Unheard Voices
A journalistic project telling stories from across the divide.
Unheard Voices brought together journalists from across the region to tell the stories of ordinary people whose voices are not usually heard – those who have suffered because of the conflict.
Journalists posted their articles in Russian on a joint Facebook page and in Armenian and Azerbaijani through mainstream online media agencies. As the project developed, content was published on the JAMnews website, in collaboration with our partner Go Group Media.
Over 200 reports in four languages were co-produced by Armenian and Azerbaijani journalists and have been seen as the ‘gold standard’ in conflict sensitivity in the region.
However, there were some challenges, particularly the lack of access to Nagorny Karabakh.
Journalism as dialogue
Unheard Voices gave journalists from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorny Karabakh the opportunity to share their reports on a joint platform.
These articles and videos shared the stories of ordinary people affected by the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, with a focus on the everyday lives of communities including those living near the frontline. The aim was that by exposing readers and viewers to the human cost of the conflict, these stories would encourage greater tolerance.
As Azerbaijani editor Aliya Haqverdi said: “In a country where war continues, no one wants to know ‘uncomfortable’ and unpleasant things about the war. It’s easier for people to hide behind the image of the victim or that of the victor. Even fewer people want to feel what you feel when the enemy’s face turns out to be human. It’s easier to present your ‘opponent’ as a monster. That’s why what we do in this project will never be in demand but necessary.”
Another aim for the project was to stimulate public discussion on all sides of the conflict and encourage people to share their own experiences and identify common challenges. Through JAMnews, articles reached hundreds of thousands of people. The Unheard Voices Facebook page also allowed the stories to reach beyond the usual peacebuilding circles to normal social media users.
Growing journalistic standards
Another aim was to increase the quality of journalism and to increase mutual understanding through involving a diverse range of journalists.
The mentoring programme engaged a core group of around 20 new journalists across the conflict divide, and others came to various training sessions.
As the platform developed, the growing reputation of the project inspired us to start mentoring programmes in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Nagorny Karabakh. This was particularly important for Azerbaijan and Nagorny Karabakh, where there are limited work opportunities for independent journalists.
The mentoring programme was run by local media experts and involved 40 young people, not all of whom were professional journalists. Some were from marginalised groups, coming from remote areas and internally displaced communities. These new and aspiring journalists took part in workshops and joint training sessions, producing material for Unheard Voices.
Find out more
Reporting in conflict: Journalists share stories across the divide, International Alert blog post, May 2018
Photograph by Gulnar Salimova
Unheard Voices changed my life and made me into a journalist.Young journalist engaged in the project
Media can play a huge role in promoting peace and showing the human face and suffering from any conflict … to show that behind the words describing the conflict, there are people who have suffered, who just want to live.Seda Muradyan, Armenian editor
On both sides of the line of contact, people lose their loved ones; on both sides they suffer because of it. People have similar dreams, joys and woes, and their weaknesses are also similar.Aliya Haqverdi, Azerbaijani editor
