Photo By Christina Bhatti | Anchorage, Alaska, native Col. Mike Bridges, deputy team leader Embedded Provincial...... read more read more
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By Sgt. 1st Class Christina Bhatti
2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team
TAJI, Iraq — The ribbon was cut on Taji's Mass Media Center on Jan. 13, opening the doors to a free, democratic press for the qada.
The opening of the media center was "a big step forward for the Taji Qada," said Anchorage, Alaska, native Col. Mike Bridges, deputy team leader, embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, Baghdad 5.
"This is the first of the six rural quadas around Baghdad to advance in their new local government program, a democratic, transparent local government," he said.
This project was part of the local government program, in which the U.S. military units and the ePRT began a mentorship program as well as a democratic government development program with the local council.
Bridges said at first only a few people dared to attend when the mentorship program began last spring.
"It was still too dangerous for them at that point," Bridges said, "but as we continued to work through the summer and reconciliation facilitated security."
The goal of the media center, Bridges explained, is to give the people the resources under what the U.S. considers a free democratic press, starting with the government but for the overall community to share information.
The newly-opened media center will allow the people of Taji to do their own primary news, weather, sports and entertainment.
"(Under the rule of Saddam Hussein) it was Saddam all the time," Bridges said. "Now it is going to be the people of Taji all the time."
This will bring the people of Taji hope, said Ali Abeb, chairman of the Taji education board through a translator.
Abeb went on to explain his hope of hiring more people in the future to expand the reach of Taji's new media center. The center currently has five employees who will be responsible for writing, producing and distributing the "news of the people," Abeb said.
"This is a great achievement for us," he said.
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2008 17:54 |
| Story ID: | 15688 |
| Location: | TAJI, IQ |
| Web Views: | 208 |
| Downloads: | 189 |
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