Arabia-on-Line: we�re running a series of workshops for senior journalists at this leading web-publisher, to strengthen and develop writing, researching and presentation skills.

Euro-Gulf: Jemstone has been hired to produce a detailed implementation study for the European Commission�s EU-GCC Media Co-operation Project, due to begin next year.

Euro-Med: thank you to the dozens of partner organisations that responded to our request for brief letters of support that we could submit to Brussels alongside proposals for new Euro-Med media projects. We hope to have progress to report in the New Year.

Dutch project: events in Israel/Palestine meant we had to postpone the Gaza workshop on independent journalism planned for November. The workshops in Egypt and Yemen went ahead on schedule and follow-up activities are being discussed for the next few months.

Arabic booklet on investigative journalism: we have now produced the first Arabic-language practical handbook on investigative journalism -- and a limited number of copies are available for free from our Jordan office. It is based on the English handbook we wrote after the workshop in Jordan and was used at the workshops in Egypt and Yemen.

Expert data-base on media, development and communication: Jemstone is being asked to recommend experts for consultancy and training assignments, either alongside our staff or separately. If you are an experienced media or communication professional, (in Europe, the Middle East or beyond) and you would be interested in such work then please mail or fax a short CV and details of your areas of expertise to our UK address below.

Media and Development: we have begun a research project on the links between free media and development, partly based on our own experience. A year ago the President of the World Bank stated that �a free press is at the absolute core of equitable development� if you have evidence to support this idea (or to dispute it) please contact tudor@jemstone.net

www.jordandevnet.org: this DFID-funded project is moving to its next, out-reach phase -- contacting development organisations throughout Jordan; for details lara@jemstone.net

New staff: our head of operations in Jordan, Lara Vahe Demirjian, now has a colleague Samia Ayyoub samia@jemstone.net, so the office is fully trilingual and staffed from Sunday to Thursday.

Jemstone is the biggest media training and development network in the Middle East. This Newsletter goes to over 1,200 media professionals interested in Jemstone�s work supporting media, supporting development. Send us names and e-mail addresses of others, in the Euro-Med region and beyond, who might find it useful.