Announcement of the Ulrich Wickert Award for Child Rights 2014 / Journalist award raises awareness for the situation of children in developing countries

Hamburg (ots) - In 2014, the Ulrich Wickert Foundation, like in
the year before, will bestow the "Ulrich Wickert Award for Child
Rights" on journalists. By bestowing this award - totalizing prize
money of 18,000 euros - the foundation wants to honour media
contributions that raise awareness for the situation of children in
developing countries (award in the category International) and
especially for the situation of girls (award in the category
Germany/Austria). A special award will be presented to appreciate the
media work of children and young people in Plan's 50 partner
countries.

Journalist and former TV anchorman Ulrich Wickert: "We need to
focus our attention on the situation of girls and boys in poor
countries and to promote their development. As journalists, we must
observe what is happening in the world and we must commit ourselves
when children and young people are being deprived of their rights.
This requires great courage - and the Ulrich Wickert Award for Child
Rights aims to promote and to acknowledge courage."

Dr Werner Bauch, Chairman of the Board of Plan International
Germany and member of the jury: "Ulrich Wickert has been promoting
the work of Plan International for many years. Like the British
journalist John Langdon-Davies, the founder of our organisation, he
helps to sustainably improve the life of needy children through his
commitment. The Ulrich Wickert Award for Child Rights follows this
tradition and honours journalists who courageously report on child
rights violations. We would like to strengthen this commitment for
the rights of the weakest members of the society and to express our
high esteem for this commitment."

Contributions in German, English, French or Spanish published in
print or online media, on the radio or on TV between January 1st and
December 31st, 2013 can be submitted under www.ulrich-wickert-
stiftung.de. Closing date is March 31st, 2014. Journalists of all
departments as well as freelance journalists in Germany, Austria and
in the 50 partner countries of Plan are entitled to participate.

Plan International Germany has been awarded several prizes for its
transparency in fundraising. In 2012, the child-focused organisation
twice reached first position: in the transparency award of PwC and in
an analysis of the economy magazine Capital. Plan, one of the world's
oldest independent child-focused organisations, is working in 50
countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and finances sustainable
self-help projects by means of sponsorships, donations, public funds
and corporate cooperation. Through the "Because I am a Girl"
campaign, Plan is strengthening the rights of girls and has induced
the UNO to recognize the International Day of the Girl Child on
October 11th. Plan International Germany has been conferred the
donation seal of the German Central Institute for Social Affairs
(DZI). Due to its commitment in development cooperation, Plan was
awarded the Walter-Scheel-Preis of the German Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development in 2011.

For further information, please contact:
Plan International Deutschland e. V.,
Bramfelder Straße 70,
22305 Hamburg, Germany

Kerstin Straub,
Head of Communications Department,
phone +4940 61140-251/-281

Antje Schröder,
Press Officer,
phone +4940 61140-281
E-mail: presse@plan-deutschland.de