This year the Alfred Friendly Press Partners celebrates three decades of an extraordinary exchange of knowledge and bonds between U.S. newsrooms and journalists in emerging nations. 

Three hundred fellows from 78 countries have worked in our American partner newsrooms. Our year-long 30th Anniversary celebration honored the fellows, our media partners and the remarkable changes that have occurred in journalism around the world.

This year we forged an exciting new partnership with the Huffington Post, where Bangladeshi Fellow Emran Hossain was a lead reporter covering the April 24 Bangladesh garment factory collapse, considered the deadliest garment-factory accident in history. Also learning by doing was Fellow Glenda Ortega from Ecuador; her story on an Aug. 2 Hialeah, Fla., apartment shooting was the most widely read piece on miamiherald.com. Kenyan Fellow Mugambi Mutegi’s reports landed on the front page of the Chicago Tribune twice during his fellowship.

Our commitment to having fellows share what they’ve learned is paying dividends. Daniel Pearl Fellow Khalid Khattak is teaching his Pakistani colleagues the personal safety techniques he learned at The Wall Street Journal. Fellow Waqas Banoori is back in his Pakistani newsroom sharing the ethical journalism standards he learned on the fellowship – such as maintaining independence and seeking multiple sides to every story

In 2014, we will host more fellows from Pakistan as well as offer in-country training, so vital in a place where just this year five journalists were killed. Umar Cheema, 2008 Fellow from Pakistan, who braved threats to his life as he reported on his own torture by government forces, received this year’s Knight International Journalism Award.

We look forward to our new alliance with the Foundation for Effective Governance, which will sponsor our first Ukrainian fellow in 2014. And we are vigorously pursuing other partnerships for this coming year.

You, of course, are the source of this vital energy. When you give to the Press Partners, you are lifting up journalism around the world. Because of you, we are just $10,000 away from meeting our $50,000 30th Anniversary fundraising goal. Thanks to all who have sent generous gifts that have been matched by contributions from the Friendly and Stueve families. 

Please make your contribution at click here. Or mail your check, payable to Alfred Friendly Press Partners, Attention: Development, to 1100 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 440, Washington, DC 20036.

Best wishes for a good holiday and an open and free world press in the New Year!

Jonathan Friendly, Chairman

Randall Smith, President

Kathleen Graham, Executive Director