24 March 2012: The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced the two winners of the Prize for Rural Communication of the International Programme for the Development of Communication (IPDC). The two organizations, one in Kenya and the other in Nepal, help rural communities improve their lives and take part in public debate.

The winner organizations, which will share the US$20,000 Prize for Rural Communication, were announced at a ceremony held at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, on 24 March 2012. According to UNESCO, Arid Lands Information Network (ALIN) is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and provides free access to information about development and social issues to communities living in the arid parts of East Africa, through 12 community-based Maarifa (knowledge) centers in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

In Nepal, the Community Radio Support Centre/Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (CRSC/NEFEJ) is a non-governmental organization that promotes environmental journalism and public awareness of sustainable development issues.

The UNESCO-IPDC Prize for Rural Communication, which is awarded every two years, recognizes meritorious and innovative efforts to improve communication for rural communities in developing countries. [UNESCO Press Release]