Representatives of Turkmenistan’s mass media and media community participated in the "Connect for Peace Festival 2026"—an international festival dedicated to the development of media literacy—held on July 7–8 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. According to the organizers, more than one hundred journalists, media experts, and representatives of civil society organizations from Central Asian countries took part in the event.

The festival served as the concluding event of CARAVAN (Central Asian Resilience through Verified, Accurate and Novel Content), a two-year regional project implemented by the international organization Internews with financial support from the European Union. Over the course of two years, the project collaborated with independent media outlets, non-governmental organizations, and educational institutions in the region to enhance the information environment's resilience against disinformation. The project resulted in the production of approximately 1,5 thousand pieces of media content.

Welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony were delivered by Vadim Sadonshoev, Director of the CARAVAN project; Johannes Baur, Head of Cooperation at the European Union Delegation to the Republic of Kazakhstan; and David Diedon, Director of the Internews Europe program.

The festival program featured panel discussions, expert sessions, and hands-on workshops, as well as discussions on media sustainability, media literacy, the use of artificial intelligence in journalism, combating disinformation, digital security, and new media funding models. Experts demonstrated the practical application of AI technologies in the media sector using concrete examples.

Participants paid special attention to the financial sustainability of newsrooms amidst declining donor support. During the expert session "Sustainable Media in Central Asia: Viable Business Models," media expert Vitaly Volyanyuk identified four fundamental tools for building a sustainable media business: annual revenue and expense planning, management accounting, cash flow planning, and systematic client management using a CRM system. Participants shared their experiences with revenue diversification—ranging from the development of branded content and commercial special projects to digital educational initiatives, including a financial literacy project for migrant workers.

The festival also showcased examples of successful regional media projects implemented under the CARAVAN initiative, including journalistic reports on access to drinking water in remote mountain communities and the preservation of cultural heritage sites.

Festival participants highlighted the importance of regional cooperation for the development of Central Asia’s media landscape, the exchange of professional expertise, and collaboration on cross-border journalistic projects addressing issues shared by the region—such as climate change, migration, and water resources.

In their free time, a tour of the Almaty State Museum of Art was organized for the participants. On July 8, a screening of documentary films took place, covering culture, the environment, historical heritage, and social transformations in Central Asian countries.

The participation of the Turkmen delegation in the festival continued the work initiated under the CARAVAN project in early May of this year, when specialized training sessions on digital technologies and the integration of artificial intelligence into the media sector were held in Ashgabat with EU support. At that time, two three-day training modules on media literacy were organized—for university students and faculty, as well as for representatives of relevant ministries and media outlets in Turkmenistan.