PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS FROM UNITED KINGDOM, KENYA, SOUTH AFRICA TO BE HONOURED BY DPI, INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

Press Release
PI/938

PUBLICITY CAMPAIGNS FROM UNITED KINGDOM, KENYA, SOUTH AFRICA TO BE HONOURED BY DPI, INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

The Gestetner Corporation of the United Kingdom will receive the 1995 United Nations Grand Award for outstanding achievement in public relations for its campaign encouraging businesses to donate used laser printers to schools. The award will be presented at a private luncheon at Headquarters on Wednesday, 24 April.

Given in conjunction with the International Public Relations Association Golden World Awards, sponsored by NEC Corporation of Japan, the United Nations awards were established in 1990 by the Department of Public Information in order to recognize campaigns that address priority issues of the United Nations. The Assistant Secretary-General for Public Information, Samir S. Sanbar, will present the awards.

Gestetner's prize-winning campaign, the Gestetner Schools Scheme, appealed to schools and businesses alike. The average primary school in the United Kingdom does not own a laser printer, and most businesses tend to discard their old ones when replaced, as resale values are low. The business community's response to the Gestetner campaign has been very positive, with over 1,500 printers donated so far.

The Communication Group plc of London worked with Gestetner to create the campaign.

In addition to the Grand Award, two campaigns were selected for honourable mention. One was the 1995 Corporate Challenge of Operation Smile Kenya, a project to raise money for restorative surgery for children born with cleft palates and severe facial disfigurements. Operation Smile Kenya, working with Yolanda Tavares Public Relations Ltd. of Nairobi, organized a fund- raising footrace for corporate officers, who then "challenged" other companies to participate. The race was run on a Sunday morning in Nairobi with 69 companies participating, accompanied by a Kenyan international runner and a team of children who had benefited from the restorative surgery programme. It will be repeated as an annual event.

- 2 - Press Release PI/938 22 April 1996

The other honourable mention will go to WWF-SA, the South African Chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature, for Committed to Earthkeeping -- Unite for Life! A Uniquely African Inter-Faith Celebration of the Environment. WWF-SA, working with Concept Communications Natal (Pty) (Ltd) of Durban, brought together South African leaders of numerous faiths, including Buddhism, Baha'i, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism, for an event with the theme "Committed to Earthkeeping -- Unite for Life!" Before an audience of 5,000 people, the participants offered prayers and recounted each faith's understanding of humankind's relationship with the Earth. The event also marked the opening of a new environmental education centre to train community leaders in sustainable agriculture and environmental awareness. Organizers plan to follow up with a similar all-African event to coincide with World Environment Day in 1996.

* *** *