Youth group wins UNICEF award

Jun 13, 2008 News

Youth Media Guyana (YMG) yesterday received the UNICEF “Traces Communication Award” for best innovation for excellent work produced via their Youth News Bulletin.
The first annual “Traces” award is a UNICEF regional initiative which acknowledges excellent communication work that has been done in Latin America and the Caribbean in the past year, and was open to all UNICEF offices in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Members of the local youth group were presented with the award by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, yesterday morning at the Ministry.

Speaking at the event were Minister Anthony; UNICEF representative to Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, Johannes Wedenig; and YMG member, Andrea Bryan.
Ms. Bryan said that the members of YMG believe that this award for best innovation can be used to shed light on issues affecting young people in Guyana and in the region.
She added that they are concerned about their access to education, the quality of education, health care, recreation and employment.
“This award is in recognition of the fact that someone is listening to voices of youth. We can be heard if we speak up and speak out, Bryan asserted.
Very shortly, she pointed out, YMG hopes to expand by producing newspaper supplements, radio programming and developing a multimedia web page using all accessible media.
“Our ultimate goal is to establish a physical media centre where young people can freely access the resources to maximize their creative potential.”
Bryan noted that YMG has also produced a 40-minute documentary for International Children Day of Broadcasting.
Minister Anthony and Mr. Wedenig congratulated YMG on its achievement and urged media houses to get involved in this cause. Minister Anthony also urged them to get involved with Carifesta.
According to a UNICEF press release, at a recently concluded meeting of UNICEF Communication Officers in Panama, for Latin America and the Caribbean, UNICEF Guyana was awarded the prize for the best major innovation.
This award, it added, was based on the impact of a new, innovative idea, which others can learn from and replicate in other country offices.
YMG was yesterday saluted for its sterling contribution in the area of communication, youth participation and development.
Youth Media Guyana has received recognition of the excellent work done in the production of its 11-minute Youth News Bulletin which was submitted in the category of best innovation.
YMG was officially launched in May 2007 through the collaborative efforts of the National Communication Network (NCN), the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) and UNICEF, with the aim of empowering young people and providing an avenue to help them advocate for their rights

The core group of YMG comprises representatives from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport – Justim Mounter and Shabir Ali; NCN’s Vidya Bijlall; the Varga Foundation ‘s Lomeharshansham Lall; President’s College, Joel Joseph; and Journalist Andrea Byran.
The group is mentored by veteran Communication Specialist Dr. Rovin Deodat.