ICRC 2019 photo competition

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is happy to announce 2019 edition of its photo competition. This year we want to explore the subject of unemployment in Gaza and the West Bank.

Over the past years, unemployment has been steadily increasing to reach over 52% of the population in Gaza and almost 18% in the West Bank. This has shattered many people’s hopes and dreams for a better future. Young people and women are particularly affected by the limited opportunities in the job market which hinder their achievements.

We are looking for single images showing how unemployment affects people’s lives or how they overcome it. Photographers with unusual, creative and deeply humane approaches have the best chance of winning the photo competition.

Competition rules and regulations

Participation requirements:

• The competition is open to all Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (East Jerusalem included).
• The competition is open to professional and non-professional photographers.
• The deadline for entries is 1 September 2019.
• By submitting an entry, the photographer grants non-exclusive publishing rights for the submitted photograph/s to the ICRC. The ICRC reserves the rights to use the contributed photographs for print and digital publications, social media platforms and share them with its media partners for promotional purposes. 
• Images must be submitted by email to jer_communicationevents_services@icrc.org  in the .jpeg format at about 72 DPI for the initial screening. Selected participants will be asked to send 300 DPI resolution versions of their images via WeTransfer.

Photo requirements:

• Single images with captions on the subject of unemployment.
• Images must be submitted by the author.
• Images must comply with the ethical standards of photojournalism and depict their subjects in a respectful and dignified manner. Consent must be obtained from the people portrayed.  
• Images can be edited for color, light and dark, and cropped to improve composition. They must not be edited in any way which could misrepresent what they are depicting.

Jury and selection process

The jury will consist of industry professionals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. The selection process will be from 1 September to 1 October 2019.

The winners will be announced during a public event that will take place in Gaza and on the ICRC’s social media platforms. 

Selection and awards

Winners will be notified by email or by phone, approximately one week prior to the award ceremony. 

Three prizes will be awarded:

• The first prize is worth 1,000 US dollars.
• The second prize is worth USD 750.
• The third prize is worth USD 500.