Offer: Call for Nominations: The King Baudouin African Development Prize
by Breese | December 12, 2011 at 3:35 PM | Opportunities
The King Baudouin African Development Prize
for more info see http://www.kbprize.org/kbprize/candidacy.aspx?LangType=1033
After more than 30 years of a global focus and an outstanding track record, the King Baudouin Prize moves to concentrate on development in Africa.
The King Baudouin International Development Prize was conceived in 1978 as a stimulus for development in the ‘Third World’. Three decades and seventeen exceptional laureates later, the reality of the global development landscape - along with the terminology which describes it - has changed dramatically. We no longer speak of the First, Second or Third Worlds and many states categorized as belonging to the Third World in the late 1970s can hardly be considered developing countries today. For all the progress in the Global South over the last decades, however, much of Africa remains deeply challenged on several fronts.
According to a 2011 ranking by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 36 of the 46 countries with a low ‘Human Development Index’ are in Africa. Recognising that this alarming statistic will only be redressed through the collective efforts of all actors, the King Baudouin Foundation has been upping its engagement on the continent in recent years. In an effort to realign the King Baudouin Prize with its core objective of supporting development initiatives where they are needed most, the Foundation further decided to concentrate the Prize’s focus on Africa. This realignment is also intended to stimulate stronger links and longer term collaboration opportunities between the King Baudouin Foundation and future Prize winners.
The King Baudouin African Development Prize continues in the spirit of its predecessor - the Prize is worth 150.000 Euros and is awarded every other year. Beyond its monetary value, the Prize provides its winners with publicity and an international platform, particularly with the main agents of development, such as the United Nations and its agencies, the World Bank, the European Union and a number of bilateral development agencies, the world of foundations and international NGOs.
True to the personality and values which inspired its creation, the aim of the King Baudouin African Development Prize is to acknowledge the work of persons or organisations which have made an exemplary contribution to development in Africa. It also seeks to draw public attention to the many inspirational stories of hope, struggle and success which emanate from the development field in Africa.
To select one winner from a long list of deserving candidates, the Foundation relies on the advice of an independent Selection Committee. The composition of the Committee is modified slightly each time the Prize is awarded in order to ensure a degree of renewal as well as the required continuity. The Prize endeavours to reward innovative initiatives with a longer term vision and a proven track record in improving the quality of life of the local communities. The Selection Committee also pays particular attention to initiatives which stand out as the best in their field, can be duplicated elsewhere on the continent and give local communities the opportunity to take their development into their own hands.
Who qualifies as a candidate?
The candidate must be either an individual or an organisation
Several individuals or organisations that are not structurally linked cannot be presented as one single candidacy.
A former Prize winner may not be submitted a second time as a candidate. If a candidate was not withheld, it may however be submitted again for a next Prize.
