Media Re:public

What do 6 teenagers from 3 former Soviet Republics want to learn about Europe? My old long-time friends Jon Alpert and Manana Aslamazyan (at left, expressing their love for each other with the help of a horse) are finding out, as they travel with a group of young journalists from the South Caucasus (2 each from Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan). The journalists are all part of the team that makes an amazing weekly pan-Caucasus youth TV program called “Kid’s Crossroads.” The trip is taking place on Downtown Community Television‘s world-famous Cybercar, which was shipped from NYC to Europe for the trip. After a couple days in Paris, the group headed out into the countryside toward Lyon, where they talked to journalists at Euronews and to students from around the world at  the International School of Lyon.

The cyberbus is a travelling video production studio and talk show set – the visitors from the Caucasus hold “town meetings” where they can show video stories they’ve  produced at home and discuss them. At the same time, they’re filming and interviewing people everywhere they go. The trip is part of a project funded by the European Commission’s European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI) through a grant to Internews Europe in partnership with Internews Georgia, Internews Armenia and Internews Azerbaijan. Today they made it to Strasbourg and the European Parliament. If my previous experience with the Cybercar with Jon and 6 Russian journalists is any guide, everyone involved is having a life-changing experience. All photos by Jon Alpert.

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