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Fellow and Alumni News - 2010
Alumni Assemble in Jaipur for Social Justice Conference
More than sixty IFP alumni from across India and 7 visiting alumni representatives from China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam attended the annual alumni meeting in Jaipur, India, February 20-21. The two-day general meeting and social justice conference was organized by the IFP India Alumni Network (IFPIAN) and the IFP New Delhi office.
Mexican Alumna Selected as Finalist for Rolex Award
IFP alumna Claudia Roxana Juárez has been selected as a finalist in the Rolex Awards for Enterprise Young Laureates Programme, which awards social entrepreneurs a $50,000 grant to implement their startup ideas. Roxana submitted a plan to preserve the Mexican tradition of natural cochineal dye production. Winners will be announced in April.
Roxana has already won other awards, including best thesis on environmental engineering from the Comisión Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CONANP) and a first place prize from the Mexican Women Inventors and Innovators competition.
Alumnus Awarded "Most Outstanding Educator"
Michael Cañares, an IFP alumnus from the Philippines, has been selected as the "Rafael Buenaventura Most Outstanding Finance Educator" for 2009-2010. The award is given by the Finance Executives of the Philippines (FINEX) and the Citi Foundation.
A professor of finance and accounting at Holy University in Bohol, Michael Cañares earned his master's degree in Developmental Economics at the London School of Economics under an IFP fellowship. He was recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship to pursue his PhD in the U.S. He writes about policy in Bohol at www.boholanalysis.com.
Read the New IFP China Alumni Newsletter
Click the link below to read the IFP China Alumni Newsletter, edited by alumnus Chen Zhiyong. The newsletter includes an extensive English summary and features reports from IFP alumni in China and abroad.
Gao Song ('03 cohort) commented on IFP's impact on the lives of alumni: "IFP has opened a window for people, whether an English teacher in a primary school in a distant mountain in the southwestern Yunnan Province of China, or a forest policeman in a mountainous area in Indonesia. Through IFP, a public health expert in Guizhou, China has become a friend of a doctor from Vietnam; through IFP, a college English teacher from western Hubei Province, China could raise a question to the U.S. Secretary of State in Hawaii. Because of IFP, these things that were untouchable, unthinkable and even crazy in the past, have come within reach."
IFP Tanzania Launches Alumni Book
On January 18th, alumni gathered in Tanzania to celebrate the publication of the Tanzania Alumni Directory, a book about the social justice activities of IFP alumni. The launch event was organized by IFP's partner in Tanzania, the Economic and Social Research Foundation and was held at the City Paradise Hotel in Dar Es Salaam. Guests from government, NGOs and the media attended, along with alumni, Fellows and Fellow-Elects. Hon. Professor Jumanne Maghembe, (MP) Minister for Education and Vocational Training gave a speech in which he praised the program's achievements and invited discussion of further efforts of this type of program for higher education.
World Learning Blog Profiles IFP Fellow at SIT
World Learning is the organization behind the SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont. IFP Fellow and SIT student Agus Hernawan was interviewed recently for the World Learning blog about coming to SIT from Indonesia.
"In the third world countries and in the United States there is the same problem. It is just a different location and a different system."
Agus Hernawan is enrolled at SIT for the MA program in Social Justice in Intercultural Relations. He is currently leading efforts at SIT to raise money for earthquake relief in Indonesia.
Alumnus Wins Award for Climate Change Paper
Vivek Prasad, an IFP alumnus from India, was awarded the International Award for Excellence from Common Ground Publishing’s International Journal of Climate Change: Impact and Responses. The winning paper, "Social Capital as a Source of Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change in Developing Countries,” was written by Vivek Prasad, Monique Helfrich and Susan A. Crate.
The paper explores how the agricultural sectors of developing countries adapt to the impacts of global climate change, using two case studies from India and Bangladesh. Vivek has been invited to present as a winning author at the upcoming Second International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, to be held at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia from 8-10 July 2010.
