Cameroon: Humanitarian reporting awards

Article 1 :
"The Humanitarian Reporting Awards" is an initiative of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Regional Delegation for Central Africa, in partnership with the Swiss Embassy in Cameroon and in collaboration with the Cameroon Red Cross (CRC).  The event is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Communication. 
"The Humanitarian Reporting Awards" is a competition open to journalists and media professionals from the print, audiovisual and online press to reward the best journalistic productions on the themes set out in Article 5 of these rules and regulations.

Article 2 :
The organization of the competition is part of the promotion of universal humanitarian rights and values, and more specifically the rules and principles that protect the lives and dignity of people and their property, and regulate the conduct of hostilities during armed conflicts. This is in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions of August 12, 1949 (GC75). 
The competition also aims to strengthen media interest in topics related to the humanitarian consequences of conflicts and armed violence.  

Article 3 : 
The ICRC is responsible for its organization and management.  It receives support from the Swiss Embassy in Cameroon, collaboration from the Cameroon Red Cross, and sponsorship from the Ministry of Communication. 

Article 4 :
The competition runs for three (3) months, from the official launch ceremony on August 12, 2024, until the submission deadline on November 12, 2024.  A gala evening will be organized to announce the results and award the prizes on December 05, 2024. 

Article 5 : 
Each candidate in the competition must present one or more productions related to one of the proposed themes  below, addressing the issues faced by individuals or communities affected by the consequences of armed conflicts: 
•    Disappearance, between psychological pain and socio-economic vulnerability;  
•    Families of missing persons: between hope and uncertainty;
•    Unaccompanied children: after reunification, the challenges of reintegration;
•    Detained persons: the necessity of maintaining contact with family;
•    Exposure of bodies and respect for the dignity of the dead;
•    Access to healthcare in a context of insecurity and armed conflict;
•    Medical personnel in a context of insecurity and armed conflict: the dilemma between security and medical duty;
•    Internally displaced persons: when the emergency extends indefinitely;
•    Internally displaced persons: how to meet multifaceted needs in the short and medium term? 
•    Essential operational principles of neutrality and impartiality in humanitarian operations;
•    Misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech during armed conflicts;
•    Neutral and impartial humanitarian action challenged by national counter-terrorism measures;
•    The dilemma of the civilian population: between collision and collusion with armed actors;
• War reporting;
•    Terrorism and non-international armed conflicts;
•    The safety of journalists and media in armed conflict situations;
•    Sexual violence: direct and indirect consequences of conflict and armed violence;
•    Children and war: how are they affected in their daily lives and future by armed violence? 
•    Access to education: a right to be respected and upheld;
•    Fundamental rights and security: how to ensure their respect and the security of individuals;
•    Justice and sanction – the consequences of the use of force;
•    Conflict/armed violence and vulnerable groups (e.g., life stories of people with disabilities);

This production must adhere to one of the following journalistic genres:  
For television and radio: a report or interview of 03 or 06 minutes;  
For print and press online: a report of 6000 characters.

Article 6 :
The ICRC and the CRC are available to help journalists enhance their capacities on international humanitarian law (IHL) and the main humanitarian issues caused by conflicts during four training sessions that will be organized in Yaoundé (August 13, 14, 15), in Maroua (August 20-21), in Buea (August 28-29), and in Bamenda (September 4-5), where they have facilities.  
Furthermore, the ICRC and the CRC remain available to support journalists, as much as possible, in their quest for information and in their efforts to access individuals or communities affected by conflicts, strictly respecting their consent and preserving and respecting their safety and dignity. Our teams in Yaoundé or in the field can also brief journalists on specific topics relevant to their article projects. 

Article 7 :
The selection will be made without regard to media category or journalistic genre and will be based on the criteria set out in Article 11 of these internal regulations to designate the 3 best awards. 
The scoring criteria, according to the scale defined by the ICRC, take into account journalistic ethics and deontology rules as well as the relevance of the subject matter and its alignment with the themes stated in Article 5. 

Article 8 :
The contents must comply with the law, not infringe on human rights or dignity, not incite hatred or violence, and adhere to deontological principles. They must respect the principles of neutrality and impartiality and be apolitical. The contents must be original and unpublished.  The productions must be signed by their authors. 

Article 9 :
The candidate's production must have been broadcast on the media. To be considered, the candidate's production must have been broadcast between 12 August 2024 and 12 November 2024. 

