Call for Proposals: International Programme for Development of Communication

The call is open to local media organizations of UNESCO Member States worldwide, with project proposals from Mekong countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam) to undergo a preliminary round of screening by the Communication and Information (CI) unit of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, the National Offices in Phnom Penh and Ha Noi, and the Antenna Office in Yangon.

Objectives

• The IPDC supports projects that aim at one or more of the following themes:
  • Supporting media pluralism (particularly community media), gender equality, independence (improving self-regulation and professional standards), and innovation
  • Promoting the safety of journalists
  • Countering harmful content and promoting media and information literacy
  • Supporting law reform to foster media independence
  • Conducting media assessments and research based on UNESCO’s Media Development Indicators (MDIs), the Gender Sensitive Indicators for the Media (GSIM), the Internet Universality Indicators (IUI), the Journalists’ Safety Indicators (JSIs), or the Media Viability Indicators (MVIs)
  • Promoting access to information
  • Engaging in capacity-building for journalists and media managers, including improving journalism education (e.g., utilizing one of UNESCO’s handbooks for journalism education)
  • Tackling emerging media policy issues, including those defined by the Windhoek +30 Declaration (e.g., media viability, transparency of digital platforms)

Funding Information

• A project may apply for IPDC funds of a minimum of US$10,000 and a maximum of US$35,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Projects submitted by organizations such as press, radio and television, media training institutes, professional journalists’ organizations, media development agencies, universities and journalism schools, and community media organizations
• National/regional projects submitted by and/or for countries covered by the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam.

Notes

• IPDC prioritizes projects with the potential to serve as innovative pilots and pays particular attention to proposals from least developed, landlocked and small island countries, as well as those in conflict or post-conflict situations.
• The proposal is encouraged to consider the adaptation or use of UNESCO resources, such as UNESCO’s journalism education handbooks; and, wherever possible, to take into consideration UNESCO’s current global priorities: Africa and Gender Equality. Gender-transformative proposals addressing the cause of inequality are strongly encouraged.

For more information, visit UNESCO.