Karamoja story scoops first prize

Saferworld is pleased to announce that Simon Akam has won the Guardian International Development Journalism Competition 2010 for his article on conflict and insecurity in the Karamoja region of north-east Uganda.

The judges praised Simon’s article, for his sensitivity in handling the complexity of the situation in Karamoja, where security is finally starting to improve following years of conflict. Saferworld and the Oxfam team in Karamoja arranged for Simon to meet with government and security officials and people in rural communities who have been affected by violence, along with local and international agencies. The article is on the front page of a special supplement in the Guardian on Monday 22 November. We would like to thank Oxfam for their support during the trip.

Saferworld was also pleased to support Lara Brunt, who was a finalist in the amateur journalist category of the competition, to write about how the creation of paralegal committees across Nepal is enabling women to stand up to domestic abuse, sexual harassment and child marriage. Saferworld arranged for Lara to meet with Nepali women’s groups, think tanks and international donors in Kathmandu and Banke district to build up a comprehensive picture of the challenges facing Nepal in ensuring that all citizens can access justice, regardless of gender or ethnicity.  Lara’s article appeared in a special Guardian supplement on Saturday.

The competition aims to raise the profile of international development within the UK and encourage a new generation of journalists to understand and write about development issues.

Read Simon Akam’s article ‘Lessons from the Wild East’

Read Lara Brunt’s article ‘A community approach to justice’