Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) New Zealand award for excellence in International Development journalism

VSA is proud to launch its award for excellence in International Development journalism.

VSA is New Zealand’s largest and most experienced volunteer agency working in International Development.

We bring together New Zealanders and our Asia-Pacific neighbours to share their skills and experience, working to transform lives and create a fair future for all.

Since our founding by Sir Edmund Hillary in 1962, more than 3000 Kiwi volunteers have worked overseas to create a positive difference.

This is a crucial time in International Development. The UN’s Millennium Development Goals reach their conclusion next year, and the international community is working to negotiate the Sustainable Development Goals that will replace them.

The Pacific is an often overlooked region in International Development, and media coverage of the issues facing the wider Pacific is scant. The award aims to encourage a greater breadth and depth of quality journalism on international development to bring these issues to a wider New Zealand audience.

The competition:
A 600– 1000 word feature
article on one of four themes

• Climate change
• Post –2015 Sustainable Development Goals
• The Pacific
• A world in which no one is left behind

The timeline:

July: Call for entries
1 September: Entries close
September: Entries made anonymous and shortlisted to 15 –20 by VSA & CID staff
24 September: Shortlist entries sent to judging panel
28 October: Three finalists announced
8 November: Winner announced at VSA’s annual
Congress in Wellington

Prize

The winner will receive a seven day research trip to Vanuatu in May 2015 to look at ongoing development projects and explore in more detail the development issues facing Pacific communities. The winning article will be published in VSA’s magazine Vista and the Sunday Star Times subject to any contractual employment constraints of the winner.

How to enter

To enter the competition you need to write a 600 –1000 word feature article about development with a lens on one of the four themes

Deadline

Entries must be emailed to vsa@vsa.org.nz along with a completed entry form 2pm NZ time, Monday 8 September 2014.

Updated 28/8/14: Volunteer Service Abroad has changed the deadline for submissions to its award for excellence in development journalism. The final deadline is Monday 8 September. This is a week later than was originally communicated. All other dates remain unchanged.

Entries will be made anonymous before judging.

• Fifteen to twenty articles will be shortlisted and the shortlisted candidates will be informed of the decision via email by Wed 24 September 2014.

• Shortlisted articles will be selected by VSA and the Council for International Development (CID) staff members.

• The judging panel will select three finalists who will attend VSA’s Congress on Sat 8 November where the winner will be announced.

Entry is free

Please refer to the full terms and conditions to ensure that your entry is valid.

For full terms and conditions and an entry form please go to the URL below:
http://vsa.org.nz/what-you-can-do/vsa-journalism-award/

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