PRINCE TURKI BIN TALAL ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF AGFUND INTERNATIONAL PRIZE

Subject of the Prize (Empowering youth through entrepreneurship and job opportunities) Prince Turki Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz announced the winning projects for the AGFUND International Prize for the year 2010, dedicated for pioneering development projects in the field of “Development of Remote and Rural Communities Through Information Technology and Communication”. This was announced subsequent to the discussion held by the Prize Committee Members during their meeting, headed by Prince Turky Bin Talal on behalf of Prince Talal Bin Abdul Aziz, President of (AGFUND) on Monday November 30th in Kualalampur, the capital of Malaysia. The Prize Committee also declared the subject of the 2011th AGFUND Prize. HRH has also announced “Empowering youth through entrepreneurship and job opportunities” as theme subject for the year 2011. It is worth mentioning that four projects have won AGFUND2010 prize which were selected among 28 projects nominated for the four categories of the Prize, from 25 countries representing 3 continents. The winning Project for the First Category Prize (represent an amount US$ 200,000) “for projects implemented by UN, International, and Regional Organizations” addressing their role in “Supporting the Developing Countries’ National Policies and Programs for Development of Remote and Rural Communities Through ICT ”.The winning project is “Integrated Program to Develop Siwa Oasis Using ICT“.This project was implemented by Egypt ICT Trust Fund, in Egypt. The winning Project for Second Category Prize (Of an amount US$ 150,000) dedicated to NGOS – led efforts to “Support and Enhance the Application of ICT for the Development of Remote and Rural Communities”.This project was implemented by Child Protection Helping Palestine, in “SAWA-ALL the Women Together Today & Tomorrow” , in Palestine. The winning Project for Third Category Prize (amounted US$ 100,000) dedicated to the Role of Governments’ Ministries and Public Institutions in Adoption of new innovative to “Enhance the Application of ICT for the Development of Remote and Rural Communities”. The winning Project is “Open Academy for Philippine Agriculture” This project was implemented by The Philippine Rice Research Institute in Philippines. The winning project for the Fourth Category of the Prize (amounted US$ 50,000), dedicated to Individual led Initiatives to “Facilitate and Apply the Use of ICT” is “Burkina Faso Malaria Distance Training Pilot Project“. This project was initiated Upon the initiative and effort of Mr. Ouedraogo Jules , in Burkina Faso. It is to be affirmed that, all selected and nominated projects that qualify and fulfill all conditions, are submitted for evaluation and judgment, to a team of experts, accredited for their knowledge and experience in different fields of the Prize. The evaluation guidelines of projects are examined in comparison with principles respecting the philosophy of the AGFUND Prize. The AGFUND International Prize Committee comprises in its members, the following international distinguished personalities:

• Signora Mercedes Menafra de Batlle, former first lady of Uruguay,
• President of Todos por Uruguay (All for Uruguay),
• Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali (Saudi), President of the Islamic Development Bank,Saudi Arabia,
• Professor Muhammad Yunus Founder and Managing Director of Grameen Bank, and
• Dr. Y. Seyyid Abdulai (Nigerian), Former Director-General of the OPEC Fund for International Development.