Deadline: 01/11/2011
Open to: people from all around the world no younger than 18 and no older than 35 years old before 1 November 2011.
Prize: sponsorship to cover travel and other expenses to participate in the Seventh Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in October 2012 and showcasing of the winning photos.
The World Youth Movement for Democracy, a youth network of the World Movement for Democracy, is launching the Global Photo Contest `Youth in Action: A Snapshot of Democracy`; Submit your photo capturing democracy by 1 November 2011, and win an opportunity to attend one of the largest global gatherings of democracy activists, scholars, policy makers, and donors.
There are three categories (Building a movement, Democracy in action and Youth igniting change). For every category five semi-finalists will be selected (fifteen in total). The announcement of the semi-finalists will happen on 1 December 2011, and they will have their winning photo published on the WYMD Web site. One finalist will be selected from each category through online open voting for a total of three finalists. The final results of the contest will be announced on 15 December 2011.
Photo categories
The purpose of this contest is to demonstrate understanding of the workings of democracy in your daily life by capturing images of democracy in action, youth igniting change, or the building of movements to create change for your community. The categories below outline concepts that photographs should embody. Each category is open to participant’s personal interpretation and understanding of how the photo applies to the relevant category, and should be accompanied by a short (100 word maximum) tagline to explain your concept and reasoning behind the photograph.
Each submitted photo is required to fall into one of the following categories:
*Building a Movement — youth, human rights, and women’s rights movements, among others, can begin with just one person reaching out to a few others in his or her community.
*Democracy in Action — democracy is more than casting a vote. It includes active participation in your community and the political freedom to do so.
*Youth Igniting Change — Youth are a powerful force to bring about change to a community. Often change comes about by youth asking the question ―why? and planting the seed to make others in the community think progressively to improve society and policies.
Submissions
*Submit your photo by 1 November 2011, online
*Photos may be in jpeg, bmp, or gif format
*Include a short caption that provides the necessary background to understand the meaning of the photo. The caption can be submitted in Arabic, English, French, Russian, or Spanish, and can be no longer than 100 words.
*Each participant can submit only one photo per category to the contest and may not enter duplicate photos (i.e. enter the same photo to each category). A person who violates this regulation will become automatically ineligible. By submitting a photo to the contest, the participant consents to publication of his/her work.
Eligibility
*Participants must be no younger than 18 and no older than 35 years old before 1 November 2011.
*Participants are welcome from all parts of the world – where democracy is limited, transitioning, or established.
Timeline
August 2011 – Launch of the Photo Contest
November 1, 2011 – DEADLINE!
December 1, 2011 – Announcement of 15 semi-finalists (five from each three categories), and open online voting to select three finalists (one from each category).
December 15, 2011 – Finalists announced
Review Process
Each category will have its own review committee that is regionally balanced and comprised of 4-5 judges to determine the five semi-finalists. Photos will be evaluated based on:
*Clarity—is it understandable what the picture is meant to capture and how it relates to the category;
*Creativity—is the concept of the photo original and capture democracy in a new light or bring a new understanding to it;
*Practicality—does the picture capture ideas or concepts that show how democracy can be applied and is applicable in diverse communities; and
*Message— does the picture communicate a meaningful and relevant message.
Prizes
Finalists will be provided with sponsorship to cover their travel and other expenses to participate in the Seventh Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in October 2012. The photos of the three finalists will be showcased on the World Youth Movement for Democracy and World Movement for Democracy Web sites, as well as at the Seventh Assembly.