Vivek was awarded an IFP fellowship in 2004 and earned his master’s degree in Resource Management at Antioch University in the US.
Fellow and Alumni News – 2009
Indian Alumnus Wins Social Science Research Award
 Sony Pellissery (IFP India) has been awarded the India Social Science Research Award for 2009 in the category of "Social Inclusion." The recognition came as part of the 25th anniversary of Canada's International Development Research Centre's (IDRC) Indian office.
Sony's research focuses on access to social protection. Using social network analysis, his work has shown how village-level politics result in the exclusion of a large number of eligible applicants from the right to social protection. His monograph, "The politics of social protection in rural India: A network approach to study policy processes" was published this year. Sony is presently Associate Professor at the Institute of Rural Management, Anand. He earned his PhD in Development Studies at the University of Oxford.
For more information about the award, click here.
IFP Fellow Wins College Photographer of the Year Award
Bharat Choudhary, an IFP India Fellow studying at the University of Missouri, won the gold in the 2009 College Photographer of the Year (CPOY) competition. Bharat's set of photos, Is This Home, featuring refugees from Myanmar living in New Delhi, was awarded first place in the International Story category.
Bharat Choudhary (2007 Cohort) is working towards a master's degree in Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia in the U.S.
To see more of Bharat's photos, visit the CPOY website: www.cpoy.org
IFP India Alumna Wins Heller Keller Award
Meenu Bhambhani, an IFP alumna from India, is one of the recipients of this year's Helen Keller Award, sponsored by Shell and India's National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP). Five disabled people were honored at the awards ceremony, which recognizes individuals and organizations who have been working to promote equal opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Meenu was recognized in the individual category, “Role Model for Person with Disabilities” as a disabled person who has worked to promote employment for persons with disabilities. Meenu is the global head of corporate social responsibility at MphasiS, a technology outsourcing company located in New Delhi. She also serves as the Vice President of the IFP India Alumni Network (IFPIAN).
Alumni Network at Seminar in Thailand
 Alumni members of the IFP Thailand Alumni Network (IFP THAN) participated in the "International Seminar on Cultural Diversity of the Mekong River: Sharing Experiences from Japan and the Mekong Countries" held in Ubon Ratchathani in Thailand on November 19-20, 2009. The conference was hosted by the Mekong Sub-region Social Research Center (MSSRC) of Ubon Ratchathani University.
Professor Dr. Knokwan Manorom, Director of MSSRC, provided an overview to the seminar. The seminar was organized to bring together assorted stakeholders – selected Japanese and Southeast Asian regional experts, NGOs, and local voices from the Mekong region – to discuss and share perspectives on development, cultural change and adaptation, diversity, and the resilience of local livelihoods. The seminar underscored the importance of local culture and worldview in the discourse of the Mekong River development and explored how local knowledge and social organization may be better integrated into regional development practices. Participants also discussed how to reinvigorate efforts to revive the Mekong regional identity.
Vietnam Alumna Wins Kazuo Itoga Award
In October, IFP alumna Vo Thi Hoang Yen (Cohort 2001) was awarded the Kazuo Itoga Memorial Prize for her outstanding work supporting persons with disabilities in Vietnam and promoting equal opportunity.
Regional IFP Alumni Meeting on Disability Issues and Policy in Ho Chi Minh City
Hazel P. Villa, an IFP alumna from the Philippines, reports on the regional IFP Alumni Meeting on Disability Issues and Policy in Ho Chi Minh City. Representatives from six countries in Asia and Russia gathered to network and discuss their work.
Vietnam Alumni Conduct Climate Change Workshop
As a starting point for a series of upcoming activities on climate change adaptation and mitigation, members of the IFP Vietnam Alumni Group for Environment and Development (IVGED) organized the first workshop on climate change in Hue City.
- Read more...
