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 »

Maria Nazareth Farani Azevêdo, Brazilian Ambassador in Geneva and Carlos Roberto Tiburcio de Oliveira, special advisor to the Brazilian Presidency General Secretariat.

On the occasion of the South-South Expo in Geneva 22 – 26 November, IPS joined the South South Unit of UNDP to facilitate a communication meeting initiated and hosted by the Government of Brazil. This was the third time that a group of Southern and emerging countries have come together at the invitation of Brazil to reflect upon and exchange about South South flows of information and communication, and the role of the media. The first meeting took place in Rome in November 2009 and the second in September 2010 in New York. A total of twenty four countries have participated in the meetings to date. Read more »

Isabel Green, Director of Nicaraguan Women Institute. Credit:IPS

IPS Latin America, in collaboration with UNDP and Fundación Puntos de Encuentro, organised the national media seminar “Women, Work and Leadership in Nicaragua. Gender equity, a key development goal”.

The seminar, held on 3-4 November in Managua, analysed the implementation of the 3rd Development Goal in the country, with a focus on the issue of gender equality in the employment sector. Read more »

15 October 2010, Rome - FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf presenting his address during the World Food Day Ceremony, FAO headquarters (Plenary Hall). Credit: FAO News.

On the occasion of World Food Week 2010 (October 11 – 15) IPS – Inter Press Service with the support of the Italian Directorate General for Development Cooperation (DGCS) invited leading journalists from Africa, Asia and Latin America to meet experts of the three Rome-based UN agencies, to discuss and exchange with them about the facts, trends, sources and news coverage opportunities around reporting food insecurity.

IPS organized a three-day training workshop with the involvement of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), providing a chance for journalists working in countries whose populations are directly affected by the food crisis to link with the unique global expertise found in Rome. Read more »