(Picture from the social media training at the World Forestry Congress in Johannesburg)
Central Asia and the Caucuses might not be well known to many, but it has an incredibly rich cultural history. Countries of the region–Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan–have their own specific challenges in agriculture, sustainable development and food security.
That said, I have hardly ever seen any social media training held in Central Asia and the Caucuses. But we have one coming up, in Bishkek (yep, Kyrgyzstan) from Feb 27th to March 2nd. Join us in this unique opportunity!
Social Media with a Purpose
Our upcoming social media training is not a standalone event, it is part of the #GCARD3 regional consultation in Central Asia and the Caucasus. #GCARD3 is the process around the third Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development, organized by the Global Forum on Agricultural Research (GFAR) and CGIAR.
The #GCARD3 regional consultation for Central Asia and the Caucasus, is part of a larger International Conference on Eurasian Food Security and Nutrition Network and Eurasian Soil Partnership – jointly organized by the Eurasian Center for Food Security (ECFS), FAO, the World Bank, IFPRI, and GFAR (through CACAARI).
The training programme
Based on our successful social media training model of our project in Bangkok, six weeks ago, we will combine theory with practice: Two days of classroom training will be followed by three days of live reporting at the conference:
Feb 27 (classroom training):
09:00-12:00 – The Social Media Plethora: Overview of all tools, and their use for nonprofit causes
13:00-16:00 – The Social Media Plethora (continued)
16:00-17:00 – Introduction to social media outreach strategies
Feb 28 (classroom training):
09:00-12:00 – The art of blogging: How to write good blogposts. What makes a good blog?
13:00-16:00 – The art of tweeting: How to use Twitter
16:00-17:00 – Introduction to social reporting and preparation of the practical exercise
Feb 29-Mar 2: (practical exercise)
The trainees will use their acquired skills and tools to report live from International Conference on Eurasian Food Security and Nutrition Network and Eurasian Soil Partnership, as part of the #GCARD3 regional consultation.
The “theoretical” part shows the participants a full spectrum of all social media tools at our disposal. It is speckled with many examples how professionals, specifically in an agriculture or research environment, use each tool, and how organizations can develop their social media strategy. For two of the key tools, Twitter and blogging, we go into the hands-on details and exercises, readying the participants for the practical part.
During the “practical” part the trainees will use their skill set as “social reporters” from the conference. This is a very intense bootcamp-type induction, specifically in the use of Twitter and blogging, as live reporting tools. Our social media trainer will monitor the trainees’ output and give interactive feedback, so they “learn as they do”.
The training and mentoring will be done in English.
The classroom training will be held in the Plaza Hotel, while the conference is held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel (both in Bishkek)
Who can participate in our training?
Our training is open to participants of the conference, YPARD members, the GFAR stakeholders (including CGIAR centers and Research Programs, and their partners), any researcher, student, practitioner or nonprofit organisation working in our field (agriculture, food security, sustainable development and eco-systems).
Participants working in the region will have priority: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan or Uzbekistan.
Our training and participation in the conference is free, though participants will have to fund their own travel and accommodation.
GFAR sponsors five YPARD members, as part of our ongoing youth support program.
How can you register for the training?
If you are interested to participate in this training, email the GFAR Social Media Coordinator, Peter Casier via p.casier(at)cgiar.org, outlining:
- Your name and age
- Your profession and affiliation (institute, organization, university…)
- How you have used social media within your professional environment, and what you would like to learn more of.
Our social media trainer:
Peter Casier originally studied graphical engineering and psychology. He has 30 years of professional experience as a trainer, software developer, IT and communications manager, scientific researcher and senior project manager. For 15 years, he managed the UN’s technical intervention team, supporting humanitarian crises across the globe.
Since 2010, Peter works as an online media consultant for many nonprofit organisations. He focuses on website development, online event management, media trainings and workshops, content generation, and online media strategy/policy development. He has been the social media project manager for many large international conferences. Peter also works as the GFAR Social Media Coordinator.
More information on this conference on this conference and the #GCARD3 regional consultation for Central Asia and the Caucasus.
With a sincere thanks to CACAARI, the Central Asia and Caucasus Association of Agricultural Research Institutions, for their practical support.
Picture courtesy World Forestry Congress 2015
The GFAiR Blog 
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