify, Engage project promotes democratic growth, participatory governance, and cross-border cooperation, by strengthening civil society and independent media across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus.

Years active: 2021-2023

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

Residents of Nagorny Karabakh protest against Azerbaijan’s blockade of the Armenian-populated region at a Russian checkpoint. Tasked with enforcing the 2020 ceasefire between Yerevan and Baku, Russian peacekeepers did little to prevent Azerbaijan from setting up checkpoints on the Lachin corridor, Kazabakh’s only gateway to Armenia, and shutting down traffic of goods and people.

Yerevan Angry Over Moscow’s Inaction as Nagorny Karabakh Blockade Continues

Russia remains cautious as Azerbaijan’s block of the region’s only gateway drags into its ninth month.

The photograph of Davit Jeladze, carrying his niece on his back, knee-deep in mud, became the symbol of the struggle to save people in the immediate aftermath of the mudslide that hit Georgia's mountain region of Racha in early August, claiming 31 lives. Authorities have been criticised for the inadequate emergency response and the lack of early warning mechanisms. that could have limited the impact of the disaster. © Lana Jeladze

Georgian Authorities Face Scrutiny Over Disaster Response

Delays and failure to implement early warning systems blamed after deadly mudslide.

Kyrgyz activist Altyn Kapalova won a three year-long battle to give her three children her name instead of their father's, breaking rooted patriarchal norms in the country. The Constitutional Court's ruling in her favour sparked a heated debate in society. © Altyn Kapalova

Fight Over Matronymics Sparks Political Battle in Kyrgyzstan

President proposes revision of Constitutional Court decision after ruling allows mother to give her name to her children.

Elina Hambardzumyan in Stepanakert, with four of her six children; five of them are of school age. The start of school for the about 20,000 school children in Nagorny Karabakh is shrouded in uncertainty as the blockade of the region drags into its ninth month. © Siranush Sargsyan

Start of School in Jeopardy as Nagorny Karabakh Blockade Continues

Education institutions are due to reopen on September 1, but parents worry for children's well-being.

Aleksandr Kablov moved to the settlement in 2017. A shift worker at Kazakstan’s oil and gas fields of Tengiz and Karachganak, the 40-year-old lives there when he is on holiday. © Talgat Umarov

Kazakstan’s Eco-settlers: Turning Barren Land Into Forest

A group seeking an alternative way of life started planting trees; two decades on, they have created an oasis.

Azerbaijan: Opposition Figure Remains in Detention

Economist had announced launch of UK-based education fund before his arrest.

Adverts seeking surrogate mothers abound in Georgia, one of the few countries where commercial surrogacy is legal. The government is working on a law that would ban the fee-based practice and limit it only to prospective parents from Georgia.

Georgia Set to Ban Commercial Surrogacy

A draft law will strictly regulate the sector, prohibiting foreign couples from accessing services.

Participants attending panel discussion on Navigating the Future EU-Georgia Relations, Youth Empowerment, and Civic Engagement. © EYP Georgia

Georgia: European Youth Parliament Meets

Event provides space for information exchange and debate.

A large crowd protested when the Astoria Grande, a Palau-flagged luxury liner carrying Russian tourists, docked in the Georgian harbour of Batumi in late July. The visit reignited simmering public anger over the inflow of Russians amid war in Ukraine and Moscow’s hold over the country’s breakaway territories. © Nata Buachidze

Protests Over Russian Cruise Ship Embody Georgia’s Tensions with Moscow

Many Georgians oppose welcoming visitors from Russia until it ends supporting breakaway territories and its assault on Ukraine.

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 - from the Borderland to the Steppes 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.