IFP Alumni Attend Networking Workshops in Palestine
In September, IFP alumni in Palestine gathered for workshops and networking activities organized by IFP and IFP Partner AMIDEAST. A total of 56 IFP alumni attended workshops held in Ramallah and Gaza.
IFP Holds Africa Regional Alumni Conference in Dakar
Dakar, Senegal – On June 2nd, 2009, IFP alumni leaders from Africa and the Middle East and staff from New York, Ghana and Senegal gathered for the first Africa Regional Alumni Leadership Conference in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. The regional conference provided a forum for IFP alumni to meet one another and discuss opportunities for collaboration in the field of social justice, while receiving further training in leadership and topics such as education, human rights and governance. The four-day meeting combined thematic presentations from outside speakers, including Dr. Yacob Haile-Mariam (Former Senior Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda), Dr. Akwasi Aidoo (Executive Director of Trust Africa) and Ms. Molly Melching (Founder of Tostan) with organizational seminars on how to strengthen the national organizations and regional networks of the Africa alumni.
Deep Joshi Wins 2009 Magsaysay Award
Deep Joshi, a rural rights activist and longtime advisor to IFP in India, was named along with five others for the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2009. The award is considered Asia's equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
Joshi is the co-founder of the NGO Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), which works for rural poor promoting self-help groups, developing locally suitable economic activities, mobilizing finances and introducing systems to improve livelihoods of rural people.
In addition to his career as a Ford Foundation officer and in the nonprofit world, Deep Joshi was a principal advisor for IFP in the early years of the program, and served on selection panels several times.
Alumni Organize Seminar in Northeast Thailand
The IFP Thailand Alumni Network (IFP THAN) organized its first public seminar on August 15, 2009, at Khon Kaen University. Approximately 150 people took part in the event, including local community leaders, NGO networks, media, government officers, students and academics.
IFP Profiles Women Fellows
More than 1,800 outstanding women have been awarded full fellowships for post-graduate study under the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP). Inspired by the New York Times 'Half the Sky' contest, IFP is collecting stories and photos of IFP women around the world.
Brazilian Alumna Wins Prize for Best Dissertation
- July 2009
 In July, IFP alumna Solange Pereira da Rocha was awarded the ANPUH thesis prize by the National Historical Association in Brazil (ANPUH). Her thesis, entitled "Black People in 18th Century Paraíba: Population, Family and Spiritual Kinship," was defended at the University of Pernambuco in 2008. The ANPUH award is in its first year and awards the best thesis with publication by Editora UNESP. Solange graduated from the first cohort of IFP Fellows and is currently a professor in the History Department at the Universidade Federal da Paraíba and a member of the ANPUH.
Nigerian Alumna Selected for Drug Discovery Fellowship
Dr. Hafsat Shittu, an IFP alumna from Nigeria, has been selected for a one-year WHO TDR fellowship as part of a drug discovery program for neglected diseases. A specialist in diabetes, Dr. Shittu was selected from over 200 applicants from African countries to spend a year training at the National Centre for Drug Screening (NCDS) in Shanghai, China.
IFP Alumnus Wins Four Awards From Vanderbilt University
Manoj K. Dora, an IFP alumnus from India, was awarded in four categories at Vanderbilt University’s Annual GPED (Graduate Program in Economic Development) Awards Dinner.
Alumni Spotlight: Running an Education Program in Kenya
Joyce Akai Emanikor is currently the Education Programme Officer for the only education program that Oxfam GB runs in Kenya.
Indonesian Fellow Selected for Election Observation Mission
Teguh Santosa, an IFP Fellow from Indonesia, was selected to participate in an Election Observation Mission (EOM) in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in March of 2009. For observing the FSM and Chuuk State elections, the Asia Pacific Democracy Partnership (APDP) invited 18 people from various backgrounds including government officials, parliamentarians, academics and civil society, from ten countries including New Zealand, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Palau, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and the United States.
The OEM was funded by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and organized by the Pacific Islands Development Program (PIDP) of the East West Center (EWC) in Honolulu, Hawaii, together with the APDP, an informal coalition of democratic states that is meant to support, develop and extend democracy promotion in the region.
