Areas of activity | Communications and freedom of expression

GPA is helping to shape the debate about the impact of new forms of communication on freedom of expression and the long-term implications for democracy.

Ford Foundation

GPA was commissioned by the Ford Foundation in July 2006 to run an eighteen-month programme examining the impact of communication technologies, markets and regulation on freedom of expression. GPA's original scoping study identified the emerging issues and themes that are shaping the communications environment including the concentration of media ownership and the impact of digital media and provided strategic direction for the Foundation.

The new project will focus on the impact of converged networked digital media on the key Ford priorities of democracy, governance civil society and arts, culture and education. Each of these themes will be explored in a series of conferences organised with Ford Foundation offices in Manchester, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi and Jakarta. The conferences will bring together civil society and experts to assess key priorities and identify policy solutions. GPA will co-ordinate a series of policy reports, including major studies of the global communications environment.

British Council - Socius Programme

The British Council organised a series of seminars in Latin America focused on governance under the rubric of the Socius series. Global Partners assisted the British Council in organising the final event of the series held in the UK in June 2005. The event concentrated on the theme of trust and governance and brought together participants from a wide range of backgrounds including politicians, public officials, judges and NGO leaders.

International Media Support

IMS, the Danish-based international NGO which supports both media organisations and journalists in conflict situations, asked GPA to carry out a strategic review of its future development. Our final report provided the basis for the organisation's future strategy, focussing on the organisation's mandate and method of operations.

Open Society Foundation: Network Media Program

GPA assisted the Open Society Foundation's Network Media Program to produce a survey of private and government donors in the field of free expression. The project mapped donor activity and co-ordination globally. Information from the survey was used to help the Foundation organise a major donor conference in autumn 2005.

UNESCO

GPA has provided ongoing strategic advice to UNESCO, assisting with its programme of work in Iraq. In the first stages we helped develop a project promoting awareness of international standards and human rights within the emerging media policy framework in Iraq. Following up this project we made recommendations for future project design and activity. On the basis of this evaluation UNESCO secured a major $2m project in late 2005 supporting media development in support of the new constitution. This too was evaluated and the project completed in March 2006. GPA assisted UNESCO with a major conference on the Iraqi media in early 2007 and have been asked by UNESCO to develop a set of indicators assessing the media's contribution to democracy.

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