USC Annenberg is sponsoring The Democracy Video Challenge, a global call to action celebrating democracy that launched its second annual competition.
The Challenge invites citizens from around the world to create video shorts that complete the phrase: "Democracy is..." in an effort to enhance the global dialogue on democracy.
“For our communication, journalism and public relations students, the critical role of democracy is at the heart of their studies, the service projects in which they are engaged and their future," Dean Ernest J. Wilson III said. "Without communication there is no democracy, and vice versa. This annual competition provides an innovative outlet for young people to tell their stories and affect change and increase the likelihood of democracy’s spread. We are pleased to partner with The Democracy Video Challenge to encourage and enhance dialog on this topic from voices around the world."
The Democracy Video Challenge is a unique partnership comprised of democracy, and youth organizations, the film and entertainment industry, academia, and the U.S. government. In its inaugural year, the Challenge attracted more than 900 videos from 95 countries around the world.
Each year, the Challenge honors winners from every region of the world: Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, the Near East and North Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Western Hemisphere. Contestants may also submit videos anonymously for special recognition. The winning videos are selected by global online voting. The video platform is provided by YouTube here.
The winners will participate in screenings of their videos in Hollywood, New York, and Washington, D.C., hosted by partners, including the Motion Picture Association of America. In New York and Hollywood, the winners will spend time on TV/film sets, and will meet with directors, film technicians, professional talent agents, and new media experts. They will also receive tickets to the Universal Studios theme park in Los Angeles. In Washington, D.C., the winners will meet with democracy advocates, the media, and U.S. government officials.
Democracy Video Challenge Partners include: the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), the International Republican Institute (IRI), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the International Youth Foundation (IYF), the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), NBC Universal, NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, the Recording Industry Association of America, TakingITGlobal, the U.S. Department of State and YouTube.