Article 10 :
The candidate must be a journalist working in Cameroon for a media outlet that regularly broadcasts or publishes within the Cameroon territory.  

Article 11 :
The competition focuses on humanitarian action and the promotion of universal humanitarian rights and values, specifically the rules and principles that protect individuals and govern the conduct of hostilities during armed conflicts.  
The productions should highlight the plight of individuals and communities affected by the consequences of armed conflicts.  They should not glorify belligerence or violence.  They should attempt to draw a cause-and effect link between humanitarian issues and the necessary creation of an environment conducive to respecting life and human dignity, protecting the most vulnerable, eliminating impunity, and ultimately seeking peace and security. 
The evaluation of the candidate will be based on the following elements: 

a)    Relevance of the subject to the selected themes (see Article 5); 
b)    Ability to place the individuals affected by the consequences of conflicts at the heart of the project in a non-degrading and dignified manner; 
c)    Impact of the content on the fate of affected individuals; 
d)    Originality of approach and processing, creativity; 
e)    Scientific accuracy of the article or report, factual accuracy, analytical capacity, argumentation, contextualization, critical thinking; f) Technical execution quality.

Evaluation criteria (out of 20 points): 
Relevance of the subject (5 points): Does the report address one of the competition themes clearly and precisely? 
Highlighting victims and affected individuals (5 points): Does the report give a voice to victims and those affected by conflicts? Does it do so respectfully and with dignity? 
Impact of the content on the fate of affected individuals (5 points): Does the report have a positive impact on the lives of those affected by conflicts?  Does it raise public awareness of humanitarian issues? 
Originality of approach and treatment (2 points): Does the report offer an original and creative approach to the subject? 
Journalistic rigour and factual accuracy (2 points): Is the report well-documented and factually accurate? Is the analysis thorough and critical? 
Technical qualities (1 point): Is the report technically well-executed (image, sound, editing)? 

Article 12 :
Copies of the productions can be submitted from August 12, 2024, to November 12, 2024, by 4:00 PM – deadline – either in a sealed envelope at the ICRC office located in Bastos, behind the Russian Embassy, or by email to yao_yaounde_Mailbox@icrc.org, with the subject line "Humanitarian Reporting Awards 2024" + the candidate's name and phone contact.  The contact person at the ICRC will be Ms. Kam Belinga Rosine Solange (rsamoukam@icrc.org, Tel 677500346). 
A confirmation of receipt by the ICRC will be communicated to the candidates by email or phone.  

Article 13 :
The selection of eligible productions is the exclusive responsibility of the jury.  

Article 14 : 
A 5-member jury appointed by the ICRC is set up, comprising well-known and respected figures from the media profession, the regulatory authority, experts in international humanitarian law (IHL) and humanitarian organizations.   
The members of the jury are responsible for selecting, impartially and independently, the productions that will be awarded prizes on the basis of the criteria set out in article 11. 
The jury's decisions are final. 

Article 15 : 
Productions that do not meet one or more of the requirements listed in these internal regulations, particularly those outlined in Articles 5, 7, 8, 9, and 12, will not be considered. 

Article 16 : 
These regulations, developed by the ICRC, govern the work of the jury. 

Article 17 : 
Each jury member is required to strictly adhere to the regulations.

Article 18 : 
The 1st prize, the "Henry Dunant Prize", will be given to the production unanimously selected by the Jury as the best according to their judgement and based on the criteria defined in the internal regulations.   

The 2nd prize, the "Swiss Ambassador's Special Prize", will be awarded to the production selected by the Jury as being the second best according to their personal conviction and on the basis of the criteria defined in the rules of procedure.  

The 3rd prize, the "Jury's Special Prize," will be a Jury's favourite, awarded based on their appreciation (genre, age, angle, etc.).

In addition to a trophy, a certificate and books, the winners of each prize will receive an award in kind or in cash. 

Article 19 : 
By taking part, competitors authorize the reproduction and distribution free of charge, in whole or in part, of their productions on various ICRC media. 
By virtue of their participation, competitors warrant that they own the rights to the productions to be distributed. 


Du seul fait de leur participation, les concurrents assurent être titulaires des droits des productions faisant l’objet de diffusion. 

Article 20 : 
Participants waive all rights of recourse against the Organizing Committee and the jury in respect of the selection process, the organization of the competition, its running and the interpretation and application of these rules and regulations. 

Article 21 : 
Participation in the competition implies acceptance of these rules.