Projects are a way for us to deepen our work on specific topics, through attracting extra resources from donors. IPS has a solid track record in conceiving, implementing and reporting its projects. Our current portfolio includes work financed through open competitive bids of the European Commission and the United Nations, as well as many other international and regional projects supported by foundations, civil society organisations and international institutions.
IPS works closely with partners at all stages of the project cycle, involving stakeholders from the media, civil society or donor communities. The theme and scope of projects are agreed according to IPS priorities in a dialogue with our partners and financial sponsors about their own concerns and contribution, however the editorial independence of the news service is always explicit. Projects vary in size from small, targeted interventions to multi-year, multi-partner programmes, but taken together they are an important contribution to IPS financing.
Current priority global themes of IPS are: Poverty & Millennium Development Goals; Civil society; Sustainable development; Globalization and the South; Dialogue between civilizations; and Human rights and Gender issues.
Projects are an important way for IPS to realise its thematic priorities, by providing a funding mechanism for a package of activities. IPS projects are typically multi-dimensional, deepening our work on an issue through a mix of news and content provision, capacity-building, and dissemination and networking activities.
Many of the activities and events and some of the news content showcased on this site are made possible through project financing. Whilst there is no single model for an IPS project, the following current examples illustrate exactly how IPS can use extra project financing to further its mission and the goals of its partners and sponsors.
Developing Trade in Africa
A three-year project (2007-2009) to strengthen reporting from Africa and Europe about trade, and to disseminate the news and analysis to media and other target audiences in Europe, Africa and globally. The project – a joint effort by IPS Africa and IPS Europe – is financed by the European Commission and it enables IPS to employ specialised editors, commission more stories, source photographs and market the results across Europe. The project has a dedicated thematic site, From Aid to Trade with Africa – Fact or Fiction?, coordinated in Europe by IPS Brussels.
Imaging Our Mekong
An annual fellowship programme for journalists who work in print media, photojournalism and television from the Mekong countries. It began in 2002 and is now jointly implemented by Probe Media Foundation (Philippines) and IPS Asia Pacific. Principal funding is from the Rockefeller Foundation to enable selected journalists to pursue in-depth assignments and benefit from joint capacity-building workshops. Please visit the project’s thematic site for further information.
Acting Together for a Just World
IPS, CIVICUS and SCVO have partnered to provide pre-conference coverage and a conference newspaper to the 3-year cycle of World Assemblies of civil society, convened by CIVICUS and held annually in Scotland (2006-2008). This initiative enables IPS to offer independent reporting from the most dynamic civil society event of the year, and network with the sector’s key players and news sources. More information is available on the TerraViva – World Assemblies page.
Tierramérica
Tierramérica, the main communications platform about environment and sustainable development in Latin America and the Caribbean, is a cooperative project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank, with IPS Latin America serving as the executive agency. Outputs include: a weekly “Tierramérica page” published in 22 newspapers in 12 countries; an interactive web site at www.tierramerica.net; a weekly radio programme broadcast by community, commercial and cultural stations; news bulletins to thousands of development and environment policy and decision-makers; CDs, books and theme-specific publications. in 2008 Tierramerica won the Zayed Prize in the category of Environmental Action Leading to Positive Change in Society.
If you would like to find out more about partnering with IPS globally or regionally by financing or contributing to a communication project, please write to headquarters[at]ips.org.
