The Media Literacy Caravan information campaign will run simultaneously in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan from October 24 to 31.
Global Media Literacy Week occurs globally during the final week of October each year.
This year’s theme is “The New Digital Frontiers of Information: Media and Information Literacy for Public Awareness”.
The campaign aims to enhance resilience against misinformation, manipulation and hate speech among audiences in the three countries.
Three organizations from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are participating in Media Literacy Week in Central Asia, supported by the “Cultivating Audience Resilience through Amplification of Vibrant and Authentic Narratives (CARAVAN)” project, which is funded by the European Union and implemented by Internews.
The three organizations will conduct local information campaigns and collaborate on regional events over eight months in three countries.
“The Media Literacy Caravan aims to empower readers, viewers and listeners to better comprehend the news, differentiate objective facts from biases, evaluate both sides of arguments and recognize objective reporting versus propaganda”.
In Kazakhstan, Timur Bekmambetov’s Private Foundation for Cultural Initiatives will kick off a campaign called “Factchecker: Exposing Lies in the Digital Space.” This campaign will feature an online simulator game, educational content on social media and offline events aimed at raising awareness about media literacy among Kazakhstani citizens.
In Kyrgyzstan, the Association of Community Media will introduce an interactive map to track misinformation and fake news, as well as conduct educational quizzes across 30 regions of the country. The podcast series will examine instances of misinformation and digital fraud, while the characters from the humorous comics “Akmat and Tashmat” will discuss the significance of critical thinking. Subscribers of media corners nationwide will have the opportunity to read these comics.
In Tajikistan, the NGO Ravzana, in collaboration with the factcheck.tj platform will host master classes and training sessions in companies and universities as part of the Nothing But the Truth campaign. They will consistently produce content such as long-reads, infographics, short videos and reels, as well as conduct online quizzes and contests and initiate a mini-marathon for microbloggers.
A key focus of the campaign is to enhance critical thinking and digital skills within the population, enabling people to identify fakes, assess the reliability of information and evaluate its sources. Additionally, the campaign fosters regional collaboration among media organizations, facilitating the sharing of experiences and collective efforts to combat disinformation.
“We aim to empower people in Central Asia to be more informed and better equipped to resist manipulation and misinformation”. “We strive to establish an environment where everyone can critically assess information and make informed decisions, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the media landscape in the region,” says Vadim Sadonshoev, the project manager.
The CARAVAN project commenced in the region on April 1, 2024, and will continue for 30 months. The goal is to foster long-lasting, trusting partnerships among those working to enhance media literacy and critical thinking in the region, enabling Central Asians to better navigate information landscapes, develop their opinions and make important decisions.
Over the next eight months, the three organizations will conduct local campaigns in their respective countries and collaborate on regional events.
The Media Literacy Caravan will be held as part of the regional project “Cultivating Audience Resilience through Amplification of Vibrant and Authentic Narratives (CARAVAN)”, which is funded by the European Union and carried out by Internews.
Contact information:
Tynyimgul Eshieva, regional consultant of info-campaigns of CARAVAN project,
Mobile: +996555755307, Email: [email protected]