In thinking about Internews’ work in the Middle East, I am reminded of the Chinese word for “crisis,” made up of the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.” The Middle East is one of the most dangerous places in the world right now.

MEDIA IN THE MIDDLE EAST

At the same time, this very volatility has created the opportunity for changes there that could potentially lead to the development of democratic, civil societies.

Wildly optimistic, perhaps, but the dreamers at Internews think it’s an opportunity well worth pursuing. This issue of Internews Report describes Internews’ work training Arab journalists, emphasizing ways their work can reduce conflict. Other articles outline a new program in Pakistan, where independent media are emerging for the first time in almost 60 years, and a project in Afghanistan, where Internews is building fourteen radio stations from the ground up. Stories also spotlight the development of a media law framework for Iraq, and a project bringing Egyptian print journalists to the United States for training.