Ghanaian Journalist receives international award

The News Editor of The Catholic Standard, Mr Damian Avevor, is among 25 journalists worldwide who have been awarded at the ongoing World Media and Journalism Congress of the International Christian Organisation of the Media (ICOM) at Panama in Central America.

He was honoured in the category of Excellence in Journalism and awarded for promoting the dignity of people, for endeavours to safeguard fundamental rights of all,  defending the freedom of the press and expression, raising public consciousness, upholding values of justice and righteousness and initiating fruitful debates in the field of human rights.

The ICOM is a world forum of professionals and institutions in secular and religious Journalism and this year’s congress was held on the theme: “Challenges and Responsibilities amidst Globalisation and Digitalisation”.

It was a meeting point for internationally minded women and men to get together once in three years and analyse developments in today’s world from journalistic and media perspectives.

Mr Avevor entered the competition with three articles published in the New People, an international Catholic magazine of missionary awareness published in Kenya by the Comboni Missionaries and distributed in selected African countries including Ghana.

The articles were titled: Taming HIV and AIDS; Empowering Persons with Physical Disabilities and Flamboyant Funerals.

He submitted other entries for the other categories, but according to him, he guessed his three articles were educative and brought out how society should take the topics seriously and the role of the Catholic Church in Ghana in supplementing the government’s efforts in supporting people with physical disabilities and People Living with HIV and AIDS.

Receiving the award at the University of Panama, Mr Avevor said: “I am humbled by this honour done me and I give thanks to the Almighty God for His love and mercy. In fact, it is a blessing to be in the list of 25 winners out of more than 2,000 competitors from all over the world.

“I thank the ICOM and the jury for certifying my work as professional and for selecting me as an awardee in the category of Excellence in Journalism. I dedicate this prestigious award to my dear wife and twin girls for their encouragement and inspiration to enter into the competition,” he added.

The Excellence in Journalism Award has been won by some Ghanaians in the past including Paul Kofi Krampa, 1989; Africanus Diedong, 2001 and 2004; Anas Aremeyaw Anas of The Crusading Guide, 2004 and 2007; Samuel Sarpong ,1992  and 1995;  Vincent Azumah, 1998, as well as the International Award for Solidarity with Refugees in 2004; Clare Banoeng-Yakubo, in 2007 for Women Issues.

The international awards enhance and make journalistic and media work more valuable in diverse fields, and acknowledges the efforts of all participating journalists and media professionals as well as their milieu.

The International Awards for Excellence in Journalism, won by Mr Avevor and four other Journalists from Cameroon, Kenya and DR Congo, honours outstanding journalists and other media professionals from all domains and a good proportion are reserved for young media professionals below 35 years.

Daily Graphic/Ghana