02-03-2005 (Paris) Video Training Basics for Independent Filmmakers Produced by UNESCO
UNESCO, in collaboration with the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT), created a series of instructional “how to” videos to provide basic, conceptual and technical understanding of the audio-visual film production, with the special focus on the independent documentary.
01-03-2005 (Paris) Sixty Two Developing Countries Seek IPDC Support to Foster Pluralistic Media
The Bureau of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) will meet from 7-9 March to examine and select proposals for media development submitted from media organizations across developing countries. This year the Bureau has received 111 project proposals from media organizations in 62 developing countries and 26 regional media organizations.
01-03-2005 (Paris) Se Buscan! Searching for Local Content Best Practices in Latin America: 20 proposals selected
UNESCO received 115 proposals from Latin American institutions and initiatives as a response to its call for "good ideas and best practices in local content production and distribution in Latin America", launched in November 2004.
28-02-2005 (Geneva) Post-Tsunami Telecommunication Links Strengthened
The second Preparatory Meeting for Phase Two of the World Summit on the Information Society included a special session on Telecoms for Disaster Relief. The session focused on key elements of the Tampere Convention on the Provision of Telecommunication Resources for Disaster Mitigation and Relief Operations, which came into effect on 8 January.
25-02-2005 (Paris) Slave Trade Archives Project Completed
A project to improve the conservation and accessibility of slave trade records, the so called Slave Trade Archives Project that was set up by UNESCO in 1999 and funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), is now completed but should continue as the recently published final report recommends.
24-02-2005 (Bangkok) Two Studies on ICT in Education Published by UNESCO Bangkok Office
The Asia-Pacific Programme on ICT in Education managed by the UNESCO Office in Bangkok has just published two studies on ICT in education School Networking: Lessons Learned (Volume 2) and Infoshare: Sources and Resources Bulletin (Volume 6, 2004/2005).
23-02-2005 (Beijing) Media Struggle for Transparent Governance in Mongolia
How to fight corruption? How to encourage the investigative reporting? What legal and ethical framework should be put in place to protect and guide journalists working on corruption cases?
22-02-2005 (New Delhi) Asian Forum on Pluralism in Media
More than 40 journalists and academics from various parts of Asia gathered recently in Bangkok for the fourth Journalism Asia forum that centered on the theme "Media Ethics and Pluralism in Asia”.
21-02-2005 (Paris) UNESCO Celebrates International Mother Language Day
International Mother Language Day, which the international community has been celebrating with UNESCO every 21 February for the past six years, provides an especially meaningful opportunity for debate and action to promote all the languages spoken on our planet.
21-02-2005 (New Delhi) Governance on the air
"In 2001 after the local elections, we insisted to have the council sessions broadcast live on the radio”, explains Jovy Tactac, a councilor in the municipality of Santa Teresita, population 13000, in the north eastern Philippines. “Some people were reluctant, it is a bit scary for them that everybody will be on air."
18-02-2005 (New Delhi) Digitizing Samoa's Radio Archives
Samoa Broadcasting Corporation is the only institution in the Pacific island state which preserves sound documents of the island's history and heritage. The archive's 2500 tapes contain recordings of the country’s music and culture as well as political and religious events of more than 40 years of Samoa's history.
17-02-2005 (Paris) UNESCO Condemns Murder Of Bangladeshi Journalist Sheikh Belaluddin Ahmed
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura has condemned the murder of Bangladeshi journalist Sheikh Belaluddin Ahmed, correspondent of The Daily Sangram newspaper, who died on February 11 six days after being targeted by a bomb attack in front of the Khulna Press Club in southwestern Bangladesh.
17-02-2005 (Montevideo) Course on Building Digital Libraries in Fortaleza, Brazil
Training in methodologies for planning digital libraries and the use of free software for their creation will be provided from 21 to 25 February 2005 in Fortaleza, Brazil, during a workshop organized by UNESCO, the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil , and the Centre for Training and Development (CETREDE) in Fortaleza.
16-02-2005 (Paris) UNESCO Concerned by Attacks on Freedom of Expression in Nepal
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura today expressed deep concern over the attacks against democracy and freedom of expression that have occurred since a state of emergency was declared in Nepal.
16-02-2005 (New Delhi) Media, Transparency and Governance. Workshop in Marshall Islands
Staff members of the government radio station V7AB in the Marshall Islands recently completed a two week workshop entitled ‘Getting the Message Across - Transparency and Governance in the Marshall Islands’ sponsored by UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC).
15-02-2005 (Paris) 20 Films to Celebrate International Women's Day on 8 March
In order to mark International Women's Day on 8 March this year, UNESCO’s Audiovisual E-Platform proposes 20 films about women's issues, such as women's rights, development, employment, social role models, among others, which can be used for broadcasting by TV channels as well as for cultural activities or other related events planned for 8 March.
