Jemstone’s future will be decided in April in Brussels. Although the European Commission say we are “doing a very good job in the Mediterranean”, they might not renew our contract after June. Contact Tudor Lomas here for more information.

The relaunch of the rest of Med Media: we understand that various lobbying activities are underway but a relaunch before late autumn 1997 now looks unlikely.

Jemstone’s inter-active web-site is under construction and its discussion forum is already operational. You will find it all at http://www.jemstone.net

The site gives full information on all Jemstone’s activities, including this Newsletter, with linked details pages, access to back issues, notes on our future plans etc.

The Jimena Forums (one in English, one in Arabic) enable journalists throughout the Mediterranean, Europe and the Gulf to exchange ideas and information across borders without restrictions. (Forum details from: Dr Hussein Amin at AUC.)

We are looking for ways to make this invaluable web-site resource easily and cheaply available to our whole network and to all Jemstone ‘graduates’ (ie anyone who has been to any of our events). As a very limited first step we have decided to set up:

Jemstone’s e-mail network, offering free e-mail addresses to the first 50 of our partners and graduates to apply, the rest would have to pay a small charge. We will pass on to you by fax or e-mail all messages arriving at your e-mail address. To apply or to find out more about the e-mail network or the web-site:

contact Lara by fax at 00 962 6 740 683 or e-mail lara@jemstone.net

Jemstone’s spring programme, we have now rescheduled our next two events in view of the news from Brussels. Contact us now to reserve your place.

1 Evaluation workshop: a short meeting of the heads of all our 50+ partner media organisations in the Eastern Mediterranean, and those that wish to become partners -- to evaluate our work to date and make recommendations for the future.

Arrive Monday 21st April, leave late Thursday 24th or Friday 25th -- in Jordan.

2 New management structures for the media: a week-long practical workshop, in association with Cyprus Broadcasting, to investigate and discuss better media management structures for coping with the new challenges to the media.

Arrive Sunday 18th May, leave Saturday 24th, -- in Cyprus.

Jemstone Magazine: this will be produced after the April ‘Heads of Network Partners’ workshop -- fax us the topics of articles you would like to see in it.

Progress continues on the Arabic-language style-book and establishing in-house training departments. Contact khaled@jemstone.net or by fax 00 962 6 740 683 .

Barcelona Follow-up: Jemstone has been invited to various meetings in The Hague and Malta -- if you have views on Euro-Med partnership issues that you wish us to put forward for you then let us know here as soon as possible.