International Program for the Development of Communication
The International Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC) is a UNESCO funding program . It was founded in 1980 to promote the development of mass communication in the countries of the third world. His tasks include:
- Identification of the needs of developing countries in information and communication development
- Development of communication infrastructures in the needy countries
- Find financial and material resources for the projects
- Promote media pluralism , media independence and freedom of the press
- Training of journalists
- Strengthening local media and regional news agencies
- Establishment of new information and communication technologies
The IPDC is coordinated by the so-called Intergovernmental Council, an intergovernmental council made up of 39 member states, which is elected by the General Conference of the United Nations and is responsible to it. The Intergovernmental Council meets once a year and decides which of the projects applied for will be financially supported.
The IPDC is financed exclusively from voluntary donations from those UNESCO member states that participate in the program. One variant are grants for the so-called special account, which represent the main source of income for the IPDC. In addition, the IPDC can also finance projects through special donations from member countries to trust funds. Here a single country acts as the sole donor for a special project and of course has greater influence on the use of its funds.
In addition to financial support, some countries also participate in the form of training grants, seminars, workshops or equipment.
IPDC projects
Since the IPDC was founded, more than 900 projects have been financed in 130 developing and emerging countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, in the Arab states, in the Asia-Pacific region and in Eastern European countries. Funding priorities of the program are infrastructure measures and personnel training, equipment and technology as well as studies for specific projects. The prerequisites for the approval of a project are a realistic objective and a demonstrable positive effect on communication development. The IPDC also defines the principles of the UNESCO Charter as selection criteria.
While at the beginning a large number of projects were supported with very small amounts, attempts were then made to reduce these in order to be able to support individual projects adequately and with more financial resources. But it was only in a third phase that the real concentration on a few projects succeeded (especially for media not controlled by the state). The concentration on fewer projects from the mid-1980s onwards resulted in increased continuity, i. H. Long-term funding from some media institutions - such as the large regional news agencies in Africa. Political background to support fewer, but more major projects was certainly the Prestigeträchtigkeit that precisely in times of the Cold War , the developing countries should have a positive influence. The collapse of the Eastern Bloc made new strategies necessary, as the circle of potential recipients of funds suddenly increased. The additional funding from Eastern European countries was and is facing falling donations.
Furthermore, the IPDC has been awarding the UNESCO Prize for Rural Communication every two years since 1985 , which is endowed with US $ 20,000. The award goes to activities that promote communication in rural areas. The winners included the National Association of Small Farmers of Cuba, The Acción Cultural Popular of Colombia, and the Community Radio Project Tambuli of the Philippines .
literature
- Miriam Rüffer (2005): From tree frogs and little tigers - development theories in multilateral media funding using the example of UNESCO's International Program of Communication (IPDC). Eichstätt [= diploma thesis].