Teguh Santosa is currently working towards his Master’s Degree in the Political Science Department of the University of Hawaii at Manoa (UHM).
Fellow and Alumni News – 2008
IFP Fellow Works on Nepal's Constitution Building Process IFP fellow Kaensri Chaikot from Thailand and a team of students in the International Development, Community & Environment (IDCE) Masters program at Clark University (Worcester, Massachusetts) were recently awarded a 300,000 Euro grant from the European Commission. The proposal, conceived by four IDCE students in a project management class, was a response to a call from the European Commission's European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights program for proposals to strengthen the role of civil society in promoting human rights and democratic reform in Nepal. The team of students designed a two-year project entitled, "Advocating the End of Untouchability through the Constitution Building Process." The grant will fund an NGO to advocate the end of untouchability in the constitution-writing process in Nepal. IFP-India Alumnus Founds Nonprofit Organization RACHNA Manoj Bhatt, IFP-India alumnus, has founded the nonprofit organization RACHNA (Research, Advocacy & Communication in Himalayan Areas), working to prevent India’s hydropower industry from steamrolling his native Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. In order to meet rapidly growing demand for power, India is looking to use its waterways and develop hydropower projects along the Ganges River, and specifically in its tributaries in Uttarakhand. Bhatt maintains that authorities do not fully take into account the consequences of these projects—including the impact on farmers who will be displaced, and the impact of blasting in a region that has already experienced two earthquakes. RACHNA advocates legislation to force hydropower companies to give a percentage of their profits to the displaced residents. Bhatt is also organizing a large policy workshop to broaden the discussion on the hydropower project to other actors, including community leaders, hydropower developers and government representatives. IFP-Uganda Alumnus Wins Development Grant for Higher Education Initiatives Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi, Ugandan IFP alumnus and lecturer at Makerere University in Uganda, has won a £75,000 grant from Development Partnerships in Higher Education, a British organization that funds higher education initiatives. The grant will facilitate academic collaboration among Makerere University, University of London, Gulu University, and the Association for the Advancement of Higher Education and Development. In addition, the grant will fund a bilingual children's book project in six rural, poor, primary schools in the post-conflict region of northern Uganda, facilitate short-term staff exchange visits between Makerere, Gulu and the University of London, and will help establish a center for children's literature and media at Makerere University. Aaron Mushengyezi received his IFP fellowship in Uganda’s first round, and completed his Doctoral degree in English at the University of Connecticut, USA. Doing it for the Girls Benta Abuya’s passion for the education of girls and women began at home in Kenya where she watched her mother struggle after her father passed away. Believing that education empowers women, Abuya decided to pursue research in female education. First working towards her teaching degree, she wanted to help younger girls by returning the services that were offered to her by teachers while she was growing up. After receiving an M.A. from the University of Nairobi, she went on to direct the Humanities department at a co-educational high school, but wanted ultimately to play a larger role advocating for girls and women. Founding the Robeli Educational Centre, Abuya sought to offer underprivileged Kenyan girls the chance to learn vocational trades. Awarded the IFP fellowship, Abuya chose to pursue a doctorate at Penn State because of its unique interdisciplinary focus on population studies and female education. As part of the University's Educational Theory and Policy program, she is currently doing doctoral studies in comparative and international education, with a minor in demography. Following completion of her Ph.D., Abuya wants to continue working to “contribute to the education of girls—whether through research, teaching, or development work.” IFP Vietnam Alumna Profiled by AIT Ms. Huynh Ngoc Hong Nhung, an IFP alumna from Vietnam, was recently profiled on the website of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), where she earned a
IFP Alumnus Innovates India’s Rapid Urbanization Dr. Angelique Chettiparamb, an Indian IFP alumna selected in 2001, was awarded first prize in Hidden Successes; an international competition for the best research paper on innovative institutional responses to India’s new urban challenges. The contest was sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR). 
