Competition for Journalists

The human tragedy of massive forced displacement continues around the world. 2016 saw persistent conflict in many regions, notably Syria, Iraq, South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria, leading millions to flee their homes, most remaining displaced within their own country. In total, an unprecedented 65.3 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 21.3 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.

Our primary purpose at UNHCR is to safeguard the rights and well-being of people who have been forced to flee. Together with partners and communities, we work to ensure that everybody has the right to seek asylum and find safe refuge in another country. We also strive to secure lasting solutions by helping people to restart their lives.

The aim of the competition is to reinforce support and empathy for refugees and asylum-seekers in order to create a more receptive environment. The role of journalists is paramount in this process. It is important to raise awareness in the media and society on root causes of displacement, problems related to the experiences people face during flight, conditions of reception in the country of asylum, and challenges and opportunities for successful integration of refugees in order to promote co-existence and social cohesion.  

Eligibility for Participation

All the journalists whose material have been or will be aired or published in Georgia during the period from 1 January until 10 June 2017 related to the issue of refugee protection are eligible to participate in the competition. The competition is open for all types of media: TV, radio, written and electronic media outlets. Journalists should submit one piece of work/story (print, audio, multimedia) to UNHCR by 10 June 2017. All the submitted pieces of work shall be produced either in English or Georgian language. The competition material submitted to UNHCR should be accompanied by the contact information of the journalist: name, family name, workplace, telephone, e-mail.

The material can be submitted in electronic version to the following e-mail address: kajaia@unhcr.org

For additional information, please contact us at the above mentioned e-mail address.

All participants will be invited for the award ceremony, where three winners will be identified. The winners will be selected for each of the following categories:

• Best newspaper article;

• Best internet article/best blog;

• Best TV/radio coverage.