Marie Stopes International: International Development Journalism Competition 2010 launched

Marie Stopes International: International Development Journalism Competition 2010 launched

Marie Stopes International: International Development Journalism Competition 2010 launched

The Guardian and Marie Stopes International announce the launch of the third annual International Development Journalism Competition.

This unique competition was the brainchild of Marie Stopes International and was designed, in partnership with the Guardian and with support from the Department for International Development (DFID), to motivate and encourage new and existing journalists to write about some of the most important issues facing the developing world today.

The success of the competition to date has lead to unprecedented news coverage for some key development issues such as access to maternal health services in Nepal, the devastating impact of drought in northern Kenya and how climate change is affecting pastoralist communities in Africa.

Marie Stopes CEO Dana Hovig said “We are delighted to be leading the NGO consortium on this competition for the third consecutive year. International development is such an important area and we must work together to ensure that the voices of the underserved people in the world are heard and their stories told.”

The International Development Journalism competition is supported by a consortium of NGOs including CBM UK, Hives Save Lives Africa, Leonard Cheshire Disability, Malaria Consortium, ORBIS, Saferworld and Save the Children.

For details of the competition, including information on how to enter, visit http://www.guardian.co.uk/journalismcompetition, the deadline for entries is Friday 30th April 2010.

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For further information please contact:

Michael Tirrell

e: michael.tirrell@mariestopes.org

t: 020 7034 2089

Tony Kerridge

e: tony.kerridge@mariestopes.org

t: 020 7034 2365

Notes to editor:

Marie Stopes International

Marie Stopes International delivers family planning and sexual healthcare to women throughout the world. In many countries that means providing contraception, safe abortion and mother and baby care to the poorest and most vulnerable. We want to make sure that women everywhere have a choice when it comes to having children.

www.mariestopes.org

Department for International Development

DFID is the part of the UK government that manages Britain’s aid to poor countries and works to get rid of extreme poverty. Our work is guided by two sets of targets. First, we are working to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the international targets agreed by the United Nations (UN) to halve world poverty by 2015. We work with governments of developing countries as well as charities, businesses and international bodies, including the World Bank, UN agencies and the European Commission. All our partners share our ambition to achieve the MDGs.

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/