14-02-2005 (New Delhi) Media Professionals from E-9 Countries Trained in Reporting on Education for All
Nineteen journalism trainers/journalists from E-9 countries (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan) gathered in New Delhi to take part in a four-day UNESCO Training of Trainers workshop on investigating, writing and reporting on the goals of Education For All (EFA). The workshop was hosted by the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC).
11-02-2005 (Paris) Deadline for Submission of Projects for Funding under UNESCO’s Information for All Programme Approaches
The deadline for submission of proposals to be funded under UNESCO’s Information for All Programme, an international information society initiative launched in 2001, will expire on 20 February 2005. The call for proposals was launched end of last year.
11-02-2005 (Paris) UNESCO Concerned About Growing Insecurity for Journalists
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura stated today that he is increasingly preoccupied by the growing insecurity in which journalists exercise their profession. “Attacks targeting journalists are blows against democracy, which depends largely on the media’s ability to gather information and communicate it to the public,” Mr Matsuura declared. “All too often, a journalist’s mission is carried out in intolerable security conditions.”
11-02-2005 (Paris) Multistakeholder Partnership Holds E-discussion on FOSS
A network comprising civil society and UN organisations including UNESCO has launched a public e-consultation on the development implications of free and open source software (FOSS) entitled “FOSS: Policy and Development Implications” (FOSS-PDI). The Forum is at http://lists.apdip.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/foss-pdi
10-02-2005 (Paris) UNESCO Publishes Proceedings of World Press Freedom Day Celebration 2004
UNESCO announces the publication of the proceedings of the celebration of the World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2004 in Belgrade 2004. “Media. Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction” displays the breadth of contributions made during the event and complements the Belgrade Declaration in support of the media in conflict and post-conflict situations.
09-02-2005 (Paris) UNESCO Calls for Release of Italian Journalist Giuliana Sgrena
UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura has called for the release of Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, who was kidnapped on February 4 in Baghdad where she was working for the daily newspaper Il Manifesto.
09-02-2005 (New Delhi) Media Training at Jaffna University in Sri Lanka in Times of Disaster
It is Sunday afternoon at the Media Resource and Training Centre (MRTC) of the Jaffna University but the students in the journalism diploma are hard at work after a 3-week mid-term break. They are planning the next issue of their lab newspaper, which will document how the tsunami was covered by the newspapers of the Northern province of Sri Lanka.
08-02-2005 (New Delhi) UNESCO Supports Gender in Journalism Awards in Pakistan
The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) seeks applications for the 2005 Gender in Journalism Awards, which honour excellence in gender sensitive reporting in the country. UNESCO supports the two awards, each carrying a cash prize of Rs 25,000 (US$ 400), that will be given to Pakistani journalists.
07-02-2005 (Beirut) UNESCO Distributes over 190 Computers to Public Schools in Lebanon
As part of the “Bridging the Digital Divide” project lead by the UNESCO Office in Lebanon’s Capital Beirut, over 190 computers were distributed to 28 schools in the Bikaa Region in Northern and Eastern Lebanon. Public schools in Baalbak, Rashiya and Hirmel Provinces received as many as 10 computers for each school depending on number of students.
04-02-2005 (Hanoi) Investigating the Goals of Education for All - Workshop on EFA for Journalists in Viet Nam
As part of the UNESCO’s Regional Communication and Information Programme on “Education Makes News”, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and UNESCO Office Hanoi organized a training workshop for journalists on reporting on “Education for All” (EFA) and other education topics related to the international EFA programme.
03-02-2005 (Paris) Opening of the Conference on Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace
The Director-General of UNESCO, Mr Koïchiro Matsuura, opened at Headquarters today the Conference on “Freedom of Expression in Cyberspace”, a thematic meeting which has been organized by UNESCO as part of its contribution to the process leading towards the second phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), to be held in Tunis next November.
03-02-2005 (Paris) UNESCO Supported Project Wins Yeoman Award for Local Content
Namma Dhwani, a community information centre in Budhikote near Bangalore in India, that is based on a cable radio network established with support from UNESCO’s International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC) has won the Yeomans Award for local content (Asia Category).
02-02-2005 (New Delhi) UNESCO Releases New Publication on ICT Application to Fight Poverty
'Profiles and Experiences in ICT Innovation for Poverty Reduction' looks in detail at four innovative initiatives in South Asia that use information and communication technologies (ICTs) as part of efforts to reduce poverty. The initiatives were started as part of a UNESCO pilot project in the Asia-Pacific.
01-02-2005 (Paris) Challenges and Opportunities for Freedom of Expression on the Internet: UNESCO Conference on 3 and 4 February
0ne hundred and fifty media professionals, academics, legal experts, freedom of expression campaigners, and policy-makers from all over the world, will look at ways to ensure respect for freedom of expression on the internet during a conference at UNESCO Headquarters, Freedom in Cyberspace, February 3-4.
