December 14, 2023 Almaty, Kazakhstan – Internews is kicking off the United States Agency for Development (USAID) funded, 5-year Central Asia Information Integrity Activity (CAIIA) with a series of events. USAID’s CAIIA activity will enhance efforts by Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to maintain and strengthen the integrity of their information space and build societal resilience against disinformation.
CAIIA officially started in October 2023 and will continue up to September 2028. It will assist the media and civil society of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with resources, skills, and networks to effectively recognize and address disinformation and meet audience needs, especially in national languages.
In his welcoming speech at the Almaty launch event, USAID/Central Asia Mission Director Luis Rivera noted “We have observed ongoing debates on decolonization and a growing desire for sovereignty across Central Asian countries amid the war in Ukraine and other global events. Consequently, now is the time to take advantage of this momentum and support these nations in maintaining and strengthening the integrity of their information space, enhancing their resilience against malicious disinformation efforts”.
USAID's CAIIA program will also work with governments and other institutional actors to advance information policies, strategies, and legal responses that strengthen information integrity, and recognize independent media’s crucial role.
“Building on our previous experience, we are starting by having open discussion with our beneficiaries on the challenges they face and a comprehensive study of their needs. We want CAIIA to be effective, flexible and helpful for people of Central Asia,” said Marat Bigaliyev, Head of the Representative Office of Internews in Central Asia.
The key anticipated results of the CAIIA include:
- A knowledge base on media and disinformation in Central Asia,
- Localization of content and coverage, and classrooms to provide reliable and engaging alternatives to disinformation,
- Diversification and distribution of the above content to reach broader audiences with verifiable information on issues of social importance; and
- Broadening of space for freedom of expression and freedom of speech, to reduce the influence of disinformation at a systemic level.
USAID’s CAIIA activity is implemented by Internews and its partners, including Zinc Network and local partners in each target country.
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The Central Asia Information Integrity Activity (CAIIA) is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Internews. CAIIA aims to enhance efforts by Central Asian countries to maintain and strengthen the integrity of their information space and build societal resilience against disinformation. USAID is the world’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. For more information please visit: the USAID Central Asia website and USAID Central Asia’s Facebook page.