The Building and Social Housing Foundation is currently seeking entries for the World Habitat Awards 2006 competition, which we hope will be of interest to your readers and member NGOs, particularly those working in housing and community development.

The World Habitat Awards were initiated in 1985 and seek to identify practical, innovative and sustainable solutions to current housing issues faced by countries of the Global South as well as the North, which are capable of being transferred or adapted for use elsewhere. The competition is open to all individuals and organisations, including central and local governments, NGOs, community-based groups, research organisations and the private sector.

Each year a panel of international judges assesses the projects entered for the competition and selects two winners. An award of £10,000 is presented to the winners at the annual United Nations global celebration of World Habitat Day.

Last year’s World Habitat Day celebration took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, where Mr Jusuf Kalla, Vice-President of Indonesia, presented the 2005 World Habitat Awards to the Straw-bale Energy Efficient Housing Project in the People's Republic of China and the Solar Housing Renovation Project in Gårdsten, Sweden. Details of these two winning projects and the competition finalists can be found on the BSHF website at www.bshf.org.

Please note that Stage I entries must be received by 1st June 2006.

Should you be interested in publicising the competition, I attach a small poster and a prepared information block for your editorial use if required. If you need any further information or material, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

JENNIFER NEVILLE

Administrator, BSHF

For more information please visit http://www.bshf.org/en/?topselected=World%20Habitat%20Awards

Award information in English
Award information in Arabic