Report : Mohamed Khader Navas

Sharjah : The Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) has called upon all those in the communication field who have spearheaded impactful campaigns targeting youth to compete in the 10th edition of the Sharjah Government Communication Award (SGCA). The award is offering two specialised Arab categories tailored to recognise outstanding efforts in youth-focused communication, including accelerators and incubators’ support for entrepreneurs and startups, in addition to a third category for talented young individuals who have outstanding initiatives in government communication.

Additionally, universities in the UAE and the wider GCC region have the opportunity to participate in the Universities Challenge, a platform that recognises and celebrates outstanding communication campaigns and programmes developed by university students.

Honouring youth-focused programmes and initiatives

The ‘Best Communication Targeting Youth’ award is dedicated to individuals, governments, semi-governments, or private institutions that have achieved tangible and measurable results in communication campaigns and programmes targeting youth. It has three subcategories, namely Best Campaign for Positive Impact on Youth Awareness and Practises, which honours communication campaigns by entities and institutions that contribute to shaping positive values and concepts among youth or those that have reinforced positive social practises among them.

The newly launched ‘Best Communication Programme to Support Youth Entrepreneurship and Projects’ category shines light on government, semi-government, and private institutions that have established successful communication programmes supporting youth projects, entrepreneurship, and startups, providing solutions and building networks that have made a difference in overcoming challenges youth face in the business community

The third category, ‘Best Youth Initiative in Government

Communication,’ honours individuals or youth groups that have launched a communication campaign or initiative that addresses vital issues, creates innovative mechanisms for communication between policy-makers and the public, or motivates government entities to initiate projects or initiatives aimed at supporting youth campaigns and their issues.

Open challenge to universities

Involving youth in communication and addressing the public has become more pressing than ever. The ‘Universities Challenge’ is launched as part of the International Government Communication Forum in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), to support innovation and creativity in communication among university students in GCC countries. The teams from each university will craft and design innovative projects in government communication. These projects can include developing essential institutional services, designing digital platforms for public institutional communication, or any other government communication initiatives that bring broad social benefits.

The challenge opens up opportunities for universities in the UAE and GCC countries to nominate a representative team to apply, regardless of their academic majors, to produce and develop effective, implementable communication mechanisms that showcase students’ skills in creative thinking and contribute to building an innovative future for government communication.

How to apply

SGMB invites all entities and individuals to submit their applications for the SGCA award by August 15, 2023. Interested parties are required to complete an online submission on the website, www.igcc.ae, ensuring all necessary information is accurately provided.

SGCA allows all entities and individuals in the realm of communication across the UAE and Arab countries to either apply for the Arab or global award categories, depending on the competitiveness of their application against nominees from other countries worldwide.