A picture is a Poem Without Words.
International Youth Day Asia Pacific Regional Photography Competition on HIV and SRHR
International Youth Day (IYD) is an annual celebration that occurs on August 12. The day recognises the role of young people as partners in change and an opportunity to raise awareness of the challenges that youth face globally. IYD is an opportunity to celebrate and mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions and initiatives, and their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement.
Greater efforts are needed to raise awareness about the importance of young people’s engagement in global health issues, including HIV, sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR), and other health-related issues.
This year’s commemoration (organised by Y-PEER APC) will be from August 12 – November 12 to allow young people to participate in the various events and activities across the Asia Pacific region. Many of the planned activities are co-organised and led by youth organisations, networks, and UN agencies to provide a platform for networking and sharing best practices and initiatives. To view all the regional IYD activities, visit https://youthday.space/
About the Campaign
Youth LEAD, in collaboration with Y-PEER Asia Pacific Countries and Livenow Campaign, with technical support from UNAIDS Asia Pacific and the IATT on YKP, is launching a regional campaign to encourage young people to capture photographs on issues around HIV, SRHR and other health-related issues and how this impacts their lives.
In this globalised and digital photojournalistic era, young people are the experts in digital storytelling. Skilled and enthusiastic in taking photographs for online social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, VSCO and more, the campaign calls on young people to showcase these skill sets and explore how photography can be a powerful tool for advocacy.
The goal of the campaign is to highlight the lived realities of young people through their eyes and tell a story that highlights key issues and challenges to promote change. Although young people from the Asia Pacific often struggle with communicating in written and spoken English, the purpose behind the campaign is to foster creativity and use art and photography for story-telling.
Objectives
- To encourage young people, activists and advocates, including young key populations and young people living with HIV, to use photography as a medium for story-telling;
- To capture the lived realities of young people living with, at risk of, and affected by HIV, SRHR, and other health-related issues to be displayed as a photography collection;
- To raise awareness of the challenges and problems facing the world’s youth, and
- To promote self-expression, creativity and art.
Call to action
If you wish to join the campaign, we encourage you to submit your digital journal and photographs to either of the two tracks listed below. The table also provides a list of examples of key themes and issues to explore. A guide on how to develop your digital journal can be found here.
Track 1: Youth and HIV
Themes to explore (but not limited to):
- Access to HIV services
- Leadership and empowerment
- Life at home and school
- Stigma and discrimination
- Social protection and laws
- Mental health
- Gender equality
- Sexual orientation and gender identity and expressions (SOGIE)
- Adherence to treatment, U=U
- Condoms and PrEP
- Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)
Track 2: Youth and SRHR
Themes to explore (but not limited to):
- Access to SRH services
- Adolescent and youth rights
- Mental health and well-being
- Life at home and school
- Stigma and discrimination
- Gender equality
- Sexual orientation and gender identity and expressions (SOGIE)
- Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE)
- Laws and policies
- Youth leadership and empowerment
- Pregnancy
To submit your digital journal, email contact@livenowtogether.com (check the timeline below for the date of submissions and deadlines).
Use the following subject line: [NAME]-[COUNTRY]-IYD CAMPAIGN- [TRACK X?]
In the email, tell us briefly something about yourself and what motivated you to get involved. Attach the digital journal in Microsoft Word, PDF or PPT format with the original copies of the photographs. Links to dropbox, google drive, and other data storage apps will be accepted for larger files.
In addition, applicants must complete the media consent form, granting the subjects featured in the photographs and co-organisers to use of images and digital journals for promotional materials.
Judging and Prizes
Winners of the competition will be awarded 350 USD. Submissions will be judged and scored by the co-organisers and IATT on YKP partners. Two winners, one from each track, will be announced on social media on the 10th, starting from September to November.
Digital journals will be scored on:
- The photographs submitted (the form and feel of the image, the techniques that were used, the presentation, and the composition)
- The story told (photos are to be provided with a brief written description)
Additional Information and general questions about the campaign
Anyone from Asia and the Pacific under the age of 30. Young key populations and young people living with HIV are strongly encouraged to join the campaign.
Any camera SLR, compact, disposable/film, go pro, smartphone etc.
Anywhere between 4 to 10 photos. Videos will not be accepted in this competition.
As many times as you like. However, winners from previous rounds will not be allowed to re-apply.
Completing the consent form means we have your permission to use your photos for other digital and communication purposes. This may include promoting your photos in our newsletters, social media, and reports to highlight the great work.
Timeline
|
Round |
Date |
Description |
|
1 |
12 August 2021 |
Call for submission of digital journals and photographs open |
|
2 September 2021 |
Deadline for submissions |
|
|
3 – 9 September 2021 |
Judging and scoring of submissions |
|
|
10 September 2021 |
Announcement of winners Round #1 |
|
|
2 |
12 September |
Call for submission of digital journals and photographs open |
|
12 October 2021 |
Deadline for submissions |
|
|
12 October 2021 |
Judging and scoring of submissions |
|
|
14 October 2021 |
Announcement of winners Round #2 |
|
|
3 |
18 October |
Call for submission of digital journals and photographs open |
|
18 November 2021 |
Deadline for submissions |
|
|
22 November 2021 |
Judging and scoring of submissions |
|
|
25 November 2021 |
Announcement of winners Round #3 |
Contact: Please email contact@livenowtogether.com for further questions about the campaign.