Background
The International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) is committed to finding new and innovative solutions to the problems impacting people with epilepsy and their families world-wide. As part of this commitment, IBE is providing a limited amount of financial support to IBE member organizations on a competitive basis for initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for people with epilepsy in developing nations.

Given the limited amount of funding available, it has been agreed to invest Promising Strategies in those nations of greatest need. As such, only IBE members in a country whose gross national product is less than US$10,000 according to Wold Bank figures are eligible to apply.

Definition of a Promising Strategy
A Promising Strategy is one that has the potential to foster effective and innovative public health practice with regard to epilepsy. Ideally, a Promising Strategy contains many of the following:

• Is based on measurable, realistic, and time specific objectives
• Is need-based and data-driven
• Is innovative and represents the development of new solutions to common problems impacting people with epilepsy and their families
• Establishes a strategy that makes a difference in improving accessibility to accurate, timely, necessary and culturally appropriate information and/or services
• Demonstrates a sustainable effect in the community where it is being implemented
• Has the potential for replication of positive results if the program is implemented in a similar environment with a similar target population as its original pilot demonstration
• Is a strategy that can be used to generate policies and initiatives to address systems issues and common problems impacting people with epilepsy and their families
• Is likely to be implemented in collaboration with other strategic partners
• Has the support of key leaders within the IBE member organization and broad epilepsy community
• Has a mechanism to evaluate results and get feedback to continue to improve the program

Supporting Promising Strategies
In 2007, UCB Pharma staff members in 3 different locations took part in a Fun Run to raise funds for the IBE Promising Strategies Program. The money obtained by the runners through sponsorship was matched by UCB management and a total of Euro 25,000 was raised. This sum has made a big difference to the level of funding IBE can provide and the Bureau was delighted to learn that the Fun Run is to be repeated in 2008.

Epilepsy Foundation, IBE’s Full Member in the United States, provided US$4,000 to the Promising Strategies Program in 2007 and has also agreed to repeat this support in 2008. IBE is very grateful to the association for this generous gesture.

IBE has used some of the funds generated through the IBE Solidarity Fund, to support the Promising Strategy projects both in 2007 and 2008. The Solidarity Fund was created as a means of supporting IBE Members in developed countries to become involved in IBE activities, where such involvement would be otherwise denied because of lack of funds. In addition to providing some funding to the Promising Strategy Program, the Solidarity Fund has also helped Members in low income countries with their annual dues payments. IBE encourages it Members who are based in developed regions to make a donation to the Solidarity Fund when arranging their dues payments; although donations are welcome at any time and from any source.

Promising Strategies 2010
IBE is pleased to announce that the Promising Strategies Program, initiated in 2006 by the Secretary General Eric Hargis and launched by the President Susanne Lund, is now inviting qualifying member organizations to apply for funding as part of the program’s 4th phase. Similar to the first and second round of the program, IBE will provide a limited amount of financial support to IBE member organizations, on a competitive basis, for initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for people with epilepsy in developing nations. This will be a great opportunity to facilitate new activities aimed at raising awareness, reducing stigma, and helping people with epilepsy to achieve a better quality of life.

• Only Letters of Intent should be submitted at this time
• Letters of Intent must arrive no later than 31st October 2009
• DO NOT submit a full proposal until requested to do so.

The IBE International Executive Committee is very grateful to the generous financial support of Epilepsy Foundation of America to the Promising Strategies Program. The committee would also like to acknowledge thanks to UCB and its staff members who have committed to providing funds for the program. Finally, IBE would like to thank all those member organizations who have generously donated to the IBE Solidarity Fund; a portion of this fund is also being used to finance the program. If your organization would like to donate to the Solidarity Fund or directly to the Promising Strategies Program please contact the IBE Office. All donations, however small, are gratefully received.

Click here to download the Promising Strategies 2010 Announcement.

Promoting Promising Strategies
The Promising Strategies Program is such an important initiative that it is widely promoted both in the IENews and also at congresses through the media of attractive posters, flyers and postcards.

Click here to download a poster which was displayed at the 7th Asian & Oceanian Epilepsy Congress in Xiamen, May 2008 (file size 1.35Mb).
Click here to download a postcard which was circulated at the 7th Asian & Oceanian Epilepsy Congress in Xiamen, May 2008 (file size 1.41Mb).