Final shortlist of nominated individuals and websites
About the awards
The New Statesman's New Media Awards were launched last December to promote the effective use of the Internet in public life. The New Statesman is keen to ensure that individuals and organisations that use the Internet to encourage civic participation and public debate, and to provide greater access to public information, should receive the appropriate recognition.
Nominations were sought from the on-line community via the New Statesman website and through consultation with experts in the area. Over 100 nominations were received for the six awards.The awards were to be announced at a ceremony at London's ICA on Thursday 1 July with the Cabinet Office minister Jack Cunningham handing out the prizes. Next week's New Statesman will list the prize-winners, the awards and the arguments.
The Shortlist
The Merit Award recognises original thought in this fast-developing area, and will be awarded to the person whose work has served the public interest in developing a democratically accountable civil society during the previous 12 months. There are three shortlisted nominations:
Scott Aikens
http://www.aikens.org
Tom Loosemore & Stefan Magdalinski
http://www.stand.org.uk
Irving Rappaport
http://www.democracy.org.uk
The New Advocacy Award looks at organisations that use new technology to enhance open debate and seek to change opinions and behaviour. There are four shortlisted nominations:
Shell Corporate site
http://www.shell.com
The 1990 Trust Black Information Link
http://www.blink.org.uk
McSpotlight
http://www.mcspotlight.org
The New Information Service Award looks at communication rather than campaigning, and will be given to the organisation that uses new technology to communicate the information demanded by a functioning democratic society in the information age. There are five nominations:
LabourStart
http://www.labourstart.org
Polis
http://www.polis.net
CyberCinema
http://www.cybercinema.org
YouthNet
http://www.thesite.org.uk/
BBC Education Action On Human Rights
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/humanrights
The New Local Democracy Awards focus on ways technology can be used to empower individuals locally, and is open to local authorities and other local government agencies such as health trusts, police authorities, and so on. There are eight entries on the shortlist, reflecting the wide variety of projects, initiatives and activities in this area:
Brixton On-Line
http://www.brixton.co.uk/
Brookmans Park Newsletter
http://ds.dial.pipex.com/brookmans
Cambridge On-line City
http://www.worldserver.pipex.com/cambridge/
London Borough of Lewisham
http://www.lewisham.gov.uk
Lewisham Government - Visible Difference
http://www.lewisham-visibledifference.org.uk/
London Borough of Newham
http://www.newham.gov.uk
Opportunity Links
http://www.opportunity-links.org.uk
Saffire
http://www.webserve.co.uk/clients/saffire/
Foundation for Information Policy Research
http://www.fipr.org
The New Public Policy Award is for those using new technology to inform citizens and to create an inclusive process of policy formation and is open to government departments as well as think-tanks. There are five shortlisted entries:
European Commission DG-13
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg13/index.htm
UK Citizens Online Democracy
http://www.democracy.org.uk
Finally, the New Representative Award will be given to the elected individual who has made the best use of technology to improve their relationship with the public. Eligible individuals include MPs, MEPs and local councillors, and there are four shortlisted nominations:
Ken Livingstone MP
http://www.poptel.org.uk/ken-livingstone/
Anne Campbell MP
http://www.worldserver.pipex.com/
anne.campbell/
Margaret Moran MP
http://www.margaretmoran.org/
Nigel Evans MP
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/square/hi13/
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