The IPDC Prize for Rural Communication is awarded every two years to meritorious and innovative initiatives aimed at improving communication for rural communities in developing countries. Co-winners of the 2012 edition are the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists and the Kenyan Arid Lands Information Network who share the US$ 20,000 Prize. The award ceremony took place on 22 March at UNESCO Headquarters, during the 28th session of the IPDC Council.
The Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ) is an NGO established in 1986 to promote environmental journalism in Nepal. It is actively engaged in raising public awareness about sustainable development through the use of various forms of media. In 1997 NEFEJ created the first community radio in Nepal, Radio Sagarmatha, and recently launched a Community Radio Support Centre providing assistance to other community radio stations in the country.
The Kenyan Arid Lands Information Network is an international NGO that facilitates information and knowledge exchange between extension workers or infomediaries and arid lands communities in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The information exchange activities focus on small-scale sustainable agriculture, climate change adaptation, natural resources management and other livelihood issues. Information is accessed through community-based Maarifa (Knowledge) centres via a range of channels that include: web portals, Web 2.0 applications, mobile phone platforms, workshops, exchange visits and regular publications.
You can read more about the IPDC programme on the UNESCO-IPDC site.