The 5th International M100 Youth Media Workshop came to an end with an impressive presentation, in presence of the Lord Mayor of Potsdam, Jann Jakobs, on Sunday September 6, 2009. The aim is concrete contextual and technical training as well as the initiation of a long-term exchange between journalists, fostering intercultural dialogue and the appreciation of other cultures, countries and conditions.

„In times of globalisation we also need to think outside the box when it comes to the training of journalists”, said Jakobs in his closing speech. “We have to network, exchange experiences, generate knowledge; knowledge about others, different cultures, ways of thinking and mentalities. We also need to set standards for an International journalist training. It is here, in Potsdam, where we lay the foundations for it. Here, young journalists from Europe get the chance to establish connections to institutions, to professional journalists and trainers, to orient themselves, to experience and get informed where to apply for further training or a job. The reason why this workshop is so important is that it offers an opportunity for young, talented people, who otherwise might not have the funds to come to Germany and participate in such a workshop.”

Michael Wertz, Editor-in Chief of rbb-inforadio, who stood in for patron Dagmar Reim, agreed: “In the beginning of their career exchange is crucial to young journalists. Exchange between cultures, especially everyday culture promotes mutual understanding. Let interculturual compentence be your asset! With the help of it you get to enter a world where not only media but also subjects move closer together.”
Within three days, the participants took part in three different workshops, conducted interviews with journalists relevant to the umbrella topic of the workshop (i.a. the head of the Berlin office of the Turkish daily Hürriyet, and the director of Bildungswerk Kreuzberg, Nahet Sorgec), journalism trainers and people on the street, visited the headquarters of rbb (Berlin-Brandenburg-Broadcasting), went on a guided tour there, watched a part of the real-time documentary “24 hours Berlin” and compiled practical works in groups: two videos, a radio item and a blog. 23-year-old Yulia Lokshina from Russia was impressed that, “we are all kind of the same. Although we have different backgrounds and face different problems, we have similar ways of trying to reach our goals.” Ania Morawiec, 23, from Poland summed up: “A sentence that was particularly crucial to me and I admire and still have in my head came from Christian Stahl (one of the workshop trainers): “I am not asking you where your are coming from but where you are planning to go.” I think that is the point; that is the approach we need to deal with the issues we are confronted with nowadays.

Please click here to reach "Humans Write", the novel
travel blog, which is emerged directly from
Workshop III "Future 2.0".
http://humanswrite.wordpress.com/