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(New York) - Three multimedia projects spotlighting global rights crises produced by Human Rights Watch have been nominated for the prestigious Webby Awards.

These projects tell stories of brave human rights defenders and survivors of abuses in Burma, Colombia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Webby Awards nominations amplify their voices, Human Rights Watch said. The projects were produced by Human Rights Watch in collaboration with leading photojournalists and media organizations including The New Yorker magazine and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

"Human Rights Watch is producing innovative multimedia work that breaks new creative ground and tells compelling human stories, " said Carroll Bogert, deputy executive director for external relations at Human Rights Watch. "These are stories that need to be told and heard."

Human Rights Watch was nominated in three categories, and has already won honorable mentions in two. 

Nominated Projects:

Dear Obama: A Message from the Victims of the Lord's Resistance Army is a direct appeal from children and adults who survived attacks by the rebel group in Congo and neighboring countries. The video was produced with the photographer Marcus Bleasdale and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.

Exiled: Burma's Defenders tells the stories of Burmese people fighting for change, through video interviews and powerful portraits by the photographer Platon. The project is a collaboration between Human Rights Watch and The New Yorker.

Deadly Threats: Successors to the Paramilitaries in Colombia uses still images and audio to document the strength and survival of ordinary people who stand up to armed groups that attack and kill civilians. The photojournalist Stephen Ferry worked with Human Rights Watch to create this multimedia feature.

The 15th Annual Webby Awards received more than 10,000 entries from more than 60 countries. The Human Rights Watch projects are also eligible for the Webby People's Voice Awards, which are determined by online votes cast by the global web community. Supporters of Human Rights Watch have until April 28, 2011, to cast their votes in the People's Voice Awards at http://webby.aol.com/.

Human Rights Watch is competing in these categories against some of the world's best and biggest news organizations, including The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian

"The world's top media are vying for these awards, and Human Rights Watch is proud to be among them," Bogert said. "Being nominated for the Webby means that a new audience will learn about human rights abuses, and, hopefully, will be inspired to fight for justice."

Winners will be announced on May 3, and honored at a ceremony in New York City on June 13 where they will have an opportunity to deliver one of the Webby's famous five-word speeches to the world. The Webby Awards are presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a 650-member judging academy whose members include the internet co-inventor Vinton Cerf, R/GA's chief Bob Greenberg, "The Simpsons'" creator Matt Groening, Arianna Huffington, and Harvey Weinstein.

Nomination Categories:

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