The Council of Europe has announced the winners of the ‘Human Rights: Camera Action!’ competition, which celebrates the creativity and commitment of young photo and video creators dedicated to human rights. The competition, which attracted a large number of entries from across the organisation’s 46 member states, culminated in a ceremony on the margins of the 12th World Forum for Democracy in which the winners were congratulated for their outstanding contributions to raising awareness through visual storytelling.
The young creatives used their lenses and artificial intelligence (AI) applications to capture and create powerful visions of human rights. Their work covered timeless themes including the rights to liberty and privacy, and freedom of expression, assembly and association. Speaking at the ceremony, which also opened an exhibition of the best entries, Deputy Secretary General, Bjørn Berge said the winners ‘set these in the context of our modern age, of the world that we actually live in and in which young people not only have a vital stake but must also have a central say’. He also highlighted the Council of Europe’s wider work with and for young people.
The President of the competition jury, Ambassador Andrius Krivas, Chair of the Ministers’ Deputies of the Council of Europe and Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the Council of Europe, announced the names of the five winners:
- Best photograph: Tsitsia Megutnishvili (22), Georgia
- Best video: Artemij Vashkevich (22), Poland (Belarussian citizen under international protection)
- Best AI generated image: Amelia Joy (9), United Kingdom and Lars Albrecht (19), Germany
- Best AI video: İbrahim Yıldırım (26), Türkiye
Organised under the Lithuanian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers (from May-November 2024), the ‘Human Rights: Camera Action!’ competition is part of the Council of Europe Days project, telling the Council of Europe’s story. The competition aimed to raise awareness among young people across all 46 member states, in the context of the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe.
The exhibition is presented in Strasbourg at the Palais de l’Europe from Wednesday 6 to Friday 8 November. The winning entries can also be seen online.