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National Poster Contest 2006 - Young People’s Participation
“UNFPA has a vision of a world fit for young people. It is a world that
promotes and protects their rights, provides opportunities to develop
their full potential, welcomes and respects their voices and views, and
where they live free of poverty, discrimination and violence.”
—Thoraya A. Obaid, Executive Director, UNFPA
INSIDE PANELS
UNFPA is sponsoring its 14th annual poster contest for young people.
This year’s theme is “participation”. Young people are a dynamic force
for positive change as organizers, leaders and valuable partners to
supportive adults. With needs that differ from adults, young people also
offer different perspectives and may be in tune with the most effective
and appropriate responses in development plans and services.
1.5 billion people in developing countries are between the ages of 10
and 24
Over 500 million young people (15-24) live on less than $2 per day
57 million young men and 96 million young women (15-24) in developing
countries cannot read or write
14 million adolescent girls (15-19) become mothers every year
Young people (15-24) account for over 40 per cent of all new HIV
infections. More than 6,000 young people each day—one every 14 minutes.
Young women make up over 60 per cent of 15- to 24-year-olds living with
HIV/AIDS. Globally, young women are 1.6 times more likely to be living
with HIV/AIDS than young men.
Design Themes 2006
Entries to the UNFPA National Poster Contest should show the positive
impact of young people’s participation in development plans. The contest
encourages young artists to demonstrate an understanding of population
and gender issues. It also provides an opportunity for UNFPA offices
and partners to publicize the UNFPA mission. Posters may be based on the
concepts below or inspired by the artist’s own response to the theme.
The United Nations
The United Nations recognizes the benefits of youth participation. This
statement is by Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary-General:
“Young people have the energy, ideas and optimism to make a difference.
They are a force for positive change. Yet millions of young people face
lives of poverty, exploitation and despair…If we are serious about
reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, we must involve young
people today. We must invest in them; we must learn from them; we must be
their partners.”
As a young person, you have a role to play in shaping the development
of your community and your country. The Millennium Development Goals are
a blueprint for action agreed by all the world’s countries. Leaders
have set high goals and are working to meet them, but they can’t succeed
without you. Inspired? Base a poster on the quote above.
2. Working Together to Achieve Dreams
From a 10-year-old girl to a young man of 24, your needs are different,
your cultures diverse—but you all have dreams. Around the world, young
people are working side-by-side with leaders to help make these dreams
come true. Joining together can help convince decision makers to
consider, respect and act upon your views.
Create a poster about young people working together towards a common
goal. Identify an issue that is of particular concern to people your age.
Focus on connections: networking, building bridges, forging
partnerships, linking with youth groups around the world, enlisting the help of
supportive adults, contacting elected officials, and working with
nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations system. Create a poster
to inspire and empower your peers. Use a shocking statistic, humour or
an image that moves the heart to send a message that makes an impact.
3. Preparing to Participate: Skills, Information and Opportunity
Young people need knowledge and skills to make informed, responsible
decisions. UNFPA supports programmes that provide youth-friendly
information about reproductive health and the life skills required to handle
risky situations. Perhaps you and your friends are concerned about an
issue that threatens your health, safety and future opportunities. You
want to take action, but don’t know how to start. You need special skills
and information.
If you want to influence decision makers, it’s all about how to
participate in social and political processes. What are your rights and
responsibilities? What laws and policies currently exist at the local,
national and international levels? How are decisions made, and are
opportunities open to you to participate in the process? Create a poster that
tells a story with images, like a cartoon, about the process of becoming
prepared to participate in decisions affecting your life. Create a
poster about building the skills of citizenship.
How to Enter
The UNFPA office in your country will organize a National Poster
Contest. A winner will be selected from each of the age categories listed
below.
Age Categories
Category I 10 to 12 years
Category II 13 to 15 years
Category III 16 to 19 years
Category IV 20 to 24 years
Specifications
Artists are welcome to use a variety of media, including crayons,
markers, paint, pen and ink, coloured pencil, chalk, collage and original
photography. Submit entries on paper or cardboard within the following
size limits:
No larger than 60 x 45 cm (18″ x 24″)
No smaller than 28 x 23 cm (8½″ x 11″)
On the back of each poster, include:
The artist’s name, age and age category (specify I to IV)
Name of institution and grade (or occupation, if not in school)
Address
Please package the entries carefully. Packaging will be used for return
mail.
Deadline
Deadlines for the National Poster Contest will be determined in each
country by the UNFPA office. For more information on young people and
youth participation in development plans, please contact the UNFPA
Representative or the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Representative. Or, visit the UNFPA Web site at www.unfpa.org/.
Winners
Winners of the UNFPA National Poster Contest will be announced on a
date selected by the UNFPA country office. An awards ceremony may be
organized and publicized.
Copyright: All submitted works become the property of UNFPA. UNFPA
reserves the right to publish entries, with credit to the artist, in
connection with UNFPA activities. The artist is responsible for obtaining
permission from all subjects appearing in the artwork.
