WSSCC is holding a competition for journalists from developing countries who investigate issues relating to water, sanitation and hygiene and problems in their countries.

The winner will receive US$ 500 plus an all-expenses paid trip to attend the first Global WASH Forum at the end of 2004 in Dakar, Senegal. There will be four other prizes of US$ 250 each, including a "Youth Reporter" award. A journalist can submit a maximum of three entries. These should be one or more articles which have already been printed in 2002 or 2003 in a newspaper or magazine, or one or more stories which have been telecast or broadcast on radio. The organizers will appoint panels of judges for entries in three languages - English, French and Spanish.

In collaboration with the WSSCC, the International Trachoma Initiative ITI is sponsoring a competition to award a journalist whose work has increased public awareness about trachoma, the world's leading cause of preventable blindness. The winner of the Trachoma Media Award will receive US$ 500 plus an all-expenses paid trip to Dakar, Senegal, to attend the Global WASH Forum - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All - in November 2004.

CTA, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU, invites young people to share your vision of an ICT-enabled future in the rural areas of ACP countries in a writing contest. Will Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) change life in the rural areas of countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP)? Will they make village life more attractive for young people? Or are they just not appropriate, too expensive, or not available at all?

If you have something to say on these topics, and you:
- are a national of an ACP country,
- are between 18 and 30 years old,
- are a member of an organization active in rural youth development issues,
- have ideas on how ICT's can help to improve youth livelihoods in the rural areas of your country,

...then participate in CTA's writing contest. Tell us what you would like to achieve to make life better in the villages of your country, especially for young people, and how ICTs could help you to reach your goal.

During the 6th Plinius Conference on Mediterranean Storms, which will take place on board of the Mediterranean Shipping Cruises ? MSC vessel "Opera", two prizes of ?1.000 each will be assigned to the two best contributions (either oral or by poster) presented by young researchers. The deadline for submitting abstracts for this Young Researchers Award of EGU (European Geophysical Union) is June 1st, 2004. The goal of this prize is to foster innovative research on the understanding and prediction of mediterranean storms and their land effects. The selection will be based on the originality and relevance of the contribution and on the quality of the presentation.

Conditions for eligibility are:
- being the first and presenting author of a contribution;
- being no more than 33 years old;
- being either a student or a Post-Doc

Contributions including co-authors who are members of the Prize Selection Committee are excluded from the competition. The members of the Prize Selection Committee are: F. Guzzetti, M.C. Llasat, A. Mugnai, G. Roth, F. Siccardi, E. Smith and G. Tripoli.

The International START Secretariat is soliciting nominations/applications for the CY 2004 START Young Scientist Awards. These awards recognize the research accomplishments of outstanding young scientists from developing countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Mediterranean.

Simavi is a Dutch NGO that supports health and healthcare initiatives in developing countries through direct financial aid, the delivery of materials and equipments, or any other means.

Simavi now has its own World Water Fund. Would you like to support Simavi? With your contribution of only EUR 8,- Simavi can give clean drink water to three families in India.

Also, there's a possibility to apply for Simavi project support provided that your project is in line with the goal and identity of Simavi: enhancement of health and healthcare and aimed at the poorest.