Brussels, 08/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - This year, the Lorenzo Natali (name of the former European Commissioner responsible for Development) journalist prize was awarded by the European Commission to four journalists ex-aequo from European Union and developing countries for articles on development and human rights, centred on poverty, the statute of women and the environment. Below are the winners:
Developing country journalists category: Atiya Achack Ulwistu, Thai journalist for The Nation newspaper and Fariah Razk Haroon, independent journalist for the Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
European Union journalist category. Marcello Bello and Paolo Moiola for "Mundo e Missione" Italian and Astrid Prange independent journalist with Deutsches allgemeines Sonntagsblatt.
The articles for the 2000 laureates have been selected from more than one hundred articles passed on by the main media companies from 42 countries. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), which manages the prize on behalf of the European Commission, called seven journalists, specialists in development issues and human rights, to sit on the jury. Welcoming the choice of jury, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid policy, Poul Nielson announced: "the winning articles clearly illustrate that respect for human right and improving basic social conditions must be the basis of development world-wide".