Winners of Commonwealth Video Contest revealed

A seven-month search for inspiring videos from passionate young people around the Commonwealth ended today with the announcement of two winners from the Caribbean and Pacific.

Attracting nearly a hundred entries from more than 20 countries as far apart as Barbados, Cyprus, Nigeria, Singapore and Kiribati, the Commonwealth Video Contest was launched late last year to showcase talent and diversity among the association’s 54 member states.

Shireene McMillan, a 23-year-old judge from the Commonwealth’s Regional Youth Caucus based in St Andrews, Grenada, said she was hugely impressed with the “creativity, positivity and energy” of the entries.

International Youth Day

The Best Commonwealth Video accolade went to Youth of the World by Samantha Khan, a 17-year-old girl from Trinidad and Tobago. “This piece is original and inspiring – a depiction of the challenges faced by young people,” said Ms McMillan. “This video emphasises the qualities and strengths of being a youth. Clearly much thought was given to the production.”

Best Commonwealth Band/Artist was won by a group of singers from the Pacific Kingdom of Tonga for their Good to be Young musical video. “[The video] was original, fantastic, truly motivational!” remarked Ms McMillan. “This is a song that should be broadcast throughout the Commonwealth, in fact all over the world. It’s really good to be young!”

As part of their prize, the winners are set to be invited to visit Marlborough House, headquarters of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, United Kingdom, to help mark International Youth Day on 12 August 2010.

Organisers from the Commonwealth Secretariat noted that the judging was very close, but that the best entries – ranging from videos of music, singing, dancing and poetry to monologues about child poverty, youth empowerment, or climate change – were marked by their “charm, ingenuity and regard for Commonwealth values”.

Subir Das, a judge from the Commonwealth’s Regional Youth Caucus based in Chittagong, Bangladesh, said he was inspired by the “enthusiastic participation” of the contest’s younger entrants. “This contest proves that youth are consciously thinking about the different problems of our society and are trying to address those issues,” said the 25-year-old.

The judging panel highly commended the videos, Point of Synergy, Ash Curfew the Movie, Likkle but Tallawah, 100 Steps and Mona’s Movie – Changing Sands, in the Best Commonwealth Video (non-musical/factual) category.

In the Best Commonwealth Band/Artist (musical) category, the judges highly commended, I Wanna Know Why You Love Me, Something Beautiful, This is Real (Haiti), Full Moon Street – 90 Mile, and Children First Bashy Bus Kru Lets Talk About Sex.

'Great talent among our Commonwealth youth'

The judging panel included members of the Commonwealth’s Youth Caucus as well as members of the Commonwealth Secretariat and Commonwealth Youth Programme. Each judge was asked to award points ranging from 10 to 1 to their favourite ten videos, with the highest scoring video in each category selected the winner.

Entries came in from all regions of the Commonwealth, including countries such as Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Cyprus, Ghana, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda and the United Kingdom.

The video entries can be viewed at the website YourCommonwealth.org. This site will continue as an online platform to celebrate Commonwealth diversity and allow young people to post advocacy videos about the issues that matter to them.

Commonwealth Secretariat Spokesperson Eduardo del Buey said he was “deeply moved and hugely impressed” by the standard of entries: “It is really encouraging that so many people took the time to create and submit entries. These videos remind us that the Commonwealth is alive and kicking with articulate, enthusiastic, intelligent and talented young people - they have a lot to offer, and we all have so much to celebrate amongst ourselves and with each other.”

Dr Fatiha Serour, Director and Head of the Secretariat’s Youth Affairs Division, added: “This tells us that our young people want to be involved in the Commonwealth and have a solid grasp of the issues affecting the world today.”

“We know there is great talent among our Commonwealth youth. Our job is to expose and share that talent and wisdom with policy makers, leaders and decision makers. Congratulations to all those who made an entry and we look forward to even greater support for this and other similar initiatives in the future.”

Related News:

• View all entries for the Commonwealth Video Contest