Arab Media Movers and Shakers Awards

The annual awards will be recognise those who have done most in the media to highlight the issues surrounding the change agenda set by the UNDP. The “movers and shakers” are those who have done most either within or through the media to highlight the role of women, democratic freedoms and economic transformation.

The change agenda set out by the UNDP reports on the Arab world highlights a number of deficits that constrain development. The awards recognise that the media is key means for debate on such important issues. The awards seek to encourage a quality and depth of reporting in each area. They will also provide a platform for discussion on how to address the current problems facing the Arab media such as lack of access to information, limited specialist expertise and reporting restrictions.

The awards will recognise outstanding achievement in the following areas:

• Freedom and democratisation:

These awards will be for recognition of outstanding work on debating freedom issues within the Arab media.

• Economic diversification:

           These awards will recognise outstanding achievement in business reporting in the Arab world.

• Empowerment of women:

These awards will be for outstanding achievement in addressing women’s issues within the Arab media.

• Education:

Awards for those involved in the education debate within the Arab media.

• New Media

Awards for those taking forward the above issues using the new media.

An international judging panel from the Arab and non-Arab media and other interested bodies will receive and review nominations. The awards will reflect work in the Gulf, the Maghreb and the Levant as well pan-Arab achievement. There will be awards for print and broadcast media as well awards for internet reports. Entries can be from working journalists or those who have contributed to the media.

The awards will be launched in the Gulf. With an awards ceremony to be held in April in Beirut, as an Arab city that has played a leading role in the development of the Arab media

Timing

The awards will be launched in early January with entries being sought through the media by the end of February with the judges making a short-list by mid March with an invitation to the short-listed participants to attend a meeting in April.

Sponsorship

AIM is a London-based not for profit organisation operating under the chairmanship of Ghayth Armanazi, a former Arab League ambassador to London and under the patronage of Lord Thomson, a former European Commissioner and British Foreign Minister. AIM is now seeking sponsors for the awards to cover the cost of running the event and bringing finalists and judges to the awards ceremony in Dubai. For further information please contact the AIM Secretariat on inquires(at)meconsult.co.uk