Training of Trainers in Citizen Media with SMEX

In May the Social Media Exchange will launch a new capacity-building project for Lebanese civil society and community-based organizations who want to leverage the Internet to support a stronger civil society, especially with regard to peacebuilding and youth activism.

To do this, SMEX will lead a free training of trainers (TOT) in citizen media. The 10-week course, held both online and offline, will familiarize participants with the precepts of social media for social change and provide an opportunity for in-depth and hands-on experience using and applying a variety of digital and social media tools in specific contexts.

We're looking for participants from all over Lebanon who can devote a few hours a week to online coursework as well as a few days this summer to meeting in person to enhance facilitation and media production skills. We'll also ask you to do some teaching.

View the full announcement, selection criteria, and online application form at www.socialmediaexchange.org. Please take a look to see if this opportunity can benefit you, your organization, or someone you know.

We'll be in touch as we launch a more sustainable SMEX with more training and capacity-building opportunities. Meanwhile, thanks for your continued support.

Deir Kanon Nahr Graduation Ceremony

Another graduation ceremony was held also in Deir Kanoun Nahr, South Lebanon for 32 women who successfully finished their training in Microsoft Unlimited Potential and Professional Development.

The women aged between 14 and 50, got their training at the Social & Cultural Center and you can watch some of their testimonials in the videos on the right.

The ceremony was attended by the participant's parents, vice president of Deir Kanoun Nahr municipality, and representatives of local NGOs.

The manager of the Social & Cultural Center, Hussein Kassir, congratulated the women and promised to continue providing these training programs.

Then Nada Hamzeh, WIT program manager in Lebanon, explained more about the program and the training.

After that, participants received their certificates.


Mabrook :)

The participants will join WIT PDN group to enjoy networking, sharing ideas and experiences and assisting each other.

You can read it in Arabic and check more pictures on: http://deirqanounalnahr.jeeran.com/takhrij_mountada_3_2009.html

YWCA: Graduation Ceremony for 90 Women

YWCA-JBEIL & Women in Technology-Lebanon celebrated the graduation of 90 women who participated in the WIT training.

The ceremony was held last Saturday at the "St. Coeur" school in Jbeil, started with the Lebanese anthem, then the following speakers:

• Maysson Naaman from YWCA welcoming the guests.

• Elham Karam Nassar, president of YWCA spoke about the organization mission and history.

• Salam Yamout, President of WIT, congratulating the graduates and thanking everyone who contributed to the success of this program.

• Bill Grant, from the US Embassy in Beirut, who also congratulated the participants and thanked the sponsors especially Microsoft.

• Nada Hamzeh, WIT's program manager in Lebanon, mentioning that some men are also holding the Women in Technology certification, which is a sign of how successful the program is going in an eastern society.

The participants got their certificates in : Professional Development and Microsoft Unlimited Potential.

Mabrook (Congratulation) :)

What is RSS?

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication and it can help you read blogs and news from different sources in one place.

Also, webmasters and bloggers can publish your RSS feeds on their own websites and blogs which will help you reach a wider audience.

Watch this short video and subscribe to our RSS.

How to Blog?

The easiest way to start a blog is to sign up for one of the hosted services shown in the image on the left.

They have free and paid plans and my favorites are:

• Blogger.com: owned by Google, so you can sign in with your gmail account.
• Wordpress.com : one of the leading blogging platforms..

The other platforms are good too, you can check them on:

• Windows Live Spaces: you can sign in with your hotmail or msn account.
• LiveJournal: sign up at http://www.livejournal.com/
• Xanga: http://www.xanga.com/
• Typepad.com: is not free.

These hosted services have less flexibility than hosting the blog on your own server/hosting account but there are some advantages for using hosted services: easier, they handle security issues and backup, and being part of a blogging community can help drive traffic and build relationships.

Do you have a favorite blogging platform or tool? Let us know.

What is a Blog?

The short answer is: You are reading a blog! :)

ok, I will try to explain it more:

A blog is a short for web log, an online journal or diary to share ideas, opinions and news. Blogs can include text, images, videos and interactive items.

Blogging is a type of websites with some patterns or characteristics:

• Easy: even people with no technical skills and dont know html or web programming can start a blog.
• Reverse Chronology: items are listed from the most recent to the oldest.
• Comments: one of the main features of blogs, although now it is incorporated into websites, but blogs make it easy to post comments.

Allowing comments on your blog and posting comments on others blogs is an easy way to engage with people and start a conversation.

Try it, leave a comment on this blog. :)

Opening New Center in Tripoli Lebanon

IT Lebanon, our partner in Tripoli, North Lebanon, opened a new training center to better serve the WIT program participants.

Dr. Ahmad Chahin, president of IT Lebanon spoke about the importance of women's contributions to professional life. He said that more than a 100 women participated in the WIT training program in Tripoli since it's beginning one year ago.

Then, Nada Hamzeh, program manager of WIT in Lebanon, explained in details the training program which includes Microsoft's Unlimited Potential and Personal Development curriculum and is available in 9 Arab countries since 2005. Also, the program will include Blogging and Entrepreneurship courses.

After that, Abed el Ghani Kabara, representative of Future Movement in North, thanked the deputy Saad Hariri for his contribution to center and thanked everyone who added to the success of this program.

Then, Bill Grant from the American Embassy, said he was happy to be in Tripoli for the launch of this new center and how the US embassy and the MEPI are working on social development in different regions in Lebanon to create job opportunities for people.

Attendants in the opening ceremony

Participants in WIT program in IT Lebanon new center

The ceremony was attended by representatives of different NGOs in North Lebanon, university professors, media representatives and WIT program participants.

You can read some press coverage in Arabic on:

http://www.echobeirut.com/news.php?action=show&id=2054

http://www.lebanonfiles.com/news_desc.php?id=87219

http://www.almustaqbal.com/stories.aspx?StoryID=338174

http://www.almustaqbal.org/news_details.php?id=MzMwMzg=

http://www.albaladonline.com/html/story.php?sid=55576

http://www.elnashra.com/news-1-275880.html

http://www.nna-leb.gov.lb/phpfolder/loadpage.php?page=JOU24.html

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