The Asian Development
Bank Institute today opened the 2012 Developing Asia Journalism Awards
(DAJA) competition with a call for submissions of articles by journalists
working in developing Asia and the Pacific.
"The DAJA competition is a unique opportunity
to highlight the significant contribution of journalism and individual
journalists to the development process in Asia," said Masahiro Kawai,
Dean and CEO of the Asian Development Bank Institute, in opening the competition.
"Asian economies are changing rapidly,"
he said. "By providing clear and well-informed news reporting and
analysis journalists play an important role in every society by helping
the public better understand the issues and events shaping their future."
DAJA 2012 will focus on a critical question
facing Asia and the Pacific: "Green Growth – or Growth versus
Green?"
The Asia-Pacific growth and development
story over the past five decades is unprecedented. And the rapid transformation
of economies is continuing. But the process of rapid growth and rising
prosperity has been resource and energy intensive. In many places the impacts
on the environment have been severe. Often the poor and vulnerable suffer
the greatest consequences.
It is now widely accepted that a new growth
path is needed. Environmental damage is no longer viewed as an acceptable
trade-off for economic expansion. Countries, cities, communities, and individuals
around the region are acting on this belief.
"The choices are not easy. Economic
growth is important. It creates jobs and raises resources to fund education,
health, and other social programs critical to long-term development. But
a business-as-usual scenario is no longer viable. Asia needs to find a
new, sustainable way to grow and develop," said Mr. Kawai. "We
hope the DAJA competition can explore this complex challenge through the
work of journalists who are trying to understand and explain such issues
better every day."
DAJA 2012 will highlight the opportunities,
challenges, and solutions being uncovered as Asia and the Pacific seek
a path to sustainable growth. Journalists are invited to submit published
articles that explore the interaction between populations and the environment
across the region.
- Can economies maintain rapid growth without
damaging the environment?
- How are the development decisions and actions
of communities, cities, and countries affecting the environment?
- What are individuals, community leaders,
business people, politicians, the judiciary, governments and others doing
to improve the balance between man and nature?
- How will the promotion of Green Growth
impact efforts to alleviate poverty?
Possible
topic areas include issues such as climate change (droughts, flooding,
sea-level rise, etc.); energy use/efficiency; renewable energy; water,
waste, and forest management; sustainable transport; pollution; urban development;
and others.
In assessing submissions an international
panel of judges will give special focus to stories that investigate how
these issues are impacting the lives of the poor—the 1.8 billion Asians
living on less than $2 a day—and stories that explore new ideas or approaches
to managing environmental challenges that may be of use to others in Asia
and the Pacific.
The deadline for submission of articles
to DAJA 2012 is 31 August 2012.
The panel of judges will select 25 finalists.
Cash prizes will be awarded to one Winner, one First Runner-up, one Second
Runner-up and one Young Development Journalist of the Year (under age 30
as of 31 August 2012). All finalists will be invited to the Asian Development
Bank Institute in Tokyo in November 2012 for a special DAJA forum and awards
ceremony.
If you are interested in participating in
the DAJA 2012 program, please register
online. When you have registered,
you will be sent instructions by email on how to login to your account
to submit articles.
For information on competition rules and
mechanics, as well as information on how to submit articles, journalists
should visit the ADB Institute web site: ADBI
Journalism Awards.
