Nina Akhmeteli, Georgia Nina Akhmeteli, 28, joined the English-language weekly newspaper Georgia Today in 2005, writing about social issues, economics, human rights, and international politics. Previously, she hosted and wrote programs for Radio Evrika (2004-05) and worked briefly at RealEstate.ge Catalogue. With the Caucasus School of Journalism and Media Management at the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs and British Council, she trains journalists on the role of media as a government watchdog. Akhmeteli received both her B.A. and M.A. in journalism from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. She is currently attending the Georgian Foundation of International and Strategic Studies in an effort to further her education. Assignment: Seattle Post-Intelligencer
	Shamim Ashraf, Bangladesh Shamim Ashraf, 30, got his start in journalism as a student correspondent with Bangladesh’s leading English-language newspaper The Daily Star in 1998 while attending Jahangirnagar University. In 2000, he received both his B.A. (2002) and M.A. in English from the same university. Upon the completion of his M.A, The Daily Star invited Ashraf to work at the paper full-time as a staff reporter and within two months he was covering the crime beat. He has published two, four-part feature series—one on environmental degradation and one on women’s empowerment. Ashraf currently covers issues including militancy, human rights, courts, politics, and the environment. Assignment: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
	Steven Baguma, Rwanda Since 2003, Steven Baguma, 28, has been writing for the English-language daily The New Times. In October of 2006, he became the bureau chief in Cyangugu, a town on the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo. Previously he covered the political desk and acted as sub-editor for the supplements section. While studying at the National University of Rwanda’s School of Journalism and Communication, he was contributor and sub-editor for The New Butarean, the school’s weekly newsletter (2000-2002). He received his B.A. in journalism from the above-mentioned university in 2005 and a certificate in French language from the School of Modern Languages of the National University of Rwanda. Assignment: St. Louis Post-Dispatch
	Amr Emam, Egypt In 2003, Amr Emam, 28, began working at the Egyptian Gazette as an English translator before becoming a reporter a year later. He has attended seminars on the press and civil society at Al-Ahram, workshops on intellectual rights at USAID in Cairo, and, in 2005, traveled to Canada to cover the United Nations Conference on Climate Change. Emam has published articles ranging from the massive project of moving the statue of King Ramses II from central Cairo to Egypt’s Grand Museum in Giza to illegal immigration issues. After earning his B.A. in English from Cairo University in 2000, Emam worked as the English news editor for Islamonline.net (2002-03), and as English news editor for Xinhua (2006). He is the 2007 Daniel Pearl Fellowship receipient. Assignment: San Francisco Chronicle
	Aresu Eqbali, Iran Since 2004, Aresu Eqbali, 36, has been writing about politics, energy, and social issues for the English desk of Agence France Presse in Tehran. Since 2002, she has also been a stringer for the Platts Energy Information Network. Previously Eqbali worked as an assistant and translator for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2002-03), BBC World and The Guardian (2003-04). From 1998 to 2002, she was the energy news editor for Ateih Bahar Consulting’s fortnightly newsletter, Iran Energy Focus, which is distributed worldwide. She received her B.A. in German translation from Tehran University in 1995, and her M.A. in German with a concentration in teaching from Azad University in 2002. Assignment: Rocky Mountain News
	Mugumo Munene, Kenya James Mugumo Munene, 32, has been a reporter with the English-language paper The Nation since 1999. Munene has written extensively on the Goldenberg Affair, a multi-billion dollar fraud within the Kenyan government that touched on international banking, government operations and money laundering. He has recently reported on two Armenian brothers’ admittance to Kenya, their connection to government officials, and their role in an attack on The Standard Group newspaper and television offices. In August of 2005, Munene traveled to Japan to report on the Aichi World Exposition. He earned his B.A. in history, sociology, and literature from the University of Nairobi in 1998. Assignment: The Kansas City Star
	Sabrina Valle, Brazil In 2003, Sabrina, 26, rejoined the national newspaper, O Globo, after receiving her B.A, in journalism from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. From 2001-2002, she worked as a trainee reporter of GloboNews.com. Currently, most of her time is spent at the economic desk of O Globo Online where she produces both written and multimedia output. Valle is also regularly responsible for editing the technology section and reporting for the print edition of O Globo. In 2006, for a story about the distortion in the government's investments in transports, Valle received the Confederation of Transport Award, a prestigious national journalism award, in the Internet category. Assignment: The Washington Post
	Lou Yi, China Since 2002, senior writer Lou Yi, 30, has reported for privately-owned Caijing magazine covering health, international trade, and the reform of state owned enterprises. In 2003, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists selected her team’s coverage of the SARS epidemic and attempted government cover-up as a finalist in Outstanding International Investigative Reporting. The same year, Yi conducted a cross-border investigation which aided in the capture of a corrupt official. As Washington DC correspondent (2004-05), she covered US economy and politics. Yi received a B.A. in international politics (1999) and an M.A. in communications (2002) from Peking University. Assignment: The Philadelphia Inquirer Top of Page