[Sust-mar] Atlantic Photography Competition - November 15 - December 15, 2005

[ACIC]

Send us Photos!

Ethical Images Project: The South Through the Northern Eye
Atlantic Photography Competition - November 15 - December 15, 2005

The Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) is pleased to
announce a one-month photography competition starting today, November 15
with a deadline of December 15, 2005. This competition is one element of a
public awareness campaign entitled "Ethical Images: The South Through the
Northern Eye" and complements a series of speaker engagements and public
workshops aimed at increasing awareness within the NGO community, the media,
and among the general public of the ethical issues surrounding how we, the
North, use images to portray developing or Southern countries.

Background:

While the intention behind most images is often to raise awareness of
poverty or crisis and to elicit a sympathetic response, an unintended result
is the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes that misrepresent the people of
the South. To address these concerns, ACIC is collaborating with member
organizations, media outlets, universities, and community groups to develop
long-term strategies for increasing public awareness of international
cooperation and poverty issues. This will lead to increased awareness about
issues of stereotypes, objectification, and the "us vs. them" dichotomy
thinking in regards to the South. Ultimately, we hope to create a better
understanding of why we should avoid the following:
- images/messages that generalize and mask the diversity of situations;
- images/messages that fuel prejudice;
- images/messages that foster a sense of Northern superiority; and
- images/messages that show people as hopeless objects for our pity, rather
than as equal partners in action and development
(from CCIC's Code of Ethics)

Atlantic Canadians, and Southern partners working with Atlantic Canadian
NGOs, are invited to submit their own ethical images of the South, in both
print and digital format. A committee will jury the photos on December 20th.

Winning photographs will be presented to the public through a variety of
means that may include: the ACIC web site, postcards, billboards around the
Atlantic region, and most importantly in "The South Through the Northern
Eye"  Exhibition, a photography exhibition scheduled to tour a number of
rural and urban venues this winter. Our goal is to reach Atlantic Canadians,
raising awareness about global poverty and highlighting the commonalities
that exist between the North and the South as well as to credit the winners
for their contribution to our visual landscape.

Check the ACIC web site for contest rules, agreements and a description of
project aims.
http://www.acic-caci.org/projects/ethicalimages/competition.html

Then send photographic submissions to:
ACIC-CACI - Photo
PO Box 27025,
5595 rue Fenwick St.
Halifax, NS/N-É
Canada,
B3H 4M8

Contact:

Liz MacDougall, EI Campaign Organizer
events at acic-caci.org
(902) 444-4154
http://www.acic-caci.org/projects/ethicalimages

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The Atlantic Council for International Cooperation (ACIC) is a coalition of
individuals, organizations, and institutions working in the Atlantic region,
which are committed to achieving global sustainability in a peaceful and
healthy environment, with social justice, human dignity, and participation
for all.

ACIC supports its members in international cooperation and education through
collective leadership, networking, information exchange, training and
coordination, and by representing their interests when dealing with
government and others.

ACIC also takes a leadership role in engaging Atlantic Canadians around
issues relating to international development, global sustainability, and
social justice. Through our public engagement work, ACIC strives to give
Atlantic Canadians the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to become
active global citizens.