Soraya Rodríguez and Mario Lubetkin. Credit: AECID.

The meeting ‘Cooperation with the Arab world: a new scenario for communication’, held in Madrid (September 7-8, 2011) as part of the Week of Spanish Cooperation, analyzed the effects of the revolutions and process of transformation in the Arab World – Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain – on development aid. It also looked at how communication can help build bridges of understanding between citizens and institutions in the Mediterranean region. This is the second workshop organized by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) and Inter Press Service (IPS), which brought together Spanish journalists and colleagues from other regions. Read more »

Francisco Moza Zapatero (AECID) and Mario Lubetkin (IPS). Credit: AECID.

Following the so called “Arab spring”, and in the midst of the ‘acampadas’, organized mass mobilizations through social networks in many Spanish cities, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) in collaboration with IPS Inter Press Service News Agency launched the book “Politics, networks and Technologies in Communications for Development”, a tour through the different visions of new technologies and their contribution to information in general and more concretely, to communication for development. Read more »

IPS Latin America Director Joaquin Costanzo and Italian Ambassador in Uruguay Guido Scalici.

The IPS Latin America Director, Joaquin Costanzo, was awarded the “Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity” for his contribution to improve relations with Italy though his long and extensive journalistic activities carried in Uruguay and in Latin America.

The order was bestowed by decree of the President of the Republic of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano, and handed by the Italian Ambassador in Uruguay, Guido Scalici, during a ceremony held in the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Uruguay.

IPS has carried out since 2006 until mid 2010, a very successful project in Latin America with the aim to create a communication platform on the Millennium Development Goals, that was support by the Italian Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS).

Material produced is available at ‘Objetivo Uruguay: Metas del Milenio‘ (Spanish).

Themba James Maseko, CEO, Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) South Africa and Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, African Monitor Founder and President.

Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of Cape Town, South Africa addressed the IPS 2010 annual meeting in Madrid with a powerful keynote speech and a conclusion that Afro-optimism must replace Afro-pessimism as Africans themselves face up to and solve the challenges of the continent. The Archbishop is the founder of “African Monitor” an NGO dedicated to bringing African voices for African development. The public seminar on Thursday 25th November was jointly convened and hosted by IPS with AECID, the Spanish Agency for International Co-operation with around 200 journalists, researchers, activists and others in attendance. Francisco Moza Zapatero, the new director of AECID, and Federico Mayor, the Chair of the IPS Board, opened the meeting. Read more »

The Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the venue for a one-day seminar devoted to the role of information and communication and development cooperation organized by IPS – Inter Press Service and Link 2007, a key network of Italian NGOs. The event was supported by the Italian Development Cooperation Directorate and the Italian National Press Federation (FNSI).

The seminar aimed to open a dialogue among journalists covering development cooperation issues and NGO communication officers, to give them the opportunity to exchange ideas and experiences to better tackle problems and opportunities. Read more »