Dr. Chettiparamb received her PhD in urban and regional planning from Cardiff University. Creating Possibilities: Improving the lives of disabled Nigerians Ms. Alonge (selected by IFP-Nigeria in 2006) encapsulates what the International Fellowship Program was created to do--develop leaders that believe in their communities. Studying social work at Denver University, Ms. Alonge plans to return home after completing her studies to open a residential facility for people with disabilities. She will continue to advocate for legislation that protects the rights of disabled Nigerians. 
Joke Alonge with Governor of Colorado Bill Ritter Sharing a Vision of Peace in Community and Service - April 2008 Mohamed Ali Ibrahim, an Egyptian IFP Fellow selected in 2006, has recently been awarded a commendation from the governor of New Hampshire for teaching Egyptian refugees English in Concord, New Hampshire. Mohamed’s work bridges cultural and religious divides in many important ways, as a moving testimony from his New Hampshire host attests. We are very proud of Mohamed’s recognition by the state of New Hampshire, and by his daily efforts to live up to the social justice goals of the IFP. IFP Brandeis Fellows mobilize to assist victims of the crisis in Kenya - March 2008 Recently a group of IFP Fellows from Kenya studying at Brandeis University held a successful fundraising event to aid Kenyans displaced by the post-election violence. The IFP Fellows, along with several other Kenyan students, raised $2,247 which was donated to the Kenya Red Cross to help the hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons in their country. More than just raising money, the group developed an awareness campaign that sought to increase understanding of the crisis in Kenya. INDIA TODAY features the impact of IFP India fellows! Profiles of three of our IFP India fellows have recently been featured in INDIA TODAY, a leading national newspaper. Featured in the paper’s 30th anniversary special edition, the profiles demonstrate the commitment and potential impact of the IFP alumni on the future of their home communities To read the profiles please click on the links below: IFP Fellow clinches top prize in this year’s NYU Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Contest IFP Philippines Fellow Anne Richie Garcia is a leading advocate for human rights in her home country. An MA candidate in Arts Education at New York University, Ms. Garcia is dedicating her life to the same principles of social justice championed by Dr. Martin Luther King (MLK). She recently won the 3rd annual MLK Oratorical contest in which she delivered a powerful and moving speech honoring the theme: “The time is always right to do what is right.” Penn State Fellow makes impact through leadership 
Mr. Joshi has been selected for the prestigious W. LaMarr Kopp Student International Achievement Award, which is given to a graduate student at Penn State for extraordinary contributions to the advancement of the international mission of the University. It is a very competitive award, and only one graduate student from all campuses of the university is selected to receive this award. Neelendra will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize and special plaque. Ceremonies will be held in April. Mr. Joshi is a PhD candidate studying Agriculture. He was selected by IFP India in 2004 and is currently studying at Pennsylvania State University. This year’s Kopp selection committee described Mr. Joshi as “A true ambassador for Penn State in the international community.” IFP Partner in Kenya Awarded the Prestigious 2008 Kravis Prize in Leadership!!! The Kravis Prize, which carries a $250,000 award, recognizes extraordinary leadership in the non-profit sector. IFP’s partner in Kenya, the Forum of African Women Educationalists (FAWE) was selected for its outstanding record in providing access to education for over 12 million girls and women across sub-Saharan Africa. The Kravis Prize will be presented to Dr. Codou Diaw, FAWE Executive Director, and Simone de Comarmond, FAWE founder and current Chair, at ceremonies on April 10 in New York City. FAWE has been the Kenya partner of the International Fellowships Program since 2003. The dynamic efforts of this organization have paid off as FAWE has selected 45 Fellows from Kenya to study in 32 universities in six countries around the world.
