Mr. Luis Gustavo Cavalheiro Silva from Brazil wins the Grand Prize for his photo of “WOMAN OF COOCASSIS!” His photo depicts a woman employed by a socio-economic organization called the COOCASSIS, who collects recyclables. “Thanks to the community’s support, the woman can support her family and at the same time contributes to keeping the community environmentally sustainable. I saw in her work the valuable message that the SDGs are conveying, and I thereby wanted to share my feelings with others.”

The United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo (UNIC Tokyo) and Sophia University jointly held the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Student Photo Contest. Over 1,000 entries were received from students from 73 countries, including Japan, Brazil, and Bangladesh, which was about 60% increase compared to the last year’s initial contest.

To view the award winning photos, please click here .

“The contest has encouraged students from all over the world to capture a moment that reflects their own ideas and views on SDGs. In their photos, we find the power to communicate humanity’s urgent issues to everybody,” said Kaoru Nemoto, Director of UNIC Tokyo at the beginning of the award ceremony which was held on the UN Day (24 October) at Sophia University in Tokyo. Representing Sophia University whose mission is “Sophia – Bringing the World Together,” President Yoshiaki Terumichi stated that, “We are proud to have received a larger number of entries globally this year.”  “I was surprised by quality photos submitted by the students,” stated Leslie Kee, who heads the judging panel, and continued, “We have selected photos to best reflect the young generation’s enthusiasm to achieve the SDGs.”

 

The full list of prize winners are as follows:

◇ Prize Winners (name, nationality, school, title)

Grand Prize (Foreign Minister’s Prize)

・Luis Gustavo Cavalheiro Silva (Brazil, Universidade Estadual Paulista)
   “WOMAN OF COOCASSIS!”

 

 Award of Excellence

・Mohammad Rakibul Hasan (Bangladesh, University of Oxford)
  “FISHERMEN”

・Bruce Timaná (Peru, César Vallejo University)
  “DISTANT REALITIES”

・Matthew Paa Kwesi Williams (Ghana, Morgan International Community School)
  “STRUGGLE OF CHILDHOOD”

 

TOGETHER Award [as part of TOGETHER campaign to create a society that celebrates the diversity created by embracing refugees and migrants.]

・Ayaka Ohashi (Japan, Meiji University)
  “EDUCATION FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN”

 

Concept Award [evaluated based on how well the photograph represents the concepts of the SDGs and evokes certain messages or emotions]

・Sofia Obolentseva (Russia, MGIMO University)
  “Don’t go breaking my heart”

 

Award of Recognition

・Kiarash Eghbali Seresht (Iran, University of Tehran)
   “THE LOOK”

・Thai Nguyen (Vietnam, An Giang University)
  “HAVING WATER, HAVING SMILE AND HAVING LIVES”

・Erika Wakabayashi (Japan, Keio University)
  “A KITE IN THE SKY”

・Yuri Takeda (Japan, Sophia University)
  “Bathing at slum along railroad”

・Prabir Talukdar (India, Indira Gandhi National Open University)
  “CHASING DREAMS”

・Liz Dorea (Brazil, University of São Paulo)
  “BOND”

・Partha Banik (Bangladesh, University of Chittagong)
  “EDUCATION FOR ALL 2”

・João Ataide (Brazil, UNIFATEA)
  “QUILOMBOLA REFUGIADA” (A girl from Quilombo)

・Gaku Okubo (Japan, Keio University)
  “AFTER SCHOOL”

 

• Judges:

Leslie Kee, Photographer

Akira Ono, Photo and Multimedia Editor, The Asahi Shimbun

Yuichi Kimura, Comedian, YOSHIMOTO CREATIVE AGENCY CO., LTD.

Hiroaki Mizushima, Professor, Department of Journalism, Sophia University

Mark Garten, Chief of the UN Photo Unit, Audio-Visual Services Section, United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI)

 

❖ Judging Panel for the TOGETHER Award:

Representatives from the International Labour Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), UNIC Tokyo, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and United Nations University (UNU)

 

❖ Judge for the Concept Award:

Getty Images Japan (evaluating based on how well the photograph represents the concepts of the SDGs and evokes certain messages or emotions)

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