Five projects are vying for the eighth annual Michael Manley Award for Community Self-Reliance, which will be presented at the Little Theatre on Emanciation Day, Wednesday August 1.

The chairman of the Michael Manley Foundation, Mr. Danny Roberts, has announced that the St. Thomas Women's Agricultural Initiative of Airy Castle; the Portmore Park - West Bank Multi-purpose Sports Complex; the multifaceted Association of Clubs project in Petersfield, Westmoreland; the Wood Park Skills Training Project in St. Mary and the Hampstead Water Supply Upgrade, also in St. Mary, have been visited and assessed by the competition's judges. They were shortlisted from more than a score of entries received from all over Jamaica .

Judges

The current judges are: Dr. Peta-Anne Baker, lecturer in social work at the University of the West Indies (chief judge); Ms. Rosalyn Campbell, lecturer, entrepreneur and management consultant; Mr. Derrick Gayle, coordinator of environmental programmes of the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ); Mr. Horace Levy, lecturer in social work at the UWI; Dr. John A. Maxwell, former senior lecturer in social work at the UWI; Mr Claude Robinson, senior fellow, Research and Policy Group and lecturer in business communi-cation at the Mona School of Business, UWI; and Mr. Richard Troupe, executive director of the Hope for Children Development Company.

At stake are the main cash prize of $200,000 and a beautiful bronze resin trophy by noted sculptor Kay Sullivan for the Michael Manley Award and an EFJ Award of $100,000 to the project with the best credentials in Environmental Conservation or Child Survival and Development.

Community cooperation

The Michael Manley Award for Community Self-Reliance goes to the project that best exemplifies the Jamaican traditions of self-reliance and community cooperation. The criteria include community initiative and participation; gender equity, where appropriate; sustainability; and economic, social, cultural and environmental impact. Youth participation is also a positive factor in the judging of projects.

The award presentation, which gets under way at the Little Theatre, 4 Tom Redcam Avenue, on Emancipation Day, at 10:30 a.m., will be attended by members of the Manley family, executives of the Michael Manley Foundation, parliamen-tarians, members of the diplomatic and consular corps, sponsors, and interested members of the public.

The guest speaker will be the Rev. Canon Ernle Gordon, rector of St. Mary's Anglican Church.

Entertainment will be provided by Conroy Cooper and the Oberlin High School Choir, winners of the two annual TVJ schools choir competitions, 'All Together Sing', held to date.

Broadcaster Fae Ellington will be the master of ceremonies.

Admission is free.