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

Gia Kharchilava, the UNM candidate who triumphed in Tsalenjikha, on a campaign trail in the lead up to the elections. © Gia Kharchilava's Press Office

Georgia’s Last Opposition Stronghold

With the United National Movement at the helm, the region is now a test for local governance.

Nursultan Nazarbayev ruled Kazakstan between 1991 and 2019. Over three decades the former president and his inner circle, accused of corruption and nepotism, have built a cult of personality around him. © elbasy.kz

Kazakstan: Nazarbayev’s Fading Personality Cult

Since 1991, the ex-leader has become identified with the state itself, but his status is now crumbling.

Members of the Kyiv Territorial Defense Unit are trained in an industrial area outside the capital Kyiv. US intelligence stated that a Russian miliary invasion of Ukraine is "imminent", but Ukrainian authorities have called the statement as exaggerated. © Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images

“Calm Down and Breathe” - Ukraine Downplays Russian Invasion

Experts say that Zelensky fears the impact on the country’s economy and his chances of winning a second term.

Pro-Kremlin disinformation in Ukraine has reached levels unseen since 2014, say researchers. International audiences are not spared as studies show that Russian state-controlled media that cater for Western audiences in various languages, such as RT and Sputnik, disseminate anti-West conspiracy theories. © Misha Friedman/Getty Images

Ukraine: Russia Mobilises Disinfo Alongside Military

Could a sudden increase in fake news be a precursor to real-world escalation?

Marin Pavlescu, 19, left his mandatory military service as he denounced that he was harassed because of his homosexuality, sparking a debate about the army and LGBT rights in Moldova. © Marin Pavlescu

Moldova: A Soldier’s Coming Out Sparks Debate

The case of 18-year-old gay recruit who refused to finish his mandatory military service due to harassment has set off a wider discussion about LGBT rights.

Ukrainian servicemen in the trenches near the town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region. (January 8, 2022) © IWPR

Photo Essay

In the Trenches of Ukraine’s Long War

As diplomacy scrambles to avert the threat of a Russian invasion, Ukraine is locked into a consuming, nerve-wrecking conflict against Moscow-backed militias.

Prominent Kyrgyz investigative journalist Bolot Temirov as he was arrested in the office of the outlet he founded, Terminov Live, on January 22. © Kloop.kg

Kyrgyz Authorities Arrest Investigative Journalist

Case highlights growing pressures on free expression in Central Asian state.

A view of central Kazakstan's capital Nur-Sultan, with the 105-metre tall Baiterek tower on the horizon. Previously known as Astana, meaning "capital city" in Kazakh, the city of 1 million was renamed on 20 March 2019 as a tribute to the long-ruling Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, shortly after his resignation. © Leon Neal - Pool/Getty Images

Kazakstan: Will Nur-Sultan City Be Renamed?

Calls for reinstatement of “Astana” as ex-leader continues to be blamed for legacy of corruption and inequality.

A Ukrainian border guard stands at the post in this undated photo.

Will Belarus be Springboard for Russian Incursion into Ukraine?

Troop deployment reinforces tensions ahead of war games planned for next month.

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.