Press Release
Egyptian women fight sexual harassment
Young females win international UN competition with “HARASSmap.org” and „Girls Radio Station Only“
[Austria, September 2011] Engy Ghozlan and Amani Eltunsi are among the winners of the World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) 2011. Their digital ventures “HARASSmap.org” and „Girls Radio Station Only“ are directed against sexual violence and give voice to Egypt’s women, living in a male dominated society. The WSYA jury altogether selected 18 awardees from 700 submissions and 99 countries. With four winning projects coming from Egypt, the country stands at the international forefront. For the fourth time WSYA assigns digital media products from young creatives under the age of 30 who take direct action on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The women's rights activist Engy Ghozlan (HARRASSmap.org) and the radio journalist Amani Eltunsi (Girls Only Radion Station) are prized with two of four Egyptian WSYA Awards 2011 in the category „Power 2 Women“.
Women can anonymously report incidences of sexual harassment via SMS, Twitter, Email or Telephone on Harassmap.org. According to the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights 80 per cent of the female population face sexual molestation each day in Egypt. The website acts as an advocacy, prevention and response tool, highlighting the severity of abuse and offering counselling. “We are over the moon. Our initiative, consisting only of volunteers, has come so far to get United Nations’ appreciation”, co-founder Engy Ghozlan says.
Among the winners is also Adama Diop with his project Pellital Microfinance Institution coming from Senegal. Pellital is a Microfinance Institution. The goal of Pellital is to aid in alleviating the poverty through a microfinance program in Agnam-Goly, Senegal. The word Pellital means "commitment" in Fulani, the language spoken in Agnam-Goly. In this rural village, microfinance opportunities have till now not been available to most of the inhabitants. The Pellital team's objective is to assist loan recipients in the successful planning and execution of small businesses that will propel the families of Agnam-Goly out of poverty.
Over 700 young producers, designers and developers have applied for the WSYA 2011 with websites, mobile-apps and new media formats in six categories. Frontrunner Egypt (4) is followed by India (3), Mexico and France (both 2). Projects from Portugal, Germany, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Indonesia could each collect one award.
The World Summit Youth Award for digital content and apps has emanated from the UN World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). WSYA aims to activate people to implement the MDGs. The 18 winners and 15 runners-up will be honoured in Graz, Austria, from November 10th to 13th, 2011. Representatives from Governments, NGOs, Private Business and the United Nations will be present.
Register for the Event at www.youthaward.org
View all WSYA winners on www.youthaward.org/winners-2011
About the World Summit Youth Award (WSYA)
The WSYA selects and promotes best practice in e-content and new media, demonstrates young people’s potential to create outstanding digital content and serves as a platform for people from all UN member states in their efforts to reach the MDGs. The MDGs are eight concrete goals to eradicate poverty and inequality worldwide. They were set in 2000 by the UN and should be reached by 2015. The WSYA is organised as a follow-up activity of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) and takes place in 2011 for the fourth time after 2005, 2009 and 2010. The WSYA team is based at the International Center for New Media (ICNM) in Salzburg, Austria. WSYA is supported by the UN Global Alliance for ICT & Development (UN GAID), the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Internet Society (ISOC), INTEL, the Telfree Group, the Fundação para as Comunicações Móveis (FCM) and the Layla Fakhro Foundation.
For more information visit:
www.youthaward.org | www.facebook.com/youthaward | www.twitter.com/youthaward
Or contact:
The official contact at WSYA office is Andrea Thuma: thuma@icnm.net
All WSYA 2011 categories and winners:
Category 1: Fight Poverty, Hunger and Disease!
Category 2: Education for All!
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Project Title / URL
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Country
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Producer
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Winner
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iko, the pupil's best friend http://en.projet-iko.com/
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France
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Arnaud Tanielian
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Winner
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Education Generation www.educationgeneration.org
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Canada
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Eileen Knowles
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Winner
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Make A Difference
http://makeadiff.in
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India
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Krishnan Jithin
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Runners-Up: Maternal Mortality, Pakistan, Bachal Humaira
Lahore International Children's Film Festival, Sweden, Mushtaq Zubair
The Gateway to Education in Nepal, Nepal, Tankeshwar Acharya
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Categorie 3: Power 2 Women!
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Project Title / URL
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Country
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Producer
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Winner
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Bell Bajao! (Ring the Bell)
www.bellbajao.org
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India
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Engy Ghozlan
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Winner
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Harassmap
http://harassmap.org
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Egypt
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Engy Ghozlan
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Winner
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Girls Only Radion Station www.banat9bass.com
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Egypt
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Amani Eltunsi
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Runners-Up: My Country My Village, Bangladesh, Rahman Ataur
Think With Me, UK, Machirori Fungai
Contraception - it´s our choice, Macedonia, Daniel Kalajdjieski
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Category 4: Create your Culture!
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Projekt Titel / URL
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Land
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Producer
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Winner
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The Global Experience
www.solarnet.tv
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Germany
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Carina Schmid
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Winner
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Play my Jamz
www.playmyjamz.com
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Nigeria
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Akinyele Olubodun
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Winner
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Mashallah News http://mashallahnews.com
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France
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Clément Girardot
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Runners-Up: YoungDads.TV, UK, Christy McAleese
The Voice of Youth, Pakistan, Mushtaq Momal
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Category 5: Go Green!
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Project Title / URL
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Country
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Producer
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Winner
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Friends of the Nature
www.sahabat-alam.com/en
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Indonesia
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Adeline Tiffanie Suwana
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Winner
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Aventones
www.aventones.com
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Mexico
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Cristina Palacios Goddard
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Winner
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Ilumexico
http://ilumexico.mx/
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Mexico
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Mariana Astrid González Pacheco
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Runners-Up: eMazingira Enviromental Campaign, Kenya, Machoka Dunstan
Dexters for Earth: Lets GREEN the BLUES, India, Sagar Sharad Vivek
End Kerosene Generation - 1 milion Solar Laterns, Nigeria, Oye Femi
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Category 6: Pursue Truth!
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Project Title / URL
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Country
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Producer
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Winner
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Write3
www.write3.com
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Bangladesh
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Khan Suny Md Ashraf
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Winner
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Zabatak the anti-crime, anti-corruption initiative
http://zabatak.com
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Egypt
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Abbas Ibrahim
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Winner
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The Voice of the Youth http://theviewspaper.net
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India
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Bhaskar Dravid Shiv
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Runners-Up: ONE2ONE, Kenya, Kibutha Annrose
Developing Pictures, USA, Pritz John
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