Reuters Foundation and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) are sponsoring the 2008 Media Awards, a worldwide competition aimed at raising global awareness of environmental and sustainable development issues, by encouraging excellence in environmental reporting worldwide. The awards are co-funded by Reuters Foundation, IUCN, and COM+ Alliance of Communicators for Sustainable Development.


Journalists working in print and online media are invited to submit entries. One winner from each of the six regions – Latin America; North America, including the Caribbean and Oceania; Europe; Asia, including the Middle East; English-speaking Africa; and French-speaking Africa will be invited to attend the Global Awards Ceremony taking place in Barcelona, Spain, during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in October 2008. The global winner will receive a cash prize of US$5,000.


The article needs to focus on an environmental issue, preferably relating nature to human well-being.

• Restoration of nature or ecosystems
• Environmental degradation and sound ecosystem management
• The conservation and sustainable use of natural resources
• Access to benefits from natural resources
• Community empowerment and participation related to environment
• Environmental impacts of investment, consumption and trade
• Environment-related social, economic and development issues
• Threatened species and the conservation of biological diversity
• Alien invasive species

All submissions must have been published between September 12 2006 and June 10 2008. Candidates may submit one article only, accompanied by an entry form. Entries written in a language other than English, French, or Spanish must be accompanied by a translation.


The deadline date is June 15 2008.

Entries can be submitted either directly by authors or by nomination. Where more than one writer produced the article, the lead writer's name should be submitted. Where possible, entries should be submitted by e-mail. Submitting the article in its original print layout does not present an advantage to the jury.

Send the article, the completed form, a translation, if necessary, and contact information for the journalist or publisher to the IUCN:

by email - media.awards@iucn.org

by fax - 41 22 999 0020

or by post:
Rue Mauverney 28
Gland
1196
Switzerland



Click here for more information from the IUCN website, including entry forms [MS Word format downloads] in English, French, or Spanish.


Click here for more information from the Reuters website.

Click here to read about previous winners.


Previous winners have come from countries as diverse as Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Canada, China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Germany, Great Britain, Kenya, Macedonia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Togo, US, and Zimbabwe.