Nominations open today for World Challenge 08, the worldwide competition which rewards projects and small businesses that have shown enterprise and innovation.
91Èȱ¬ World has teamed up with Newsweek and Shell for the fourth World Challenge, to identify and reward people and groups that bring economic, social and environmental benefits to their local communities.
This year each nomination must fall under one of the following categories: Community Welfare and Enterprise; Health and Education; Sustainable Farming; Energy; Water; and Environment.
Narendhra Morar, Head of Programmes 91Èȱ¬ World, says: "Each year the competition has grown significantly both in the number of nominations received and the votes cast. Now with World Challenge 08, we’re stepping up a gear. The whole competition, from the television programmes and vignettes through to the World Challenge website, have been completely redesigned with a fresh new look. In addition, we have created six different categories for which nominations can be made. These changes are designed to make World Challenge even more relevant and more enticing to the thousands of people who avidly follow the competition every year."
Nominations must be submitted through the new look World Challenge 08 website at www.theworldchallenge.co.uk/nominate by midnight (GMT) on 31 May 2008. The winning project will receive a US$20,000 grant while two runners up will each receive US$10,000 to help develop their initiative.
World Challenge began in 2005 and has already inspired passion and enthusiasm around the world, propelling enterprising projects and businesses into the spotlight. Since 2005, financial grants have been given to nine projects worldwide.
In 2007, World Challenge received a record 942 nominations and was won by T’ikapapa,a Peruvian project set up to bridge the gap between the Andean farmers and the potato market, allowing them to reap the benefit of their premium goods by preserving indigenous species of potatoes.
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Maximus, a firm in Sri Lanka which supports a local elephant orphanage and provides sustainable employment by making paper out of elephant dung, won World Challenge 2006. Coconets, from the Philippines, won the 2005 competition for its landslide prevention system using waste coconut husks.
Anne Barnard, Managing Director, 91Èȱ¬ World, says: "World Challenge is a truly inspirational project, bringing the un-reported hard work of many businesses and communities to the attention of the world. We are delighted to continue working with our partners Shell and Newsweek to bring recognition and rewards to the projects from around the globe which are helping communities and the planet through World Challenge 08."
Roxanne Decyk, Director, Corporate Affairs, Shell says: "Shell is delighted to continue its involvement with World Challenge into its fourth year. Each year, I am inspired by the sheer breadth and variety of grassroots enterprises that put the society and environment at the core of their business strategy. It gives Shell great pleasure to see the positive difference this profile-raising opportunity, combined with our financial assistance, makes to all the finalists."
Gregory J. Osberg, President, Newsweek says: "Now in its fourth consecutive year, World Challenge continues its impressive growth, providing a global forum for inventive programmes and ideas that benefit society without costing the Earth."
Once nominations close at the end of May, a panel of expert judges will shortlist the 12 entries that they consider to be the best in terms of showing innovation, initiative, and social and environmental investment in their community.
91Èȱ¬ World will produce six 30-minute programmes profiling the 12 finalists showing how their projects and businesses are changing lives. These programmes will be broadcast to 91Èȱ¬ World’s global audience in October and November 2008, and the channel’s viewers will be invited to vote online for their favourite project or business.
Full details are available online at www.theworldchallenge.co.uk
Newsweek will mirror the programmes’ content in a six-part series of advertorials on the 12 nominees, aimed at driving its readers to the online voting site. The campaign will reach one million weekly readers across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The winner of World Challenge 08 will be announced at an awards ceremony in The Hague in December 2008 with the ceremony shown on 91Èȱ¬ World and detailed in Newsweek in the same month.
For more details contact bbcworldpressoffice@bbc.co.uk
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