The IFEJ, a network and international association founded in 1993 on the initiative of French and German environmental journalists, with the participation of journalists from 28 countries, today has members, correspondents and/or member associations in more than 117 countries around the world. Directly and indirectly, this network includes around 7500 journalists associated with every type of medium, scientific authors, filmmakers, etc.

The IFEJ has the legal status of a nonprofit international association according to French law (Loi 1901). The association is managed by two Executive Directors, the French journalist Louisette Gouverne and the German journalist Michael Schweres, in consultation with a 6-member Administrative Board. The current President of the IFEJ is the Indian journalist and columnist Darryl d'Monte, former Resident Editor of The Times of India, India’s largest English-language daily.

The website www.ifej.org provides further information about the MISSION STATEMENT of the organization, the BIODIVERSITY REPORTING AWARD established by the IFEJ in cooperation with CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, and MEDIA SURVEY 2000, conducted with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF)/World Bank.

Since the founding conference in Dresden in 1993, IFEJ members have met each year in a different part of the world, often in crisis or flashpoint regions, in order to make a clear stand for freedom of thought and freedom of the press:

1994 Paris (France), 1995 Boston (USA), 1996 Cebu City (Philippines), 1997 Budapest (Hungary), 1998 Colombo (Sri Lanka), 1999 Bogota (Colombia), 2000 Cairo (Egypt), 2001 Lage (Germany), 2002 Paris (France), 2003 St. Petersburg (Russia), 2005 New Delhi (India), 2006 Stockholm (Sweden). There is no annual meeting planned at the moment.

The IFEJ has collaborated with various European and international projects, including the European University of the Environment (EUE), Young Reporters for the Environment (YRE), etc. In cooperation with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and under the leadership of the Uruguayan journalist Victor Bacchetta, in the year 2000 the IFEJ published a media handbook for Latin American journalists. IFEJ is Media-Partner of Com+ and the Global Subsidies Initiative.


For more information please contact :

  • Office adress:
    School of Mass Communication
    Loyola University
    6363 St. Charles Avenue
    New Orleans, Louisiana 70002-6195
    U.S.A.