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A Valiant and Fearless Journalist

The Cameroon Professional Society is proud to announce Agnes Taile, a valiant and fearless journalist as one of the two winners of the 2010 CPS Distinguished Award for Leadership. The other winner is Dr. Amos Namanga Ngongi, president of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

Ms. Agnes Taile  has been tenecious and courageous while reporting in Cameroon, frequently risking her life to report the truth. Working in Cameroon where journalists are constantly under attack, she has remained resolute in reporting on government corruption despite the very difficult cirumstances. While working for her radio station, Sweet FM, she brought to light issues such as human rights abuses and lack of press freedom in Cameroon

Taile received threatening phone calls in the fall of 2006 demanding that she stop her radio broadcasts. She ignored the threats. Not long after this, on November 6, 2006, Taile was abducted by three hooded men who broke into her home. They dragged her at knifepoint from her home, beat her and attempted to strangle her, leaving her for dead in a ravine. After this incident, Taile was unable to speak due to severe damage to her vocal chords. Her show was cancelled, and her attackers were never found or punished.

Her courageous reporting in Cameroon has won her "The Courage in Journalism Award" which is given every year to heroic women journalists. Past winners include CNN's Christiane Amanpour and the Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya who reported the horrors of the Chechnya war and was assassinated in 2006. It is the only international prize to recognize the bravery of female journalists.

The award will be presented during the Distinguished Annual Congress of the CPS scheduled for July 29 - August 1, 2010.

Source: Cameroon Professional Society, http://www.cps-usa.org

Founder, Livexcellence Limited

Vera is a communications specialist, a leadership facilitator and mentoring coach. She has over 13 years experience in communications includes roles in the print media, Corporate communications, PR and international communications across public, private and Global organisations. Vera has strong experience in leadership programme design and delivery. She has worked in a variety of industries giving her unique perspectives on the application of leadership in different environments and contexts.

Vera's professional life mission is to:

1. Promoting leadership and personal accountability
2. Developing young people to think big and make meaningful and measurable contribution to society
3. Seeding inspiration and powering ambition
4. To reach annually up to 5,000 people through face to face professional development events and 10,000  with message, and audio and media products in above areas.

An Inspiration to All African Women

Bhatupe Mhango’s experience as an HIV-positive young professional makes her a keen and dynamic advocate for the rights of people living with HIV.  She is very interested in the link between political processes, HIV and development.  Articulate, opinionated and poised, Bhatupe is the first international coordinator of the UN advocacy initiative called UN Plus.  UN Plus is a workplace initiative within the United Nations system that promotes the rights of HIV-positive employees and advocates for their equality in workplace policies, provides them with support mechanisms by uniting them in solidarity with each other across work fields, UN agencies, duty stations and regions of the world.  Prior to this Bhatupe worked with UNDP Malawi.  Bhatupe has lead, managed and supported a number of activities aimed at de-stigmatization and equipping marginalised groups with the relevant skills for their empowerment.