Secretary-General urges public to enter Commonwealth Video Contest

Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma this week called on passionate advocates and performers around the Commonwealth to take part in a special web project to help celebrate cultural diversity and individual talent across the 54-member association.

The Commonwealth Video Contest, launched by the Commonwealth Secretariat last month in Trinidad and Tobago, offers ordinary people, young advocates and performers a unique chance to share their views or talents via YouTube videos.

“Science, technology and society is the Commonwealth’s theme for 2010,” said Mr Sharma. “So it makes sense that we harness the internet, one of the most revolutionary of recent technologies, for a competition to celebrate the diversity of the modern Commonwealth.”

“The Commonwealth Video Contest offers a platform for young advocates, performers, musicians, singers and dancers to showcase and share their unique talents and individual perspectives with the world,” he said.

Upload YouTube videos

The competition runs until 1 June 2010. Entrants are encouraged to upload Youtube videos of themselves either:

• Highlighting an issue (peace, climate change, democracy, human rights, education, health, youth issues or anything else),
• Talking about themselves, their culture, hobbies, friends, family, home country or local community, or
• Performing a song.

Commonwealth Secretariat Spokesperson Eduardo del Buey added that the idea was to create a website which not only offers a unique “audio-visual collage” of the Commonwealth, but one which gives ordinary people, especially the young, a place to share their perspectives or display their performance abilities.

Mr del Buey said: “All our young people in the Commonwealth – whether they are youth activists or musicians, and whether they are from the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia or the Pacific – have a voice. We would like to hear that voice, and we hope that many will upload their personal videos."

Prizes to be won

“You don’t need to be a professional to take part. You just need a little bit of passion. And if you don’t have a video camera, mobile phone or computer, don’t let that stop you – perhaps you can ask your school, library or local community centre if you can use theirs.

“Many of you will be off on holidays this month – a perfect time to spend a few minutes putting together a video. Make it yourself or with friends, likeminded individuals or fellow performers. You’ll be surprised at how easy, fun and worthwhile the creative process can be. We are looking forward to seeing your entries.”

Successful entries will win either a laptop, iPod Touch or £200 worth of Amazon vouchers.

Key Links:

• Commonwealth Secretary-General

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