“Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads” International Photography Contest 2018

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is offering youth from all over the world the opportunity to participate in the “Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads” international photo contest for 2018. The contest is within the framework of UNESCO Silk Roads Project, UNESCO Youth Program and the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022). The initiative offers a good opportunity for young people from different regions to visually capture their understanding and impressions of the Silk Roads common heritage in their respective countries. Themes include:

 [1] Culture

[2] Monuments

[3] Landscape

[4] People

Eligibility criteria:

[1] Participation is open to youth from 14-25 divided into two age groups: 14-17 years old, and 18-25 years old. Minors must provide a written permission from their legal guardians

[2] All photographers are eligible to apply regardless of their country of residence, except employees of UNESCO, China World Peace Foundation and their family members

[3] Participation is strictly personal and the participant can’t enter the contest on behalf of another person

[4] The photographs must represent the theme “Reveal the Silk Roads” through culture, monuments, landscape and people

[5] Only minor modifications to the photographs will be accepted (e.g. dodging and burning, aperture, cropping, color balance) and must be clearly indicated in the image’s description

[6] Each photograph must not contain any personal information that identifies the photographer

[7] All participants must be able to provide a high-resolution image that, if selected, can be printed on different media for exhibitions

Prizes:

The contest will culminate with an awards ceremony, with three winners being selected from each category. First place winners will receive a professional camera, second place winners will receive a semi-professional camera, and the prize for third place will be a standard-model digital camera.  In addition, winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the ceremony.  Those under 17 years of age may be accompanied by one other family member, and a travelling exhibition of fifty photos which best represent the spirit of the contest will start its tour in UNESCO HQ in Paris, before travelling to other countries. 

About the Silk Roads:

The Silk Roads is an expansive region, comprised of a network of maritime and land routes, originating in East Asia, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.  It then passes through the Central Asian sub-continent, the Russian steppe, the Iranian and Anatolian plateaus, and the Arabian Peninsula. It also stretches through North Africa and Northeast Africa, from Tanzania to Morocco, and then it goes through Eastern and Southern Europe before reaching France and Spain.

What is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization?

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is working to create appropriate conditions for launching a dialogue among civilizations, cultures and peoples on the basis of respect for common values. Through this dialogue, the world can come up with comprehensive visions of sustainable development, ensuring adherence to human rights, mutual respect and poverty alleviation, All of which lie at the heart of UNESCO's mission and activities.