NEWSLETTER 1 -- autumn 1999

The Jemstone Network Ltd is a media and development consultancy, building on the work of the former Med Media project. The main partners are Tudor Lomas, Brenda de Jager and Lara Vahe Demirjian. The aims are to support and develop our existing networks, covering the media organisations in the MENA region and to extend our work to other parts of the world -- exploring the links between communication and development.

We need your help. We are working with the Global Knowledge Partnership, supported by the World Bank, to promote the second Global Knowledge Conference, in Kuala Lumpur next spring. GKP is a partnership of public and private sector organisations, ngo's and development agencies helping individuals and communities to get hold of the knowledge, information and technology that can improve their lives -- bridging the knowledge gap. Jemstone is constructing a database of journalists from around the world interested in the issues of communication and development. E-mail info@jemstone.net or fax us names and contact details now of any journalists anywhere who might want to attend the conference and know more about the GKP initiative. Also we want to hear about creative and successful projects in communication and development.

For example, Jemstone has a contract with the UK's Department for International Development to create and run a searchable web-site/database on development organisations in Jordan. A key element of the project is finding ways to bring internet to remote communities lacking even basic communication infrastructure. If successful it would transform the experiences of funders and those needing funds. Contact Lara for details, lara@jemstone.net.

The Jemstone Network Ltd. is organising a series of week-long workshops on independent journalism in the Middle East, funded by a European government. The first will take place in Jordan later this autumn and others are scheduled for next year in Egypt, Palestine and Yemen. Apply now at info@jemstone.net if you are interested in taking part.

News media for young people -- we are creating a network of journalists producing news programmes and publications for young people. The initial priority is a detailed understanding of the current provision, particularly on TV. Fax 00 31 35 523 1862 or e-mail brenda@jemstone.net with information on existing TV news or current affairs programmes for young people in the Middle East or North Africa.

The next Mediterranean Development Forum, MDF3, the biggest regional gathering of development professionals, will take place next March in Cairo. Jemstone has been working closely with MDF for nearly two years and will be helping to co-ordinate media involvement in MDF3, which is called "Voices for change; partners for prosperity"..

The Jemstone Arabic-language Style-book was finally published this summer. Our former colleague, Khaled Shorman, has taken responsibility for distributing it and the plan was that every Arabic-language publication should receive a copy. Requests for copies can be sent to info@jemstone.net or faxed to our Jordan office and we will pass them to Khaled.

tl/19/9/99