Young Environmental Journalist Awards Launched by UNEP

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), has launched its Young Environmental Journalist Award for Africa. The award seeks to recognize young journalists between the ages of 25 and 35 from any African country, who have a passion for the environment. 

The award, which is made available through sponsorship from the government of the United States, US, would provide the winner a rare opporunity to interact with scientists, public figures, as well as leading environmental projects and green economy projects. This is also in addition to an all-expense-paid trip to the US. 

Journalists from the various media - print, online, radio and television, who meet the age requirement, are encouraged to submit their entries for the award. For print, entries should not exceed 3,000 words, while broadcast reports should not be longer than six (6) minutes. 

According to UNEP, the winner of the Young Environmental Journalist Award, would be a new voice for the environment - one that would help to shape opinion on the African continent and beyond. The award ceremony would take place during the 26th Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, February 21 - 25, 2011.

Entries would be assessed based on: newsworthiness; quality of writing, editing and language; originality and objectivity; impact of the report and its benefit to public understanding; strength of the environmental component of the report, in terms of economic and social development; extent of research undertaken, and relevance of entry to local or regional communities in Africa.

Deadline for entries: December 31, 2010.

For application form: https://www.unep.org/yeja/nomination/

For more information visit: www.unep.org/yeja   

OR contact:

Waiganjo Njoroge

Tel: +254207625261

Email: yeja.africa@unep.org

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