Olga Rodríguez, Ismail el Majdoub and Afrocolectiva, among the winners of the VI Desalambre Awards

In its new installment, the VI edition of the Desalambre Awards, organized by elDiario.es to recognize the work of journalists and social organizations in defense of human rights, already has winners. This year, the award-winning profiles and works stand out for their different perspectives on the causes and consequences of migratory routes: from the impact of the local economy in Mauritania or Senegal to rescues in the Mediterranean. The Desalambre Awards have also supported initiatives that make visible the role of young migrants in Spain with anti-racist and Afrofeminist discourses. Furthermore, the VI edition is once again a space for the silenced, unified social movements and social activism.

This year’s Desalambre awards wanted to recognize the perseverance of Olga Rodríguez, a journalist specialized in international information, the Middle East and Human Rights, a regular contributor to elDiario.es, among other media. The awards also recognize the work ‘The empire of white gold’ from journalists Xavier Aldekoa, Èlia Borràs and Laura Aragó in La Vanguardia for illustrating how the increase in the price of rice is impacting local communities on the west coast of Africa, causing more migrants to risk their lives at sea. The transmedia work of RTVE Lab and RNE, in collaboration with Doctors without Borders, ‘Rescue in the Mediterranean’has won the award for best audiovisual project for a didactic, simple and calm narrative that raises public awareness about the migratory tragedy in the Mediterranean.

In the field of the Third Sector, the jury has recognized the #RegularizationNOW campaign for the real impact of the initiative and the achievement of political objectives that a high percentage of social campaigns do not achieve. He “Muteed Internment” report from 2023 of the Jesuit Migrant Service has been awarded by the jury for putting the focus on a sector as opaque as the Foreigner Internment Centers in Spain. The award for best activist went to Ismail el Majdoubi for his work from the shadows in important initiatives such as the EXMENAS Association in favor of the rights of migrant minors. Finally, the public award went to the news outlet, Afrocollectivefor serving as a tool in the fight for the rights of black and Afro-descendant people and making their experiences visible.

Desalambre Awards in journalism categories:

Desalambre Awards in the activism and NGO categories:

Special Audience Award

The delivery will take place next Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at CaixaForum in Madrid. The jury of the VI edition of the Desalambre Awards was made up of Gabriela Sánchez, head of the Desalambre section of elDiario.es; Juan Luis Sánchez, co-founder and deputy director of elDiario.es; Andrés Gil, co-founder and deputy director of International and Desalambre of elDiario.es; Moha Gerehou, journalist and anti-racist activist; Amaia Celorrio, Head of Communication of the Spanish Committee of UNHCR; Ana Sotto-Mayor, Director of Communications at UNICEF; Yolanda Polo, head of Communication for the NGO Coordinator; Raquel González, coordinator of MSF Spain; Fernando Álvarez, Director of Communication at the Anesvad Foundation; and Pilar del Río, journalist, translator and president of the José Saramago Foundation.

“The empire of white gold: A thousand cayucos of rice”

The Desalambre Award for the best report or chronicle goes to ‘The empire of white gold: A thousand canoes of rice’by Xavier Aldekoa, Èlia Borràs and Laura Aragó, published in La Vanguardia. The report, which is made up of three parts, addresses how the historic increase in the price of rice, which has reached its highest level in 20 years, is seriously affecting communities in Senegal and Mauritania. The jury has emphasized the depth and multidimensionality of the work, connecting economic, social and climatic elements of the local causes of the crisis with the regional and international consequences. In addition, it highlights the positive impact of projects developed together with local entities such as CERAI.

Olga Rodríguez, perseverance award

The winner of the award that recognizes a career of perseverance is Olga Rodríguez, journalist specialized in international information, the Middle East and Human Rights. The informant publishes her works, always with a transversal approach to rights, in different media, including elDiario.esa medium of which she is also a co-founder. She is the author of several books such as ‘The wet man is not afraid of the rain. Voices from the Middle East’ or ‘I die today. The Arab revolts’, among others. The jury has highlighted her tireless commitment to human rights and her feminist and anti-racist approach throughout a career in which she has tackled a wide range of roles in defense of social causes, especially in contexts of international conflicts and with a especially to Palestine.

“Rescue in the Mediterranean”

The transmedia work of RTVE Lab and RNE in collaboration with Doctors without Borders, ‘Rescue in the Mediterranean’ is an interactive report that addresses the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean aboard the Geo Barents, delving into migratory routes, maritime legislation and the logistical and ethical challenges faced by NGOs and rescue teams. The jury has valued that the didactic, simple and calm narrative manages to explain complex topics, maintaining a tone for a wide audience, at the same time that it educates and raises awareness about the migratory tragedy in the Mediterranean.

#RegularizationNOW

The award for the best campaign goes to “RegularizaciónYA”. The central objective of the platform is to regularize approximately 500,000 migrants through the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP), approved by an absolute majority in Congress in April 2024. In this case, the jury has positively assessed the real impact of the initiative as well as the achievement of political objectives that a high percentage of social campaigns do not achieve.

CIE Report 2023: ‘Muteed’ Internment’ of the Jesuit Migrant Service

The report ‘Muteed Internment’ for 2023, from the SJM network, critically analyzes the Foreigners Internment Centers (CIE) in Spain. The stabilization of internments (approximately 2,000 people per year) and the general silence in society regarding the suffering of inmates stands out. Beyond the latest edition of this study, the Desalambre Awards jury considers that year after year, the study becomes a valuable document to make it easier for journalists to make visible what happens in spaces as opaque as the CIE.

Furthermore, from the Desalambre Awards we grant a Special Mention to Report 64 of the Center Delàs d’Estudis per la Pau, “Business as usual. Analysis of the Spanish arms trade in 2022-23 and arguments for an arms embargo on Israel. This report, published in July 2024, critically analyzes the arms trade between Spain and Israel, especially in the context of the recent offensive in Gaza.

Ismail el Majdoubi

The Desalambre Award for activist of the year goes to Ismail El Majdoubifounder of the EXMENAS Association, social mediator, activist and defender of the rights of migrant children and youth. The young man of Moroccan origin arrived in Spain at the age of 16 and, since then, and through his personal narrative, he has worked to support young migrants and create links with civil society. The jury has positively valued that, despite often working in the shadows, Ismail has led important initiatives, such as the EXMENAS Association, and is a key voice in the defense of the rights of migrant minors.

Afrocollective

The Desalambre award for the best creation of content on social networks in defense of human rights has gone to the news outlet Afrocollective. An award chosen by the public, which rewards Afrocolectiva’s reflection and review of stereotypes and prejudices regarding the black and racialized population. Created in 2022, Afrocolectiva is made up of black and Afro-descendant people who use communication as a tool to fight for their rights and make their experiences visible. It is defined as a space for training and deconstruction, promoting pedagogies from black feminism and anti-racism through social networks such as TikTok and Instagram.