UN awards journalists and media institutions for information development in Africa

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and its partners today presented Awards to prominent media practitioners and organizations that have made significant contributions to the development of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in Africa.

An initiative of ECA, the African Information Society Initiative (AISI) Media Awards aim to promote journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa. They are given to individual journalists and media institutions based on the continent.

ECA said the sustainable build up of an information society in African countries requires the development of information resources to reflect the needs of each and every sector and stakeholder. The information society also requires that knowledge be disseminated and used by stakeholders, the public at large and disenfranchised groups such as women and the poor to make rational choices and exercise human rights.

Internationally recognized African journalists, media researchers, and experts on ICT for Development issues selected this year's winners: ICT Focus from Ethiopia, Radio Afrique Espoir from Benin, Association Yam Pukri from Burkina Faso, Realities Magazine from Tunisia, Women of Uganda Network, African Languages Technology from Nigeria, Etienne Tasse from Cameroon, Salif Sanogo from Mali, Takawira Musara from Zimbabwe, IT and Telecom Digest from Nigeria, Bianca Wright from South Africa and Brenda Zulu from Zambia.

The Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), the Open Society Initiative for Western Africa (OSIWA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) sponsor the awards.