The two projects, “Building Bridges: Communication for Empowerment” and “Building Institutional Capacity of the Nepal Press Institute to Offer High Quality Media Training”, will directly benefit Nepali journalists and community-based organizations in Kathmandu, Rupandehi, Kapilavastu, Palpa and Janakpur.

The Building Bridges project aims to increase the capacity of CLC and CMC in Newalparasi, Kapilvastu, Palpa and Rupandehi by providing opportunities for marginalised communities to learn about programmes and activities of community centres and, ultimately, to be engaged in them. This project will also enable members of those communities to participate in community-based learning and information sharing.

The second project will equip journalists with the skills and knowledge necessary to report information in a fair and unbiased manner. The primary beneficiaries are media professionals who live outside the Kathmandu Valley. This project will especially target the journalists who do not have access to media training through other institutions.

Both projects will be implemented by the Nepal Press Institute (NPI) and the Community Radio Support Centre (CRSC).

Over the last 30 years IPDC focused its projects on the most urgent priorities in communication development. The IPDC efforts have had an important impact in such areas as the promotion of media independence and pluralism; the development of community media, radio and television organizations; the modernisation of national and regional news agencies; and training of media professionals. IPDC has mobilised some US$ 100 million for over 1200 projects in more than 140 developing countries and countries in transition.