Stories of IREX

The IREX family mourns the passing of Barry Zorthian, a former member of the IREX Board of Directors. Barry served on the board from 2001 - 2009 and was a tireless supporter of IREX's media, education, and civil society work. He died Thursday, December 30, 2010 in Washington, DC at the age of 90.

During their four months in the US, Global UGRAD in Pakistan fellows immersed themselves in community work in their host communities, serving both local and international causes. Below are specific examples of their projects plus how they plan on continuing their service back home in Pakistan.

Working with Children 

UGRAD Alumna Maria Kuzub is eager to share her social work expertise with colleagues in Russia and recently organized a social work seminar for 30 professionals on developing and implementing social projects.

Muskie 2007 alumnus Tolkunbek Abdygulov (Master of Public Administration, University of North Texas) was recently promoted to the position of State Secretary (First Deputy Minister) at the Ministry of Economic Regulations in Kyrgyzstan. “The opportunity to use my knowledge to make a difference in the life of a nation and make people’s lives better attracts me,” Abdygulov notes. “This profession enables me to make difference and be part of something big and valuable.”

With twelve years of professional experience as a legal advisor and court reform specialist, Iuliia Sedyk is not an average law student.  The 2010 Muskie fellow sought an American LL.M.

Ali Al-Mutlbi, IREX’s Senior Media Coordinator based in Najaf, tells us about a local newspaper salesman trying to make ends meet selling papers on the street in a post-Saddam Iraq. The story reflects the difficulties facing many Iraqis today. For those seeking to help develop a vibrant media sector in Iraq, it reminds us that the media is more than journalism, but rather helps generate income for many people up and down the economic ladder.

Chunlin is working to give youth a voice by serving as a reliable and relevant information resource for his peers. “We want platforms where we can express ourselves, to share our thoughts with others, to learn about trends, what our peers are doing and thinking on campus.”

Local language radio and TV play an important role in keeping minority communities informed and in touch with each other. The Serb community in Kosovo, approximately 120,000 strong, makes up around 6% of the total population of the newly independent country. While half of the population live in northern Kosovo where they are the majority, the remainder live in scattered and often isolated communities in central and southern Kosovo.

What would you do with $3000 and the mandate to do something that benefits your community?

At a recent job fair in Baku, Azerbaijan, more than 70 alumni of US exchange programs seized an opportunity to introduce themselves to the hiring managers of some of Azerbaijan’s biggest employers.