Online Photographic Competition Sees Changing World Through Young Eyes

- With Photo

An online photographic competition for young people aged 11-24 will give the winner a chance to win a trip to see their work exhibited in Quebec, Canada as part of the World Youth Congress on UN International Youth Day August 12.

The free entry Shoot Nations contest YOUNG PEOPLE IN A CHANGING CLIMATE opens May 1 until July 31. Entrants can submit up to three drawings or photographs with a brief explanation on how they demonstrate their feelings towards a changing climate.

A panel of professional photographers will choose their top shots and the overall winner will be announced online on August 10. A UK exhibition of the best images will be held at the OXO gallery in London from August 13-17.

Organisers international children's charity Plan and photography event planners Shoot Experience, expect that the topical theme will attract around 3000 entrants.

Project co-ordinator Hamish Mackenzie, from Plan, says: "It's about empowering young people to get involved with decision-making and for governments to take their views seriously.

The smallest community or family issue in the most remote area of the world can be photographed and displayed at the highest level of global government, the UN."

Fred Doulton, of the UN's Youth programme, says: "International Youth Day gives the world an opportunity to recognize the potential of youth, to celebrate their achievements and plan for ways to include them in the development of their societies."

Comments from 2007 winners: - "It was a rare opportunity to speak to the whole world through my photographs about the basic problems in my community" - Peter Gilbieri, 16, Ghana.

"Shoot Nations meant for me to show the world as I see it, to make visible my own private collection of the world whilst giving it back to the world itself."- Barbara Anastacio, 22, Portugal.

- For competition details and to submit entries

visit http://www.shootnations.org

http://www.plan-ed.org

Notes to Editors:

- Further information on Plan UK http://www.plan-uk.org and on Shoot Experience http://www.shootexperience.com

- Information on International Youth Day http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyouthday.htm and on World Youth Congress http://www.wyc2008.qc.ca

- For Press images and images from previous competitions kerry@shootexperience.com

- Printing sponsored by http://www.photobox.co.uk.

- The Overall prize is a digital SLR camera from Olympus http://www.olympus.co.uk/

Note to Editors:

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA Photowire. It can be downloaded from http://www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or viewed at http://www.mediapoint.press.net or http://www.prnewswire.co.uk.

Contacts:

Hamish Mackenzie at Plan UK on +44(0)207-482-9777

Kerry Maisey at Shoot Experience on +44(0)207-0333-555