The International Programme for the Development of Communication: A decade of infancy

Abstract

The IPDC, which at inception promised practical assistance to developing nations unencumbered by the conflicting ideologies of the First and Third Worlds, quickly fell short of expectations and has been largely ignored since the mid-1980s. Despite administrative and budget problems, the Programme remains an acceptable, if small, effort to address communications imbalances. Most projects approved for funding in the past decade have dealt with media training and research, radio and television broadcasting, and the creation or improvement of regional news agencies. In support of the 1991 Declaration of Windhoek, future projects will be funded not only according to need, but also based on their contributions to press freedom and the principles of independence, pluralism and diversity of the media.