Independent television journalist Ingrid Leary last night won the premier new Pacific prize in the annual NZ Media Peace Awards for a pair of "inspirational" documentaries about island women community workers suffering from HIV/AIDS.

The 26-minute programmes, called Peati and Irene, after the two Pacific women whose lives are featured, have been acclaimed by advocates for HIV/AIDS education in the Pacific.

Peati Malaki is a Samoan community worker and Irene Malachai is a ni-Vanuatu nurse.

Accepting her award, Leary praised the courage of the two women and also spoke of the work of former Tahitian journalist Maire Bopp Dupont and her Cook Islands-based Pacific Islands Aids Foundation (PIAF).

"The programmes tell of their, at times, lonely struggle against stigma and discrimination in their homelands," said judges David Robie, director of AUT University...’s Pacific Media Centre, and filmmaker Ray Waru.... 

"Yet these stories also offer powerful insights into one of the most urgent political, social and health issues confronting the contemporary Pacific - the spread of HIV/AIDS.

"The two campaigning women - 'ambassadors over AIDS' - and their fellow community workers are exemplary role models and provide beacons of hope in contrast to the failures of the region's politicians."

Radio New Zealand International's Don Wiseman was highly commended for a half-hour Insight programme in June giving an elections preview on Papua New Guinea.

The judges said this programme gave a "fascinating glimpse of the deeper issues and dilemmas" facing the country.

Radio New Zealand International was also given a special achievement award by the NZ Peace Foundation for its sustained regional coverage.

The Pacific Radio News/Niu FM team of Lito Vilisoni, Christine Gounder and Mema Maeli were commended for their coverage of the Tongan riots and Fiji coup and reconciliation.

The judges referred to the success of Pacific Radio News in establishing a "niche for coverage of the Pacific region through a Pasifika prism".

Also commended were Lloyd Ashton for a special feature about post-coup Fiji in the Anglican Taonga magazine and the New Zealand Herald's Angela Gregory for a portfolio of wide-ranging Pacific issues.

The Pacific Peace and Development Award is a new category added to the Peace Foundation-organised awards for the first time this year and is sponsored by Oxfam.

Oxfam executive director Barry Coates spoke about why the aid agency was supporting the awards and the importance of in-depth and insightful reporting on the environmental sustainability, poverty, human rights, justice and many other pressing issues facing the region. PMC, 09/11/07.