WHAT'S YOUR VIEW OF GROWING UP IN THE 21st CENTURY?

Shoot Nations, the global youth photography competition is now back for 2009, with entries already starting to come in. Plan once again teams up with photographic organisation Shoot Experience to run the competition, now in its fourth year. Shoot Nations gives young people the chance to express their opinions through visual communication, overcoming the barriers of language.

To date the competition has had over 3500 entries and is open to anyone aged 11 – 25 from anywhere in the world. It gives young people a voice – through the expression, messages and concerns in their entries - to the highest level of global government, the UN. Winning entries will be exhibited at the UN headquarters in New York as part of International Youth Day events.

VISIT SHOOT NATIONS 09 (in 5 languages)
Friday 1st May - Friday 31st July

Following a year of impressive entries in 2008, this year’s main theme is "Growing Up in the 21st Century", drawing on young peoples’ aspirations, with an added focus experiences as girls and boys, young men and young women. Entrants are to submit three photographs, pictures or graphic designs that capture the following:
1. Because I am a Girl / Because I am a Boy
2. What's holding me back?
3. What could I be?
The gender focus to this year’s entries ties in with Plan’s commitment to furthering gender equality and allows young people consider this issue in a personal way through visual expression.

Find out more about Shoot Nations 09 and PASS DETAILS OF THE PROJECT ON TO ANYONE WHO MAY BE INTERESTED! The strength of the project comes from widespread worldwide take up.
NO PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.

The 2009 website launches today in 5 languages, and is open until 31st July. The best entries will be exhibited at the United Nations HQ in NYC as part of International Youth Day 2009. There will also be a UK exhibition of the images at the OXO gallery on the South Bank from 22nd September.

Photography as a tool for communication
A Shoot Nations Workshop Toolkit is available to enable people anywhere to run their own exhibition and workshop, please email hello@shootnations.org  for more information.
Visit shootnations.org or Plan-ed.org for more info