London and Gland, Switzerland, 28 May, 2001 (Reuters Foundation/IUCN) - Reuters Foundation and IUCN - The World Conservation Union today issued a call for nominations for the 2001 Reuters-IUCN Media Awards.
The awards, established in 1998, aim at raising global awareness of environmental and sustainable development issues, by encouraging excellence in environmental reporting worldwide.
"In today's world of rapid communications technology it is possible to generate and sustain public interest in the growing environmental threats to our planet and to influence the actions of individuals as a result. It is imperative that environmental reporting links these challenges to mainstream socio-political and economic affairs, thereby bringing them to the forefront of sustainable development priorities," said Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan, IUCN Patron and presenter of the past three awards.
The award is open to print and Internet journalists from six regions -- Latin America; North America, including the Caribbean and Oceania; Europe; Asia; English-speaking Africa, including the Middle East and French-speaking Africa. All submissions must have been published between 30 August 2000 and 31 July 2001.
One winner from each region will be invited to attend the Global Awards Ceremony taking place in Berlin, during the ECOmove Film Festival, in the first week of December 2001. The global winner will receive a prize of $US5, 000.
"In the modern communications age, news gatherers have an opportunity to inform a wider public than ever before on issues of global significance. With this comes a responsibility to maintain the quality of the information they deliver. The Reuters-IUCN awards recognise the excellent work of journalists the world over who are helping to enhance global awareness of critical environmental issues," Maureen Marlowe, Director of Reuters Foundation, said.
Last year's winner, Alanna Mitchell of The Globe and Mail newspaper in Canada, wrote "From the Vanishing Forests of Madagascar" -- a comprehensive look at the growing number of extinct species on this island nation off the East Coast of Africa, often referred to as "the land of living fossils."
Candidates may submit one article only, accompanied by the attached entry form, to the nearest IUCN office. Entries written in a language other than English, French or Spanish must be accompanied by a translation. The deadline for entries is 5 August 2001.
More information and application forms can be found on the Reuters Foundation website at: http://www.foundation.reuters.com and IUCN website at http://iucn.org/reuters.
For more information, contact:
Jo Weir
Reuters Foundation
Tel: +44 (0)20 7542 58 72
jo.weir@reuters.com
Wendy Goldstein
IUCN - The World Conservation Union
Tel: +41 22 999 0207
wjg@hq.iucn.org
Reuters Foundation - www.foundation.reuters.com - is an educational and charitable trust funded by Reuters, the global news and information group. It offers a wide range of study and training opportunities to journalists from all over the world and funds charitable initiatives reflecting the concerns and interests of Reuters staff worldwide. It also supports international disaster relief and runs AlertNet - www.alertnet.org - an award-winning, web-based news and communications service for the international aid community.
IUCN - The World Conservation Union was created in 1948. It is the world's largest conservation-related organisation, bringing together 79 states, 112 government agencies, 735 NGOs and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 139 countries in a unique world partnership. Over the last half century, IUCN has helped over 75 countries to prepare and implement national conservation strategies within the framework of global conventions that it has participated in drafting. Through its worldwide secretariat, comprising offices in 42 countries, IUCN contributes to the implementation of a wide range of activities linking local action with global initiatives.
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