Fellow and Alumni News – 2007
Christian Science Monitor Spotlights IFP Fellow-elect from China
Fellow-elect Cun Yanfang, selected in 2007, is an outstanding advocate for environmental protection in her home in Yunnan Province, China. Cun Yanfang has won international attention for teaching local residents how conservation can make economic sense, and she has conducted a successful campaign to save the region’s endangered golden monkeys. We are very proud to welcome Cun Yanfang to the IFP family.
IFP Alumnus Builds Communities through Partnership
Agnes Ingwu, selected in 2004 as an IFP Fellow from Nigeria, is working towards transforming her home community. After using her IFP Fellowship to study Development Economics at the University of Reading, UK, Agnes returned home to continue work with the organization she helped found in 1988, the Abanbeke Development Association (ADA).
Ms. Ingwu has now formed a partnership with Village AiD, a UK-based development organization working throughout the African continent. The partnership between Village AiD and ADA will provide development assistance for 24 communities in rural Nigeria.
IFP Fellow Champions Rights for the Disabled
Recently the Nigerian Tribune reported on the remarkable accomplishments of Joke Alonge, an IFP Fellow earning a masters degree in social work at the University of Denver. Selected by IFP in 2004, Ms. Alonge has long been championing rights for the disabled in Nigeria. From starting her own non-profit to improving local policy on disability rights in Nigeria, Ms. Alonge is a testament of what IFP Fellows can accomplish.
IFP Alumnus Wins Prestigious Award
Rashida Banerjee from India’s first IFP selection has dedicated her life to working with children with disabilities. She was recently selected out of many candidates to receive the J. David Sexton Doctoral Student Award. This award is given to a doctoral level student who has made significant contributions to young children with special needs and their families through research, higher education, publications, policy and information dissemination.
IFP Fellows Recieve Prestigious Award
Two IFP fellows have recently won the James S. and Rosemary Worley Award, given to the outstanding MA student in the Graduate Program in Economic Development at Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tennessee, USA. The award is usually given to one student, but this year two students—both IFP fellows—received awards.
To read about this double recognition for IFP, click here to download the article.pdf
Ford IFP Fellow Responds to Flood in Bihar, India
IFP Alumni are starting to make their impact on development all over the world. Bipul Borah, an IFP India Alumnus, used his IFP Fellowship to obtain his Masters degree in Development and Planning from University College in the UK in 2004. After completion of his degree, Bipul returned to India where he is deeply engaged in relief efforts aimed at helping the flood victims in Bihar, India. Because of his outstanding works, Bipul was recently featured in the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) newsletter—a publication with a diverse readership including 100,000 donors.
Ford IFP Fellow Tackles Climate Change Policy with the COMPON Project
- September 20, 2007
Submitted by Sony Pellissery, IFP Alumnus, India
Sony Pellissery is now heading a three-year project in India for the COMPON project (Comparing Climate Change Policy Networks). The COMPON project is being coordinated from the University of Minnesota and will be carried out in 15 countries. At the moment the public area of the site does not have information on new countries participating in the study such as Russia, India and China, but keep checking back to see new articles.
Please also contact Sony by email at: sony.pellissery@gmail.com if you would like to share in the discussion about climate change policies in your country. Alumni from Russia and China who are involved with climate change policies in their countries should contact Sony directly to connect with their respective country leaders of the COMPON Project.
Physics Professor Shares Nanotechnology Expertise
Egyptian IFP Fellow Sherif Sedky is conducting groundbreaking micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) research at the American University in Cairo (AUC). Through this research Sherif hopes to develop alternative technology that could enable advancements in the automotive, communication, satellite and health industries.
"Deperately seeking consumer leadership"
- The Jakarta Post, August 23, 2007
This article, “Desperately seeking consumer leadership,” is a fine example of how our IFP Fellows are beginning to emerge as international leaders! Agus Hadi Nahrowi is currently pursuing his Master's degree in non-profit studies at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont, USA.
Fellow and Alumni News – 2006
Fellow and Alumni News – 2005
Fellow and Alumni News – 2004
Fellow and Alumni News – 2003
Fellow and Alumni News – 2002
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