Developing Indigenous Reporting in Latin America and the Caribbean:
IPS- Inter Press Service and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) announce the winner of the 2008 journalism award
The first prize of the journalism award “Economic
development, fight against poverty and social
exclusion in indigenous and poor rural communities
of Latin America and the Caribbean” went
to Cristiano Navarro (Brazil) for the article
“Crushed in the wheels of the sugarcane
industry”. The second prize was awarded
to Elizabeth Pérez (Colombia) for the article
“From Extinction to Provisional Surrender.
The Panacea of Persistance”. Cristiano Navarro
and Elizabeth Pérez will receive cash prizes
of 1,500 and 1,000 USD respectively.
This is the third journalism award for excellence
organized by IPS with the support of the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), following
the 2005 microfinance and 2006 desertification
editions.
IFAD´s extensive support to IPS aims at
training journalists from developing countries
to report on the challenges facing poor rural
people in the developing world.
The international jury was made up of Joaquin
Costanzo, Regional Director IPS America Latina,
Antonella Cordone, Coordinator for Indigenous
and Tribal Issues, IFAD, and Ernesto Lamas, Regional
Coordinator for Latin America of AMARC (World
Association of Community Radio Broadcasters).
The jury selected the two best entries among
a total of 98 articles from 12 countries (Argentina,
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador,
Honduras, México, Peru, Uruguay y Venezuela).
Through the story of José dos Santos,
a Guarani-Kaiowá 15 year-old boy, “Crushed
in the wheels of the sugarcane industry”
denounces the illegal exploitation of indigenous
minors who, against their parents’ will
and authority, are employed in sugarcane plantations
in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The jury commended
Cristiano Navarro for taking the reader into the
heart of the challenges indigenous peoples face,
but also into the complex contradictions that
affect their communities.
“The article shows the challenges most
indigenous peoples, particularly the Guarani-Kaiowá
face, being slaves on their own lands, suffering
child labour abuses, discrimination and inequality
in resource management and distribution, and loss
of identity. The message is powerful in conveying
to the reader their plight,” said Antonella
Cordone.
Elizabeth Pérez, in her article “From
Extinction to Provisional Surrender. The Panacea
of Persistance.” tells us the history of
the ancient fight of indigenous peoples to recover
their ancestral land. The jury appreciated the
article for being a valuable, empathic and credible
testimony.
“The articles we received, in most cases,
are from journalists who work in isolated areas,
in small media, or in NGO media in rural and indigenous
regions, and who often combine social activism
with journalism” said Joaquín Costanzo.
”By rewarding these two articles we encourage
journalists to adhere to professional rigour while
reporting on the plight of indigenous peoples.”
he added.
Decision of the Jury
First prize:
Title: A Roda Viva da Cana
(“Crushed in the wheels of the sugarcane
industry”)
Author: Cristiano Navarro
Media: Porantim, edited by the Conselho Indigenista
Missionário (Cimi)
>> Read the article
Second prize:
Title: De la extinción a la entrega provisional.
Los Remedios de la persistencia.
(“From Extinction to Provisional Surrender.
The Panacea of Persistance”)
Author: Elizabeth Pérez
Media: Revista Cien Días – edited
by the Centro de Investigación y Educación
Popular (CINEP), Colombia
>> Read the article
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