[university-l] Create a Buzz About Malaria

[Noel Selegzi]

Campaign Calls on Students to Create a Buzz About Malaria 

WASHINGTON, DC (April 30, 2007) -- The People Speak (TPS) announced today the launch of its new program, Buzz Cuts which will award up to ten campuses with a $500 grant to implement student-created awareness campaigns in support of Nothing But Nets -- a campaign to prevent malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa.  

"Our goal is to engage more students in the discussion about malaria and what better way to do that than by asking students themselves for creative ways to get their peers involved," said Victoria Baxter, Director of The People Speak.  "We want to encourage college students to share their fresh, innovative ideas for rallying their campuses around a campaign that saves lives."

Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria.  Inspired by Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation.  Founding campaign partners include the National Basketball Association's NBA Cares, The People of the United Methodist Church, and Sports Illustrated.  Other partners include VH1, the Mark J. Gordon Foundation, AOL Black Voices, Rotarians Action Group on Malaria, the Wasserman Foundation, and Major League Soccer's MLS W.O.R.K.S.  It only costs $10 to provide an insecticide-treated bed net that can prevent this deadly disease.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matches donations dollar for dollar.  Visit www.NothingButNets.net <http://www.NothingButNets.net>  to send a net and save a life.  

April 25, 2007 marked the first national day of action in the United States on malaria and Nothing But Nets is also a featured beneficiary of American Idol's special program "Idol Gives Back" which raised tens of millions of dollars to help eradicate poverty and prevent diseases such as malaria.

>From April 25, 2007 to June 8, 2007, students across the country can submit Buzz Cuts proposals online at https://www.unfoundation.org/campaigns/nothing_but_nets/buzzcutsform.asp <https://www.unfoundation.org/campaigns/nothing_but_nets/buzzcutsform.asp> .  A selection committee will screen the proposals and pick 10 finalists, who will be invited to the UN Foundation offices in Washington D.C. on July 16 and 17, 2007.  There, the finalists will each receive a $500 mini-grant, and learn more about malaria, the Nothing But Nets campaign, and the production of multi-media toolkits.  

The 10 finalists will return to their campus to plan and implement their campaigns.  During this process, the students will film, photograph and document the steps they took and the results they achieved with their campaign. TPS partner Americans For Informed Democracy (AID) will provide training to the finalists during this phase of the competition. 

The photographs and videos will be displayed on the TPS site where they will be available for a public vote.  The winning entry will receive an additional $500 and the winning design will be the model for future mini-grants.  TPS will provide mini-grants of $200 and staff support to students who seek to use the video toolkit to launch similar campaigns on their campuses.  

To submit a proposal and learn more about Buzz Cuts, visit www.nothingbutnets.net/buzzcuts <http://www.nothingbutnets.net/buzzcuts>  or thepeoplespeak.org.  

About the People Speak

The People Speak is a campaign to educate and engage young people on the global issues that will shape their future. Young people are ready to take on some of the most serious challenges and exciting opportunities facing our nation and the world. By engaging them on issues of poverty reduction, global health, climate change and more, TPS is inspiring young people to be a positive force for change in the world. 

Press Contact

Amy DiElsi
United Nations Foundation, Communications Officer
(o) 202.419.3230 (e) adielsi at unfoundation.org <mailto:adielsi at unfoundation.org> 



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