Blogging Workshops show positive results

In the new age of communication, Internet is the new horizon for political discourse and it aims to involve all those who can participate.

With the support of Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit (FNSt), FreedomGate Pakistan organised an intensive training for its partners on “Political Communication in the IT Age & Web Designing from 10^th to 13^th February 2008. This training was moderated by Ms Gulmina Bilal. This seminar was in fact, an extension of the Blogging workshops last year.

 
Two consecutive Blogging Workshops titled “Political Communication in the New Age” were organized in Lahore and Karachi in 2007 by FNSt.The trainings were conducted by Mr. Abraham Olandres.

 A lot of efforts and energies were invested in this idea for creating political awareness among youngsters making them vocal using the modern and effective means of communication. Blog is one rightly identified tool to share news, views of the current times.

After being introduced to FreedomGate Blog http://freedomgatepakistan.wordpress.com, the participants were given practical information about the actual creation and working of the blogs.

Amazing are the results to know when participants have started informing FNSt office about their own newly created blogs.

Mr. Riaz Bhutto, a coordinator of LFP chapter Ghotki and Founder member of Future Youth Group, created his blog to highlight news and publish reports for LFP Ghotki, Sindh. The comprehensive site also provides links to other likewise blogs. The info and links are only a click away now: http://riazbhutto.wordpress.com/

Mr Dawood, FYG member was participant of Blogging Workshop in Lahore who dynamically expressed the hopes, views and vision of the youth through his blog “Jawan Pakistan”.

http://jawanpakistan.wordpress.com exists for creating, disseminating, and advocating knowledge about youth. The blog aims at providing virtual space for youth to think, share and interact on social, political and economic issues.

Mr. Nadeem Anthony from AGHS hopes to be part of the first generation of bloggers in political discourse in Pakistan and thanks FNF team for this training making them a part of this virtual world through: http://aghsblog.wordpress.com

Another Blog prepared by Member of Liberal Forum Pakistan, Mr Shafqat Aziz is also placed at: http://formyfreedom.wordpress.com for sharing the ideas on Individual Freedom and Social Responsibility.

The First workshop of this series was organized last year from 22-24 November 2006 in Islamabad. As a result two blogging sites came into existence. One was created by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan mainly focussing on the human rights issues: http://hrcpblog.wordpress.com

The other site provided a platform for all the liberals to share their ideas linking them together as Freedomgaters: http://freedomgatepakistan.wordpress.com

Through these trainings Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung für die Freiheit has almost trained 85 people in blogging altogether.

The diversity, vision, thought and connectivity in these blogs brings FNF a sense of achievement and accomplishment which it proudly shares with all the liberal friends.