Dear Members of the Executive Committee,

Dear Chairs and Secretaries of National Associations,

Dear Colleagues,

The World Congresses of Political Science that we hold every two years presents us with opportunities to meet political scientists from different parts of the world, exchange ideas, develop professional networks that may lead to joint research and writing as well as lifetime personal friendships. In order to maximize such opportunities, IPSA, throughout its history, has worked hard to increase both the number of scholars who attend the World Congresses and the variety of countries they come from. To that end, making travel grants available to those who otherwise would not be able come to our meeting has been an integral part of IPSA activity.

The funds that can be allocated to travel grants by IPSA, however generous they may be, are constrained by the modesty of the association’s budget. I am therefore calling upon our members to contribute to a Global South Solidarity Fund that has already been operating during the past several years. Our hosts in Brisbane have already raised funds towards this important initiative. On my part, I have recently asked Wyn Grant of Warwick University in Great Britain, a former member of the IPSA Executive Committee to head the Global South Solidarity Fund until the 2018 World Congress in Brisbane, Australia. In this endeavor, he will be assisted by Shirin Rai, also of the same university and a current member of the IPSA Executive Committee.

I am happy to report to you that the Global South Solidarity Fund page is now up and running. http://www.ipsa.org/awards/global-south. If you want to make a donation, you may simply click the button at the bottom of the page and instructions will guide you to make your donation using your credit card.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chair of the Global South Solidarity Fund Professor Wyn P. Grant and assistant chair Professor Shirin Rai as well members of the IPSA Secretariat under the leadership of our Executive Director Andrea Cestaro for their efforts in completing this facility in a timely manner. Furthermore, Professor Grant has made the first generous contibution to the Fund in the process of testing whether the system works, thereby assuring all that you will encounter no difficulties in pursuing his example.

I would like not only to invite you to make a personal gift, but also ask you to encourage your friends and colleagues to follow your example. In particular, I would like to ask the secretaries of national associations to circulate this information to all their members and encourage them to assist us in achieving a higher level participation by scholars of the countries of the Global South to our World Congress possible.  I am confident that all of you share my enthusiasm in making the Global South Solidarity Fund a success.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely yours,

Ilter Turan

IPSA President