21 media professionals from across the Middle East complete intensive training on transboundary water issues reporting and storytelling
AMMAN, Jordan – July 15, 2025 – Blue Peace Middle East has concluded its Junior Media Hub Program with a three-day bootcamp in Amman, bringing together 21 emerging media professionals from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Türkiye, Iran and Syria, with Syrian participants joining virtually. The program, implemented in partnership with CEWAS Middle East, represents the first regional training focused specifically on capacity building among media professionals to communicate around complex transboundary water and water-energy-food ecosystem issues through compelling, evidence-based storytelling.
The participants, selected from over 120 applicants through a comprehensive evaluation process, spent approximately three months working with established regional mentors to develop original media content addressing shared water challenges across the Middle East. Their work includes investigative reports, documentary films, podcasts, and advocacy campaigns designed to inform public understanding of complex water cooperation issues.
During the bootcamp, participants refined their productions through direct coaching and peer collaboration. The program concluded with trailers presentation session attended by Blue Peace ME Managing Committee members H.E. Dr. Jihad Saleh Al Mahamid, Secretary-General of Jordan's Ministry of Water and Irrigation, and H.E. Eng. Maysoon Al Zoubi, International Water Diplomacy Expert, in addition to senior editors and professionals from Jordan's leading media organizations, who provided professional feedback and industry perspective.
Building Regional Media Expertise
The program addressed a significant gap in specialized reporting on transboundary water issues, which affects millions of people across the Middle East but often receives limited coverage. Participants worked with four experienced regional mentors who brought deep knowledge of both media production and regional water challenges.
Farah Ahmed Atyyat, an award-winning environmental journalist and climate communication trainer, guided participants in developing evidence-based environmental reporting techniques. Rehab Abd Almohsen, a scientific journalist and co-author of media resources on water conflicts and cooperation, focused on translating complex technical information for general audiences. Karim Beidoun, Head of Content at Hakawati and podcast specialist, worked with participants on audio storytelling methods. Melek Demir, a documentary filmmaker and former Al Jazeera producer, provided expertise in visual narrative development.
The mentorship approach emphasized factual accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and collaborative storytelling techniques essential for responsible reporting on transboundary water resources.
Addressing Regional Water Challenges
The program's focus on water-energy-food-ecosystem issues reflects the interconnected nature of resource management challenges facing the Middle East. Participants developed content examining how water scarcity affects agricultural productivity, energy generation, and ecosystem health across national boundaries. Their work explores both current challenges and potential cooperation opportunities within transboundary river basins and aquifer systems.
The timing proves particularly relevant as regional governments increasingly recognize water security as fundamental to economic development and political stability. Recent droughts, population growth, and infrastructure pressures have heightened awareness of the need for coordinated approaches to water management across borders.
Building Long-term Impact
The Junior Media Hub represents part of Blue Peace Middle East's broader strategy to support informed public discourse on transboundary water cooperation. The initiative recognizes that effective media coverage requires specialized knowledge of technical, legal, and diplomatic aspects of water management that traditional journalism training often does not provide.
Participants now return to their home countries with enhanced skills in water reporting, established networks across the region, and ongoing support from their mentors. Their work over the coming months will contribute to more informed coverage of water issues in Arabic, Turkish, Kurdish and Persian media outlets.
The program also created connections between journalists working on similar issues in different countries, fostering the kind of cross-border collaboration that mirrors the cooperative approaches needed for water management itself. Several participants have already begun collaborating on joint reporting projects examining water basins that cross their national boundaries. “This experience opened my eyes to the impact that dialogue and storytelling can have in addressing water challenges in the Middle East,” said Fatimah Neamah Oleiwi, a participant in the program. “It reinforced my belief that the voices of young professionals are essential in shaping a sustainable future for our region.” Building on this experience, Sara Hmaidan, another participant shared: “My heart is full of positive energy after this experience. It was such a great opportunity to learn, grow, and connect with inspiring individuals from across the region.”
About Blue Peace Middle East:
Blue Peace Middle East is the first and only regionally owned initiative, institutionalized in 2019 to transform water from a potential source of conflict into an instrument of cooperation through dialogue, capacity building, and concrete actions. The initiative operates with the vision of utilizing the power of water to build a cooperative future for the region.
Contact:
Coordination Office Blue Peace Middle East
Email: info@bluepeaceme.org
Website: www.bluepeaceme.org