June 19, 2009 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has teamed up with Olympus Corporation and the Agence France-Presse (AFP) Foundation to launch an environmental photo contest in Africa titled “Picture This: Caring for the Earth”. [
The UNDP–Olympus-AFP Foundation Photo Contest]
The Contest seeks to profile ordinary people working to reduce the effects of climate change in their countries, cities and communities.
To enter the photo contest, you must have lived in a country in Africa for at least 12 months prior to August 2009.
The entries should highlight stories that show the people of Africa as stewards of their natural environment and can be single or photo essays.
Speaking at the launch in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Friday,
Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator said, “The developing world stands to lose the most from the effects of climate change and environmental degradation.” [
Press release]
Robert Holloway, Director of the AFP Foundation said, “We believe that the media should help people make informed decisions about their lives and that this can reduce poverty and promote development.”
Echoing similar sentiments,
Tsuyoshi Kikukawa, President of Olympus said, “Throwing our hands up in defeat in the face of climate change and environmental degradation simply isn’t an option.”
The five judges are Nobel Peace Prize winner and Kenyan environmentalist
Wangari Maathai,
Mark Garten, Chief of Photography at the United Nations,
The Vale of Kashmir author and photojournalist
John Isaac, South Africa’s most internationally acclaimed photographer
Peter Magubane, and former AFP Photo Director and New York bureau chief
Paola Messana.
The deadline for entries is 31 August 2009.
The contest is inspired by the upcoming fifteenth climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, taking place this December, and aimed at reaching an ambitious new greenhouse gas emission reduction agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol.
AFP Foundation will sponsor one winner from the professional categories to participate in a two-week working fellowship with an AFP bureau in Africa.
