CALL FOR NOMINATION AFRICAN UNION AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S CHAMPIONS IN AFRICA

The African Union Commission will give the first ever AU Award on children which will be open to African non-profit organisations. The African Union Award for Children's Champions in Africa honours and celebrates the initiatives taken by organisations and recognises leadership, dedication and commitment to improve the life chances of children throughout the continent. It will serve as an instrument to encourage other individuals or organisations to take similar exemplary initiatives in promoting the rights and improving the well being of children.

Objectives of the Award
The African Union Award for Children's Champions in Africa has two objectives:

• to promote the meaningful recognition of Children's Champions who are actively working on the continent to further the rights and welfare of the African Child, and to identify such Champions who, through their work, are a living embodiment of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child;

• to encourage and multiply the identification of role models, who through their work, should enjoy the same prestige, as sports superstars, movie stars, and should be accorded the same importance for championing children's issues in Africa.

Purpose

The African Union Award for Children's Champions in Africa is a means to identify, popularize and showcase the contributions of the Children's Champions, who, through their work, change the lives of those they help. The improvement of the living conditions of children is important for the progress of Africa, as children are the future leaders of the continent. Children's social welfare is also an integral part of the personal, economic and civic aspects of our society. Commitment to improving the social welfare of children is also a commitment to improving the life opportunities of all Africans.

It will focus on programmes and activities that are transplanted beyond their immediate community and these will receive particular attention. Champions that promote development of creative strategies to improve the educational outcomes of children; other Champions who labour to keep the needs of children visible within Government policies and directions; and their expertise and success in helping children out-of-home care (OOHC) are recognised internationally.

It will also focus on children's champions who run programmes and activities targeting children in isolated rural communities. Through their enthusiasm and tireless voluntary work, champions in rural areas provide an important pillar of strength and support to children in disadvantaged communities. The Award will also take account of children's champions who do outstanding research related to laws, policies and programmes on children and thereby secure their upliftment.

Criteria

A nominee should promote all or any one of the following:

Rights and Welfare of the Child;
Protection of the child against abuse, neglect, sexual exploitation, violence, discrimination, harmful social and cultural practices;
Civil and Political Rights of the Child;
The best interest of the child;
Socio-Economic and cultural rights, including rights to health, water and shelter, land, consumer services, education, food, etc.
Capacity building of organizations dealing with social welfare of the child;
Poverty alleviation;
Social protection of Vulnerable groups, particularly Orphans and Children living with HIV/AIDS;
Research on any of the above.
A nominee shall demonstrate all or anyone of the following:

Innovative ways of promoting the rights and welfare of the child at national or regional or international levels in his or her advocacy work.
Innovative ways of facing challenges at national or regional or international levels in his or her advocacy work.
that the activities of the organization actively promote the rights and welfare of the child and are recognized as such at the national level.
The African Union Award for Children's Champions in Africa will consist of a prize and a seal. The selection for the Award winner will be an integral part of the annual 16 June celebration of the Day of the African Child. The AU Commission, in collaboration with the African Committee on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, will assume overall responsibility for the management and administration of the African Union Children's Champions Award.

Call for nomination
The African Union Commission is calling for nominations of worthy organisations which run programmes to promote the rights and well-being of the African children. Nominations should include the name, address, including email or mobile phone number of the proposer, the name of the nominee and the merits and achievements of the nominee in not more than 50 words. The nominations will be considered and the winner chosen by an independent jury which will have clear terms of reference. The winner will be invited to the AU Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in July 2006 to receive the Award.

The closing date for the nominations is 9 June, 2006 and this can be forwarded to the: The Awards Committee, Department of Social Affairs, African Union Commission, P.O Box 3243, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Fax: 00-251-5517844-or by email to: [email][email protected]