New beginnings

The first elements of any new program always take time, research and trust in ones own judgement and the sanity of others around you.

Today, like many, my day started with a lengthy Skype conference with my project partners at the newly established (on paper anyway....) Kabul Post Newspaper

Just had I started to make headway the communications faded... Much like they did as a matter of day to day life in Iraq. Power cuts and destroyed infrastructure adding to the pressing task before me.

My colleague Wahidilla in Afghanistan knows exactly what is required for progress but like many new afghan journalists does not realise the effort required to get such progress moving. It will be a learning process all round. Afghans are motivated to achieve press freedom but they need to slow the pace of this freedom to understand the barriers and red tape that will need to be crossed and cut in order to gain movement.

Lunchtime: My dear friend Dany Asaad from Aswat al-Iraq is in the EU after fleeing from Kirkuk after even more threats and a kidnap attempt as he was on the way to work for the agency. He is short of funds and seeking somewhere to stay. I make hurried phone calls and emails and organise for him to visit a bar recently set up by a member of the Frontline Club and in addition I hope he has now gained himself a Blog on the Frontline Club website to get himself in circulation with the press in Europe. I hope something comes of it for him.

 I have been conducting my first ever formal interview with Dany even though I have worked and lived with him in Iraq for over 14 months. He only let on today that he was in need of help. Good old Dany. I hope I have been able to help. Image shows Dany in Iraq working as a Journalist.