From IMF

May 6, 2015

Contest open to citizens of Latin American or Caribbean ages 18 to 30

Photos should capture the economic, social challenges and potential of region

6 finalists win trip to photograph the 2015 Annual Meetings in Lima, Peru

The International Monetary Fund has announced a photo contest to highlight the economic and social challenges, and the potential of Latin America and the Caribbean, as seen through the eyes of young people from the region.

Based on the success of last year’s student essay competition and the importance of continuing to engage with young people from Latin America and the Caribbean, the IMF will run a photo contest through the end of June. The contest provides an opportunity for youth to convey how they see the economic and social situation in their countries.

IMF Deputy Managing Director Carla Grasso launched the regional photo contest today entitled “Latin America and the Caribbean: Through the Eyes of its Youth” during a roundtable with university students in Lima, Peru. “I came today to learn more about the region through the fresh perspectives of its young people,” said Grasso. “Now is the IMF’s turn to showcase the region’s realities and opportunities through the eyes of its youth.”

The student roundtable and the photo contest are part of the Road to Lima activities in preparation for the 2015 IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings taking place this October in Lima.

“I want the Annual Meetings to be an eye opener for the youth of the region, for them to experience the world of economics and development in one week, and to see how countries in other continents find solutions to their challenges,” added Grasso.

Contest rules

The contest is open to citizens of a country in Latin America or the Caribbean between the ages of 18 and 30. Photos can be submitted starting May 6 to June 30, 2015. Full contest details can be found here.

All submitted photos must fit one of the contest themes—how young people see the economic and social realities of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and their creative ideas for a better future.

Each photograph must include a short description—no more than 150 words—that explains how the image captures a contest theme in one of the three contest languages: Spanish, English, or Portuguese.

Online voting will run from July 1 to July 31 and a panel of judges will select the finalists. The top 6 finalists—3 from two categories (Snapshot Category and Photographer Category)—will be announced on September 17. In reviewing the photographs, the judges will take into account the contest requirements and themes, and also consider: originality; the country of origin of the photographer; gender; and cultural diversity.

The 6 finalists will be invited to participate as IMF Youth Photographers for the 2015 Annual Meetings in Lima, Peru, where 2 winners—one from each category—will be announced.

IMAGE: University students in Lima, Peru. IMF launches youth photo competition, six finalists win ticket to Lima to cover the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings (photo: Dominic Chavez/World Bank)

For more on this story go to: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2015/new050615a.htm