NETHERLANDS/IRAN: MEDIA PROJECTS TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 002634 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM EUN PREL IR NL SUBJECT: NETHERLANDS/IRAN: MEDIA PROJECTS TO PROMOTE DEMOCRACY THE HAGUE 00002634 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: Eleven Dutch-funded Iranian media projects, worth over 13 million Euros, have moved into the operational phase. The projects, begun in early 2006 at the behest of the Dutch parliament, represent the broadest Dutch media diversity efforts anywhere, according to MFA officials. End summary. Program background: Parliamentary initiative -------------- ¶2. (SBU) MFA Human Rights Division Policy Officers Sonja van der Meer and Reneko Elema met Poloff December 5, to discuss ongoing Dutch-funded Iranian media projects. Van der Meer asked that the information be held in trust, as it has not yet been fully shared with the Dutch parliament. Several of the NGOs, including some of the western organizations, have asked that their source of funding not be publicly disclosed. ¶3. (SBU) Former Green Left MP Farah Karimi, according to van der Meer and others, was the driving force behind the projects and was largely responsible for securing Euro 15 million for the purpose. Hans van Baalen, foreign policy spokesman for the conservative Liberal Party (VVD),co-sponsored the measure. Karimi, v/d Meer said, had asked the Foreign Ministry to help establish a satellite television channel. The Foreign Ministry rejected the specific project Karimi advocated, because some of the individuals involved were connected with the Mujahideen al-Khalq (MKO) or affiliated organizations. Program scope: Training and some newscasts -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The MFA decided instead to finance a broad array of programs, including radio and internet news channels, training programs and one children's rights documentary series. The MFA solicited for proposals online. Fifty proposals were received, 11 were chosen, and 13 million Euros have been allotted. Work began in early 2006 - in January, for most recipients. Partners include BBC World Service, World Press Photo (Netherlands),Radio Zamineh, Press Now (Netherlands),Internews Europe, Dokhtarak, Freedom House, Communication for Development (CFD),Jadit Media (UK),Danish Institute of Human Rights (DIHR),and UNICEF. The UNICEF project, costing 600,000 Euros, is the only program involving direct cooperation with the Iranian government. Van der Meer said that the MFA is not averse to funding independent television, but no solid proposals for such projects were received. ¶5. (SBU) According to van der Meer, all eleven projects are supposed to be self-sustaining by the end of calendar 2007. Funding end-dates are standard for Dutch development expenditures, but v/d Meer said Foreign Minister Bot had already suggested to Parliament that some of these projects might require assistance beyond 2007. Difficulty with Iranian authorities -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Van der Meer and Elema reported that, as the programs have moved into the operational phase during the second half of 2006, participants have encountered some difficulty with the Iranian government. For example, a Netherlands-based trainer participating in Press Now's training programs in Iran was expelled on December 4. Some Iranians returning from programs outside Iran have run into harassment back home. So far, according to v/d Meer, the MFA has chosen to deal with problems on a case-by-case basis. She said that the Dutch Embassy in Tehran has been tasked with raising problems with the Iranians, as they arise. She added that, as this is the first time the Netherlands has conducted extensive media programs anywhere, they are learning on-the-go. Elema added, though, that the problems were not a surprise. He noted that the Dutch Embassy in Tehran already administers about one million Euros per year for democracy programs and is therefore accustomed to dealing with harassment of grantees and similar problems. The learning curve: building capacity -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Van de Meer noted that the MFA has run into a few problems trying to diversify the pool of grant recipients. She said that the same individual who was expelled for participating in the Press Now program also works for CFD, and she added that Radio Zamineh and Press Now are affiliated. Overall, however, she was satisfied with the talent and thought the program had made a good start. Many inside Iran are reluctant to work with foreign government funding, she said, and it will take time to build training capacity in the Iranian journalistic community. She noted with optimism the large numbers of journalists in Iran and their tradition of pushing the envelope. THE HAGUE 00002634 002.2 OF 002 Individual project details -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Some details of the projects follow. BBC World Service is providing journalism training, mostly via the internet. It is not one of the larger programs, and few participants are crossing borders. Press Now also trains journalists but is doing so in Iran. A Dutch national, working as a trainer, was expelled December 4 from Iran. Press Now indicated it intended to continue the project. Internews Europe is working on online citizen journalism and is exploring ways to defeat internet censorship. Internews have asked that their funding not be disclosed. The Website Dokhtarak works closely with Radio Netherlands (RNTC) and provides news "for women, by women and about women." Jadit Media, based in London and staffed by some former employees of BBC and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR),is also providing training. IWPR have asked that their funding not be disclosed. The Danish Institute of Human Rights (DIHR) is setting up training programs inside Iran, including at the University of Isfahan, and will focus on "legal aspects of media diversity." DIHR experienced some cartoon-related difficulties, but, said v/d Meer, their Iranian partners remain onboard. Communication for Development (CFD) is providing training in the Netherlands and has received some negative press in Iran. ¶9. (SBU) The UNICEF project is a series of documentaries on children's rights. It will air on Iranian state television and is the only project that will involve direct cooperation with the Iranian government. ¶10. (SBU) World Press Photo will organize a photo exhibition in Tehran and will train photojournalists during the event. Citing the famous 1979 Pulitzer-winning, anonymous photographs of Revolutionary Guards executing Kurds, v/d Meer said such training had potential. She wondered, though, whether Iranian authorities would allow the exhibition itself sufficient latitude to be successful. ¶11. (SBU) Radio Zamineh is broadcasting from the Netherlands by internet, shortwave and satellite, and is establishing citizen blogging within Iran. Van der Meer claimed that Iran has the "highest number of bloggers in the world." This, and the fact that Radio Zamineh has chosen a strategy of attracting publicity, have made it one of the more controversial projects for the Iranian government. She added that Radio Zamineh has a relationship of "mutual respect" with the Iranian Ambassador in The Hague, but added that its staff have been subject to Iranian surveillance. More EU efforts to follow? -------------- ¶12. (SBU) Van der Meer and Elema said that they expect to see more such Iran media projects from EU member states. The British, they said, are seeking assistance from the European Commission (EC) and European Union (EU) member states for a satellite television station. She said startup costs are expected to be eighteen million British pounds, and annual expenses would run around twelve million pounds. Van der Meer thought the British project worthwhile but lamented the competition for EU money. Blakeman