Dedicated to human rights with courage, creativity and passion

Human rights needs support worldwide. Wherever human rights are being threatened or violated, those rights need to be declared loud and clear. The German Development Media Awards 2013 were presented to journalists in honor of their work on human rights topics in a ceremony at the Berlin studios of the ARD (Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations in Germany).

The awards have recognized journalists for outstanding contributions in the field of human rights and development ever since its launch in 1975. For the first time this year, the awards, which are jointly presented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and Deutsche Welle (DW), were also open to journalists outside Germany. Seven awards were presented at the ceremony, including awards in six regions as well as the People's Choice Award for Human Rights Photography in Africa.

The federal minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dirk Niebel, emphasized the tremendous significance of journalists in the development of a free and enlightened civil society. Niebel said the awards honor people who refuse to give up their right to free expression: "It honors journalists who bravely report about the development of their countries and especially about the human rights situation there - and who do so in extremely difficult conditions." Niebel added the awards recognise those who "dedicate themselves to human rights with courage, creativity and passion."

The Director-General of DW, Erik Bettermann, said: "This award is supposed to give courage. The courage to get involved. The courage to raise your voice. And this award is supposed to signal: You are not alone."

The Latin America category was awarded to a multimedia project investigating the fate of disappeared people in Colombia. In addition to the journalistic achievement of the three winners: Olga Lozano, Juanita León and Marcela Peláez, the jury emphasized the almost artistic way the topic was presented. This entry "fully took advantage of the journalistic possibilities the Internet has to offer," said Michael Windfuhr, Deputy Director of the German Institute of Human Rights, and member of the awards jury.

The entry of the German award winner, Uwe H. Martin, also won praise from the jury for its innovative approach. Martin's multimedia feature was published on an iPad application and investigates global cotton production and how it ruins the life of many farmers.

The winners from the region Eastern Europe/Central Asia and from the Middle East primarily distinguished themselves by the courage it took to research and publish the topic of their work. Volha Malafeyechava from Belarus told the story of a homosexual, in a country where homophobia is widespread and where journalists work under extreme personal pressure. And, Hanan Khandagji dedicated her work to abuse in centers for disabled children and teenagers in her native Jordan, all the while clearly indicating who is responsible for those conditions.

Gunjan Sharma from India, the winner in the regional category Asia and Wade C.L Williams from Liberia, the winner in the regional category Africa, were primarily praised for the their journalistic achievement in striking a balance between personal empathy and clear, analytical distance.

When asked how she perceives her role as a journalist, Williams said: "As a journalist you have a pen: a pen that can give a voice to those who need one." The winner of the People's Choice Award for Human Rights Photography in Africa was determined by an online vote and was presented to Nigerian photographer Oluyinka Ezekiel Adeparusi. His photograph shows children on their way to school in a boat in the floating slum of Makoko, in Lagos. It is entitled: “Where there is will, there is education.”