World Vision USA Honoured by Leading International Webby Awards

World Vision USA was recently honoured by the Webby Awards, the leading international honour for Web sites.

The World Vision Aids Experience was named the best Rich Media Advertising of 2007, Non-Profit/Educational category, in the People's Voice voting.

The multimedia tool walks visitors through the life of a child living in an Aids-affected community in Africa. The online experience is a spin-off of World Vision's full 3,000-square-foot exhibition, visited by thousands in venues like New York City's Grand Central Terminal.

"There's nothing like this out there. You can see, hear - and begin to feel - how AIDS is really affecting Africa," said Barry Swindon, executive creative director of World Vision. "This online version of the Aids Experience allows a wider audience to walk in the shoes of a child trying to survive in the midst of a killer pandemic."

World Vision, the Christian humanitarian agency, created the interactive exhibition to raise awareness about the Aids pandemic that has orphaned 15 million children worldwide. The Aids Experience provides an opportunity for people to see the global Aids crisis on a personal level, and challenges them to take action. Smaller replicas of the 3,000-square-foot exhibit are also touring college campuses and churches around the US.

The Webby Awards, dubbed the "Oscars of the Internet" by The New York Times, will be presented at the 11th Annual Webby Award ceremony on 3 to 5 June in New York City. The event will be hosted by Rob Corddry of Fox's "The Winner" and formerly of "The Daily Show".

World Vision USA is addressing the global Aids pandemic by caring for orphans and vulnerable children worldwide, supporting those who are caring for adults and children battling the disease, preventing the spread of HIV with education, and advocating for effective programmes that transform communities and save lives.