Global Campus Visual Contest 2021/2022: Business activity and impact on Human Rights: challenges and hopes for a better future

The Global Campus of Human Rights and the Global Campus Alumni are glad to announce the launch of the sixth edition of the Global Campus Visual Contest, open to photographers, professionals and amateurs, from all over the world. Organised in collaboration with the Right Livelihood, the Contest will be open from 8 November 2021 and will accept submissions through 8 January 2022. The images will be submitted via the “Apply Section” of the Contest website and posted on Instagram @gchumanrights.

The goal of the contest is to create synergies between academia, Human Rights defenders and artists to reach a wider international public and foster a better understanding of the issues concerning human rights and their protection.

The theme for 2021/2022 is “Business activity and impact on Human Rights: challenges and hopes for a better future”. This contest seeks to promote reflection on the multiple impacts of business activity and create hope for a future of trust and collaboration on human rights and sustainable environment.

June 2021 marked the tenth anniversary month since the adoption of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). Over this first decade, there have been important developments: more companies have committed to human rights and more governments in all regions have developed national action plans, demonstrating emerging awareness around the human rights responsibilities of business that did not exist earlier. Despite increased attention on risks and adverse impacts of business operations on human rights, and the development of initiatives and case-law, many challenges and obstacles are still hampering that progress and major challenges still remain. Unfortunately, human rights abuses linked to business activity such as forced and exploited labour, women and children trafficked in the supply chains, displacement of people and endangered environments are still numerous.

The 10th anniversary constituted the perfect moment to start reflecting on how to step up efforts for the coming years in connection also with the launch in October-December by the UN Working Group of a roadmap for implementation over the next decade.

The international jury of the Contest will be comprised of renowned international photographers such as GMB Akash as well as communication experts from the GC and Right Livelihood and Alumni representatives from the wide GCA network. The Jury will vote on the basis of subject, originality, and style.

The winner of the best photo will be awarded with financial support to attend a one-to-one workshop with the award-winning Bangladeshi photographer GMB Akash in Dhaka. The most voted images will be selected to create a dedicated online gallery and an itinerant exhibition to be displayed in connection to GC events and educational activities to further the work on human rights issues and increase understanding and international exposure.

You can follow the visual contest through the hashtags #GlobalCampusVisualContest #GCAlumni #BizHumanRights on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Discover more about our past editions and explore the gallery here.