DUSHANBE, June 28, 2001, Asia-Plus – Awards ceremony for the winners of the First national photo contest “People of Good Will” in Tajikistan took place during the opening of the photo-exhibition in Dushanbe on Saturday, 25 June, at Bactria Cultural Center, according to the UNDP CO Tajikistan.
The national photo contest “People of Good People” was organized in Tajikistan for the first time in the framework of a global campaign on marking the 10th Anniversary of International Year of Volunteers. From 13 May to 20 June, 34 citizens of Tajikistan registered to take part in the contest and submitted 96 photos that demonstrated their understanding of volunteering.
In addition to the mentioned theme, the contestants reflected on volunteers’ activity in the field of environment, healthy life style and community volunteering. Organizers of the contest and professional photographers formed a jury to select a winner in each of the categories as well as to decide on who will be awarded the main prize of the photo contest – a camera Canon EOS 500D. The selection criteria were photo composition, originality of the idea, and foremost a relevance to the subject of the contest.
Thus, the winners are: Galina Yunusova (Main prize), Ikrom Mahmadov in the category ‘Volunteer for our Planet’, Mekhrangez Bahromi in the category ‘You won’t get sick with us’, Nemat Tohirjonov in the category ‘Volunteering does not have age’ and Zamira Ablayeva in the category ‘Building better future together’.
After the award ceremony professional photographer and member of the jury Mikhail Ratushenko invited winners and former contestants to attend a master-class on an art of photography.
The photo contest has been organized by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme jointly with the UN office in Tajikistan, UNFPA, Energy and Environment Programme of UNDP and media holding ‘Oila’. The organizers envisage that the contest will contribute to promoting public dialogue on traditional forms of volunteering intrinsic to Tajikistan’s culture as well as bring into focus its new contemporary manifestations.