AMF has been conducting various types of programs since its inception in 2004 as a loose network. Most recently in December, 2019, it organized a one-day round table discussion program on the glossaries of federal system used in Nepal in media, especially in editorials, news stories and articles, with editors-in-chief of broadsheet national dailies of Nepal. The objective was to ensure uniformity and clarity in the use of words and terminologies to refer to various concepts of federalism in the media.
AMF Nepal conducted three-day basic training for mid-career journalists in Kathmandu with the support of International IDEA and in close coordination with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA) on the title of ‘Media Engagement to Inform Citizens on Federalization Processes’ on August 19-21, 2019. The training covered the areas of status of implementation of federalization process, formulation of essential laws and bylaws in federal and local level, challenge of capacity building in three spheres of the government, fiscal federalism, its implementation and challenges, experience sharing with the mayors of municipalities, rural municipalities and women representatives, problems faced by and corruption in local bodies, skills of finding hidden investigative story, and ethics to be maintained by the journalists themselves and so on.
A year before, in June, 2018, AMF Nepal conducted two-day ‘Federal Governance Reporting Training’ for 60 journalists in Kathmandu with support from Local Governance and Community Development Project (LGCDP-II), Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administrations (MoFAGA).
AMF successfully conducted “An Analysis of Government Status Reports for policy Feedback” in 2016 supported by Strengthening of the Accountability of Local Governments (SALGP), a Swiss project. It had made the critical research and review with recommendations on reports of six districts of western region of Nepal on governance.
It also successfully conducted a project on climate change and forest fire in coordination and support with Multi Stakeholders Forest Program (MSFP). AMF produced Ten FM radio programs and disseminated them through 15 FM radio stations across the country in 2015.
AMF Nepal jointly conducted a year-long program with Subaltern Forum, Trinity College on ‘ Promoting Dialogue for Nepal’s Peaceful Transformation and Lasting Democracy’ supported by Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund (AEIF),US Department of State in 2015. AMF trained 15 young talents, representing all regions of the country for seven days in Kathmandu with one day visit at Tharu rural community in Chitwan. Media stories were prepared by each participant and AMF managed to air them through 15 FM radio stations to disseminate them across the country.
It successfully conducted ESP/DFID funded training program titled “Election Education to the Journalists” during the second Constituent Assembly elections in 2013 to the working journalists considering their lack of fundamental and basic knowledge on election coverage. It had trained 125 journalists based in five different development regions.
The training was conducted for five days each with main focus on the concept of election and its importance for strengthening democracy, legal procedure of the election, use of money and muscle, cross-border influence, security threats to the candidates and voters, election management in the local level, interaction with the local voters, election ethics of the candidates and voters and all aspects related to election.
As part of the same program, one-day interactive seminar program with senior foreign professors/experts and Nepali journalists was conducted for the senior desk editors on the relevance of the training to the working journalists and editors’ responsibility on election as the ‘gate keepers’. Likewise, a two-day high-level intercalative conference was organized with senior editors, regional coordinators, experts, representatives of donor agencies and trained working journalists to review of the election on the title of “CA Election Postmortem Program”.
It also published e-bulletin three times in a day for two months, just 15 days before the voting and after the election result declaration.
AMF conducted 18 months long program on “Production and Dissemination of Communication Materials on Social Exclusion and Inclusion” (2011-2012) in collaboration with and financial aid from Social Inclusion Research Fund (SIRF/SNV Nepal). AMF-Nepal disseminated content based research findings produced by SIRF research fellows through 160 print media (national and regional newspapers), 46 FM radio programs with six local languages (from selected 14 FM radio stations across the country) and ten episodes of TV programs on different social research fundamentals and issues produced and broadcast during the prime times through national network NTV.
In 2006, AMF Nepal lunched a fellowship program for four Asian journalists on country specific contemporary issues for one month. The program was conducted in Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Various one-day seminars and interactive programs were launched before AMF was legally registered in Nepal.