A Canadian trapped in Sudan, conscientious objectors in Israel, and abandoned children in Canada were subjects of reports winning Amnesty International Canada’s 2009 Media Awards
17 December 2009
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The power of the printed word to put an injustice on the public agenda was brilliantly evident in an extensive series of newspaper articles about Abousfian Abdelrazik’s plight in Sudan, the struggle of conscientious objectors to uphold a different vision for Israel was examined in audio documentary, and the plight of children from overseas abandoned in Canada was described in a magazine article. They were all recognized today as winners of Amnesty International Canada’s fifteenth annual Media Awards. These awards are for outstanding reporting about human rights issues in the Canadian media.
Paul Koring was the winner of the award this year in national print, for a series of articles in The Globe and Mail about Abousfian Abdelrazik, a Canadian trapped in Sudan living in the Embassy, locked in a struggle to be treated fairly as a Canadian citizen. With dogged determination, Paul Koring extracted details from the government as it became more secretive and dismissive, and kept the issue on the public agenda. The impact of these articles was also amplified by the outstanding editorial support for Paul Koring’s efforts by The Globe and Mail.
“This series of articles illustrates how the power of information can truly make a difference,” says Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada. “Exposing the details, shining a light on what has been called a Kafkaesque nightmare of a citizen in forced exile, was a critical part of the events that finally led to Abousfian Abdelrazik’s return to Canada.”
In the video/audio category the winner is “The Shministim”, the story of those “conscientious objectors”who refuse to serve in the compulsory military draft in Israel and spend time in jail. It was aired on CBC’s Dispatches 27 April, 2009. Jennifer Hollett explored the stark choices for those who do not conform to the demands of the state because they are unwilling to be part of the violence of an occupation force and are forced to repeatedly pay a penalty.
“This documentary explores the social costs for those who dare to differ with the majority”, says Neve. “Exploring the range of views about these choices, it highlights the societal space that is necessary if everyone is to get a chance to fight for what they think is right.”
The winner this year in the local alternative print category was David Hayes for “Abandoned In Canada” about children brought into the country and then left without support, printed in Chatelaine magazine.
The struggle of children arriving alone, often from war torn countries and adapting to Canadian society is explored in this piece with great care. How these “victims of circumstances” are assisted by the Children’s Aid Society and find ways to overcome their traumatized pasts are explored in detail.
“In a sensitive piece about the most vulnerable and littlest refugees, David Hayes shows how a person who is ‘still a young person utterly alone and far away from home’ can adjust to a place where they can live in peace,” notes Neve.
The annual Media Awards from Amnesty International Canada are made in honour of John Humphrey, a law professor, principal author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and founder of the Canadian section of Amnesty International. He died in March 1995.
The judges for the Amnesty International Canada Media Awards in English this year were: Jeff Sallot, an instructor in journalism at Carleton University and former Parliamentary reporter for The Globe and Mail, Madelaine Drohan, an author and Ottawa correspondent for The Economist, and John Tackaberry, Media Relations for the English section of Amnesty International Canada, a former reporter for Inter Press Service and Pacifica Radio News.
The awards are for national print, local/alternative print and video and audio pieces printed or broadcast in the period from 1 October, 2008 to 30 September 2009.
| For further information, please contact: John Tackaberry Media Relations (613) 744-7667 #236 |
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