London, 15 June 2011: Marie Stopes International and The Guardian are calling for nominations to this year’s International Development Achievement Award. Now in its third year, the award aims to celebrate outstanding contributions to alleviating global poverty and honouring the passion, dedication and hard work of people working in international development.
Do you know of someone who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to make a positive difference to marginalised and impoverished people? If so, now is the time to recognise the impact and achievements of these unsung heroes. Nominations are welcome for people of any nationality, based anywhere in the world, who have contributed to international development through their work, or individually.
Profiles of five shortlisted nominees - selected by a highly qualified judging panel - will feature on The Guardian website. Guardian readers and visitors to the site will be invited to vote for the nominee they think most deserves the award.
Nominees for the Award will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- extent to which their activities and achievements have had a demonstrable and positive impact on poverty alleviation – either directly or indirectly
- sustainability of their achievements in terms of longevity, legacy and impact
- extent to which the nominee's activities and achievements have changed social situations, public attitudes, structures or policies that may be behind the poverty, exclusion or disempowerment of the people affected
- ways in which the nominee has demonstrated inspirational leadership.
Developed in partnership with Marie Stopes International, in association with Barclays and GSK, the award runs concurrently with The Guardian International Development Journalism Competition.
Deadline for entries is Sunday, 31st July 2011. For more information and to nominate, please visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/achievementsaward
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Notes to Editors
Further details about the award
The winner will be announced jointly with the winners of the Guardian International Development Journalism Competition 2011 at an awards ceremony in London.
- deadline for entries: Sunday 31st July 2011
- public voting: 5th to 26th September 2011
- awards ceremony: 17th November 2011l.
About Marie Stopes International
Millions of the world's poorest and most vulnerable women trust Marie Stopes International to provide them with quality family planning and reproductive healthcare. We have been delivering contraception, safe abortion and mother and baby care for over thirty years and have offices and operations in 40 countries around the world.
Our clients are at the centre of everything we do; through our innovation and partnerships, underserved women and couples are able to access services and make choices about their sexual and reproductive health. By providing high quality services where they are needed the most, Marie Stopes International prevents unnecessary deaths and makes a sustainable impact on the lives of millions of people every year.
For more information, please visit our website www.mariestopes.org
Media contacts
For interviews and further information please contact:
Email: press@mariestopes.org.uk
Telephone: 020 3219 8005
020 3219 8010
07769 166 516