Writing for IWPR in Afghanistan

In the last six months, IWPR's work in Afghanistan - which began shortly before the fall of the Taleban - has continued to strengthen media in the country.

Two reporters have written below about their personal experience of working for IWPR, describing the difference it has made to them and their lives.

Mohammad Ilyas Dayee

I have been writing stories for IWPR for the past year, and have produced many reports on different issues.

When IWPR came to Helmand in 2007, I was working as a reporter with Salaam Watandar Radio in Lashkar Gah, the capital.

"If IWPR had never come to the province, the rays of journalism would not have penetrated so far into Helmand's gloom"
Mohammad Ilyas Dayee, IWPR reporter

But at that time I did not really know what news was, never mind war reporting.

If IWPR had never come to the province, the rays of journalism would not have penetrated so far into Helmand's gloom.

If IWPR had not come to Helmand, who would have made the foreign forces afraid of what they were doing? Who would have made them think, "Wait, there are media organizations watching?

I have a good example: the report of Aziz Ahmad Tassal on the massacre in Garmseer.

Who besides IWPR would have revealed what happened in the village of Toube? Who would have told of the families that were killed?

If IWPR were not in Helmand, who would have got into Taleban-controlled Musa Qala district to tell the stories of the people living there?

I want to say that if it were not for IWPR and their efforts in Helmand, all these sad stories would remain untold.

Tassal went to Musa Qala in November last year, where he talked to the Taleban, which had occupied the town since February 2007. In the article Musa Qala: The Shape of Things to Come, published on November 27, he spoke to residents about conditions in the town.

British forces along with the Afghan National Army soon began an attack to free Musa Qala from the Taleban. They succeeded in pushing out the Islamic radicals and their victory was held up as a major turning point in the war against the insurgents.

The journalist later returned to Musa Qala to find that while many residents were pleased to see the back of the Taleban, they were now distrustful of government and foreign forces.

Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi 

After the collapse of the Taleban in 2001, at the very beginning of the effort to democratise Afghanistan, many organisations were trying to establish an infrastructure for the development of independent media in the country.

During the nine-year Soviet war in Afghanistan in the Eighties, the media was dominated by the state-controlled outlets which were seen as the regime's propaganda machines.

"In October 2003, I attended IWPR's ten-day training course in Mazar-e-Sharif, and learned real journalism"
Sayed Yaqub Ibrahimi, journalist

In the years that followed, a very weak form of journalism began to take shape.

These were the circumstances under which I began my career as a journalist, in a local publication in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif.

It was the end of 2002, one year after the Taleban were defeated following the US-led invasion of the country.

In those days, there was no tradition of independent media. Most of the media belonged to one or another of the jihadi factions to be found the country, and working in a media outlet was akin to being a member of that group.

It was not possible to write in an impartial and multi-dimensional way about the then current issues in the north of Afghanistan. Most media outlets were not interested in publishing stories that could expose them to danger. Although the north of the country was a hot centre of news, I could not write about all the things that were happening.

However, I made the effort to learn the basics of journalism, and then tried to find a media outlet that would not be afraid to publish what I wrote.

IWPR was the best opportunity for such work.

When in October 2003, I attended IWPR's ten-day training course in Mazar-e-Sharif, I learned real journalism.

"Because of my work with IWPR, I can say that I am now in a position that I could not even have imagined six years ago"
said Ibrahimi

The theory that they taught was very interesting and important, but the thing that made IWPR different from all the other organisations was the fact that they also implemented that theory by publishing journalists' work.

I have now written for IWPR for more than five years. During that time I have been threatened and have been exposed to a lot of danger. But the courage of this media organisation in publishing my work has given me the courage to go on.

I am very happy working with this organisation, because now many international media outlets and institutions have come to know me as a result.

In March 2008, I received an International Freedom of Speech Award from the Italian Journalists' Association for my reports. The International Federation of Journalists in Brussels has made me an honorary member.

Because of my work with IWPR, I can say that I am now in a position that I could not even have imagined six years ago.