2ND SAHARA PRESS AWARD: SIX AWARDS TO ENCOURAGE JOURNALISTS DEVELOP A DEEP UNDERSTAND OF AND BETTER REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES

2^nd Sahara Press Award

Six awards to encourage journalists develop a deep understand of and better report on human rights issues

The Sahara Press Award final ceremony was held on Saturday the 6^th of June 2015, by the Regional Human Rights Commission of Laayoune-Smara and the Sahara Press Club. The award was initiated by CNDH’s regional commission in Laayoune to help journalists understand and endorse human rights principles and values, better report on human rights issues and thus contribute to promoting the human rights culture.

Including four renowned national media and human rights experts, the jury went through dozens submissions. Six were selected as the winners of the 2015 Sahara Press Award:

• Electronic Press award: Achwakaa.ma for a documentary on the right to a decent standard of living;
• Print Press Awards: Ismail El Adarissi, journalist at El Mouchahid local newspaper, and Oubaid Oubaid, Journal Al Ayam correspondent in Laayoune;
• Radio Awards: the regional radio of Dakhla and the regional radio of Laayoune;
• TV award: the regional TV station of Laayoune for a program on the history of the region.

CONGRATULATIONS to all the award winners!

In addition to awarding the winning bids, the final ceremony included an official opening session, a ceremony to give tribute to many local and national media leaders, human rights champions and future journalists (young children members of school press clubs), in addition to dance and music breaks performed by local bands cherishing the Sahraoui Hassani culture. A band of sub-Saharan immigrants also performed in the ceremony.

A the official opening session the floor was given to the Minister of Communication spokesperson of the government, the Chairman of the Regional Human Rights Commission of Laayoune-Smara, the Chairman of the Sahara Press Club, the chairpersons of CNDH’s regional commissions in Tantan-Guelmim and Dakhla-Oussred, the Wali (governor) of the Laâyoune-Boujdour-Sakia el Hamra and the President of the Council of the Region.

On the sidelines of the 2^nd Sahara Press Award a training session for journalists on media and human rights was organized for 34 media professionals in the Southern provinces, supervised by a national media and human rights expert, professor at the Rabat-based leading institute of higher education in media and communication (Institut Supérieur de l'Information et de la Communication). The session focused on women’s rights, the rights of persons with disabilities and the rights of the child. The participants developed a deep understanding of the related issues and how to better report on human rights issues, in general, and the issues they discussed in the session in particular.    

Photo-Album of the 2nd Sahara Press Award

Related videos (statements in Arabic):

Final ceremony of the 2nd Sahara Press Award

Training session: media and human rights