Media Award for Peace Contest opened

Accra, May 5, GNA - The Iranian Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) in collaboration with the Iran branch of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is organizing Media Award for Peace contest.

The contest is opened for reporters, photojournalists and cameramen active in press and media, researchers and commentators of written, audio, visual and electronic media, who offer their best work in the field of non-governmental organizations (NGO) working in the area of news.

The works to be sent for the contest should have been published in a well-known media or press earlier.

A release from the organizers issued in Accra on Wednesday said the date of the works to be offered for the contest should cover the span of time between January 2002 and end of April 2004.

It said the works should be submitted to the secretariat of the "coalition for peace" not later than June 20, 2004 at the IRNA building. The address is: IRNA, Opposite Yousefabad Fork, Vali-e Asr St., Tehran, Iran.

The release said the material value of the award equals 20,000 dollars, which would be granted to the winning individuals or organizations regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, religion or gender together with a special image.

In specific cases recognized by the jury, the award could be divided into two equal portions to be granted to a maximum of two people.

The subject of the award is any piece of news story, articles for press, analysis, comments, reports, films and photos supporting the objectives.

The objectives are stressing the paradigm of "dialogue-peace" as man's only way to salvation, challenging the idea of conflicts and wars and illustrating a horrifying picture of war and blood shedding.

Others are making efforts to classify the theoretical aspects of coalition for peace in the domains of politics and dissemination of information.

The rest are propagating the culture of peace and scattering news of activities, which promote peace, advocating the culture of logic and avoiding violence, which serves the collective benefits and interests of mankind by establishing a common collective identity

Other objectives are recognizing the advocates of peace in the world and propagating their humanitarian thoughts and ideas, exploring solutions shared by all religions towards peace.

Heads of News Agencies worldwide and the representatives of foreign news agencies as well as the managers and representatives of the well-known visual media along with other experts attended and participated in the gathering of "Coalition of the News Agencies for Peace" which was held in Tehran October 15 to October 16, 2002 by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).

It was aimed at reminding all and sundry of the urgent need for extensive, sincere and responsible efforts by media people worldwide to promote the culture of peace and prevent war, blood shedding and conflicts in human societies.

"Coalition for Peace" is regarded as a practical step towards materialization of the idea of "Dialogue among Civilizations." Given the importance of the role of media in putting in practice certain aspect of the idea of the Coalition for Peace which included the dissemination of information, the theoretical aspects of the idea could be worked out in academic circles and its numerous ways of application could be encouraged through holding gatherings and expert meetings by the thinkers who advocated the idea of peace.

It was in this gathering that the idea to grant "the Media Award for Peace" was proposed by the Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic guidance and approved.

The jury for the contest comprises seven people including the official in charge of United Nations Information Centre in Iran or his representative, the Managing Director of the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) or his representative, the secretary of National Commission of UNESCO or his representative.

Others are, the Chief of Intentional Federation of Journalists (based in Brussels) or his representative, Head of Trade Union of Iranian Journalists or his representatives as well as two experts of communications sciences introduced by IRNA Managing Director.

The Award would officially be handed to the winner during a special ceremony in Tehran in the Iranian month of Mordad (July 22 to August 21, 2004).

The winner is expected to attend the ceremony in person and deliver a short speech to it. The exact date of the ceremony will be announced later.

The particulars of the owner of the work to be attached are the name of the person or the NGO in full; date and place of birth of the person; registration of the NGO; nationality and legal place of residence; summary of the activities of the person; NGO relevant to the objectives and subject of the award.

The release said the mass media in general and the news agencies in particular were considered as components of the most important institutions of a civil society that played a significant part in providing information and also shaping the public opinion of the world people as well as the political leaders. They are also capable of playing the major part in propagating the culture of peace and preventing the expansion of culture of violence.