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WIMPS – Where Is My Public Servant – is a multi-media participation tool run by and for young people in Northern Ireland. The aim is to increase civic engagement by young people. WIMPS has now been selected as a finalist in the Education category of the Stockholm Challenge Award 2008.
Northern Ireland WIMPS Finalists for the Prestigious Stockholm Challenge Awards 2008For this achievement the project team has been invited to Challenge Week, 19–22 May in Stockholm. There will be an award dinner and ceremony in the Nobel venue’s Blue Hall, a series of workshops, conference and exhibition of ICT for development projects from over 50 countries.
WIMPS runs a post-code driven database that allows young people to identify and email their elected representatives, from their local Council to the EU Parliament and discuss public and political topics that they think are important. They can conduct video interviews with leading politicians and make films about specific issues in their communities.
WIMPS now has a chance of winning the Stockholm Challenge Education Trophy 2008 plus a prize award of 5,000 Euros.
Representing WIMPS at the prestigious event will be Chris Madden, 15 (pictured on the left), from Carrickfergus, one of this years winners of the Investing in Young Citizens Award presented by DSD Permanent Secretary Alan Shannon. Nathan Shivers, 17 (right), a WIMPS team member from Belfast actively involved in creating content for the project’s website and Ben Preston, youth coordinator for the WIMPS Project.
Paul Smyth, Director of Public Achievement said, “Being a finalist in the 2008 Stockholm Challenge is a tremendous recognition of the creative and innovative nature of WIMPS, in addition to the vision and commitment of the young people involved. WIMPS is unique in the world, and this award shows that Northern Ireland innovations are world class. This will increase international interest in this model, and help us to sustain this important work and to continue to support young people to build a more democratic and inclusive society.”
“The Stockholm Challenge 2008 has been targeting ICT for Development projects globally”, says project manager Ulla Skidén and adds: “Great efforts have been put into the search for excellent examples of information and communication technologies that show convincing and equal benefits to people and communities from better education and training. WIMPS is such a project and therefore it deserves its place among this year's finalists”.
The winning projects in each of the six categories will be announced during the spectacular Gala Evening in the Stockholm City Hall on 22 May.
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