Note to Correspondents

Italian Company’s “Web Security” Campaign Wins 2009 Award for Public

 

Relations Achievement; UN Information Department Joint Sponsor

 

A media relations campaign aimed at teaching young people about web safety has been chosen for the 2009 United Nations Grand Award for outstanding achievement in public relations.  The award will be presented as part of the 2009 Golden World Awards of the International Public Relations Association at a ceremony on Friday, 30 October, at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London.

The winning campaign, “Sicuramente Web: Surfing Safely on the Web”was developed by Edelman Italia to support the work of Microsoft Italy as a leader in Internet safety and reinforce the idea that the Internet is a valuable tool for exploration, and that children can be kept safe online with easily accessible tools.

The campaign raises awareness about Internet safety through educational kits, a website, viral videos and control tools for children, their parents and teachers.  The campaign has provided law enforcement agencies in Italy with an international web-tracking system for monitoring online predatory behavior.  It has also created strategic partnerships with the local media, national government and non-governmental organizations to ensure a broader impact and understanding of the issue.

Research obtained by Edelman Italy showed that more than 42 per cent of the teenagers use the Internet every day for instant messaging, chats and downloads, as child exploitation on the web continues to rise.  Of teachers surveyed, 65 per cent had never been trained regarding Internet safety, and only one personal computer out of five in secondary schools was equipped with parental control tools.

Through “Sicuramente Web: Surfing Safely on the Web”,15,000 families registered for Microsoft family safety tools in 2008, more than 30,000 teachers joined an online community for Internet safety and 270 government officials participated in press conferences and activities related to keeping children safe online.

An Honorable Mention Award will be given to Turkey’s Eczacıbaşı Group for “Personal Hygiene School Program”.  This campaign raised awareness about proper toilet hygiene for rural school children.  In the last ten years, nearly 600,000 people in Turkey suffered from preventable diseases such as typhoid fever, dysentery and jaundice, caused by poor hygiene habits.  According to Eczacıbaşı Group, their educational program was presented in 67 per cent of primary schools in Turkey, reaching 5.5 million students.

The annual award is jointly sponsored by the United Nations Department of Public Information and the International Public Relations Association, a professional organization for senior international Public Relations executives.  The United Nations Award was established in 1990 to recognize excellence in campaigns that address priority issues before the world Organization.

For more information, please contact Dina Daoud at daoudd@un.org or +1 917 367 1088.

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For information media • not an official record