This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English DevelopmentReport.

"Nothing raises more fear in a repressive government thanchallenges to the control of information. And nothing is moreimportant to the development of a civil, democratic society."

These are the words of David Hoffman, the president of Internews.Mister Hoffman leads a non-profit organization that helps buildmedia that are open and independent.

Internews was created in California in nineteen eighty-two. Byits count as of July, the group had trained thirty-two thousandmedia professions around the world.

In Afghanistan, for example, Internews helped launch a network ofmore than twenty independent radio stations. Internews has alsohelped form the first independent broadcast media in Pakistan insixty years. And it has trained what it says are the first medialawyers there.

The group has also trained a number of female reporters inPakistan. The same is true in the Middle East.

In Africa, Internews is teaching journalists in Kenya and Nigeriahow to report about H.I.V. and AIDS. The organization also suppliesinternational news coverage of the trials related to the nineteenninety-four killings in Rwanda. The International Criminal Tribunalfor Rwanda is holding the trials in Tanzania.

Major supporters of Internews include the United States Agencyfor International Development and the State Department. Othersinclude the United Nations Development Program and the Open SocietyInstitute.

Internews has helped form national media organizations to seeklaws for open media and to defend the rights of reporters. InternewsInternational, a membership group of non-governmental organizations,is at work in more than forty countries.

Internews had some of its biggest successes yet through its workin Georgia. The organization had been working with Rustavi-two. Thisis a small independent television station in Tbilisi. In November oftwo thousand three, its reports on cheating in parliamentaryelections helped fuel huge protests. Eduard Shevardnadze resigned aspresident of Georgia.

Today, Internews says Rustavi-two is an example fornon-governmental stations throughout the Southern Caucasus.

You can learn more about Internews at its Web site,internews.org.

This VOA Special English Development Report was written by JillMoss. I'm Gwen Outen.