National Endowment for Democracy supports “PEREGRAF” with new grant

28-02-2021 06:45

PEREGRAF

PEREGRAF” happily announces to its readers that its work is now supported by the US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which will provide a one-year, $45,000 grant to enable “PEREGRAF” reach a new stage and expand its work in both Kurdish and English. 

Working under the slogan “supporting freedom around the world,” NED is a US nongovernmental organization established in Washington, DC in 1983 with the aim of building the capacity of democratic societies, defending human rights, and developing civil society. The organization has supported other projects and media organizations in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in the past.

Now in its fifth year of operation, “PEREGRAF” is an independent media outlet that believes in the idea that “PEREGRAF Is Anchored on Trust." The grant from NED is the second time it has received financial support from an international organization, receiving a one-year grant from the Open Society Foundation in 2018.

In addition to producing works of investigative journalism, “PEREGRAF” also strives to improve the working environment for journalists in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region through skills training. Last year, it ran an intensive three-month training program for journalists, which was supported by the German Foreign Ministry through its consulate in Erbil.

The independence of the “PEREGRAF” website, which is the main reason for its trustworthiness, is based on the unique funding model in the Kurdistan Region. The owner and editor-in-chief sold a car to start the website in 2017. Subsequently, it was funded through advertising and support from international organizations. This allows “PEREGRAF” to continue to produce ethical and professional journalism.