Ecobreves – MEXICO: UNEP Wins Communication Prize

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MEXICO CITY, Oct 21 2006 (IPS) - The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) received the Silver Shell award in Mexico on Oct. 16. The award recognizes Ibero-American initiatives in communications about issues of social responsibility. “This prize makes us very happy and motivates us, because it recognizes the efforts we make in Latin America and the Caribbean to raise awareness about environmental problems,” Rody Oñate, UNEP communications officer, told Tierramérica.

Awarded annually since 2000 to advertising agencies, communications media, and social organizations, it was given this year to UNEP for its support of environmental libraries and video collections, film and art festivals related to ecology, as well as journalism workshops.

Special mention went to UNEP's sponsorship of information services like Tierramérica, a weekly independent publication on the environment and development, produced by Inter Press Service news agency and published in more than 20 Latin American newspapers.

The Silver Shell was founded by Mexican businessman Manuel Arango, and experts from 11 countries participate on the award's jury.