The West Africa Journalists Association (WAJA), through its Capacity Building project was last Wednesday officially launched in Bamako.

The 2nd edition of the Excellence Award was on the theme "Rights of the consumer - users in the countries and between the countries of ECOWAS-WAJA". According to a press release issued yesterday, WAJA stated that the competition is open to practicing journalists in the 15 ECOWAS member states and  Mauritania in the fields of print, radio and television.  In addition to a monetary prize, the release added, the winners will take part in a workshop on investigative journalism (in Dakar for the Francophone and Lusophone, and in Accra for the Anglophone).

 "To take part, the following conditions should be met: candidates must be  practicing journalists, be resident in one of the 16 WAJA member countries, work regularly for a press agency or media institution," the release noted. According to WAJA, work presented should relate to at least one of the rights devoted by the United Nations General Principles for Consumer Protection.

These rights the release added, are inter alia the consumer protection against the risks for their health and their safety; the protection of the economic interests of the consumers; the access to information to make informed choices; education of consumers, in particular concerning the socio-economic and environmental impact of the choices they make; right of the consumers to obtain effective redress; right to put forward their concerns to the authorities on decisions likely to affect them; the promotion of durable modes of consumption.

"Works presented must be broadcast on a television or radio station or published in a newspaper, magazine or wire of a news agency between  May 15, 2008 and May 15, 2009, in French, English or Portuguese," the release highlighted.

Requirements
For the print press, a copy of the article as published, accompanied by the name of the newspaper or magazine, the date of publication must be visible and a CV of the candidate should be presented. For the audio-visual media, a copy of the production as it was broadcast by a radio or a television station on VHS cassette, VCD or DVD (television), or on magnetic band, audio cassette high fidelity, MP3 (Radio) and a CV of the candidate should be presented.

Works according to WAJA, must be submitted latest June 30, 2009, through National Associations/Unions which are members of WAJA and/or to the WAJA-CBP, B.P.1300 Hamdallaye ACI 2000, Rue 413, Carries 109, Bamako, Mali. For more information, log on to www.wajaujao.org.