American University of Central Asia (AUCA) student Dilshod Hamroboev’s blogging camp was initially planned to be a camp in Guliston, Tajikistan for 10 student participants to learn how to create a blog from scratch from experts in the field of citizen and professional journalism. The worsening COVID-19 situation in Tajikistan—a result of the Delta variant—forced this plan to change. The event ultimately took place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, and participants were housed in hotels rather than in a camp. At the conclusion of the camp, participants created a toolkit (guide) on how to become a successful blogger. The toolkit is available in both English and Russian.

Compared to other Central Asian countries, Tajikistan is less developed in terms of technology, marketing, and understanding of social media; therefore, in Tajikistan there are very few bloggers. This project hopes to shape the future of Tajikistan by introducing new technological skills to social activists. The blogging camp participants blended cultural and civic content in their blogs, creating forums that elevate critical issues through engagement with traditional humanities subjects.

Proposed and led by Dilshod Hamroboev, 3rd-year student of AUCA’s International and Comparative Politics Program