Public urged to log-on & nominate for 7th Annual Media & Multicultural Awards

The editors of the ethnic and immigrant media in Ireland have come together to urge their readers to log-on and nominate entrants for this year`s Media and Multicultural Awards (MAMAs).

Chinedu Onyejelem, Editor of Metro Eireann and founder of the MAMA Awards was joined by Frank Suo from The Shining Emerald, Sergey Tarutin, from Nasha Gazeta, and Alex Sadomski from Polska Gazeta in Dublin this week to encourage people to submit nominees for the 2008 MAMAs.

The MAMA Awards, now in their seventh year, recognise the people, groups, companies, institutions and media platforms that embrace diversity and interculturalism on the island of Ireland.

The Awards will be held in the Abbey Theatre in Dublin on Thursday 27 November.

Closing date for entries for the 2008 MAMAs is Friday 24 October.

This year`s awards include a special bursary of €5,000 from the Iris O`Brien Foundation to an individual or organisation which has positively responded to cultural diversity in Ireland.

Nominations can be made for 11 other awards in two general categories: Media and Multicultural.

In addition, there are two overall awards: The NPAR Award (won last year by Garda Inspector Mary Gormley) and the Judges` Special Award that was given to Sister Breege Keenan in 2007.

Other previous winners include former Mayor of Portlaoise, Cllr Rotimi Adebari.

The Awards are open to individuals, public and private sector organizations and companies as well as not-for-profit organisations on the island of Ireland.