Photos accepted for participation were to illustrate a human right or freedom in Belarus in two nominations: best professional photo and best amateur photo. Altogether some 150 works were submitted for the competition.
The competition jury included representatives of four countries: Andrei Bastunets, deputy head of the Belarusian Association of Journalists; Taida Horozovic, director of Foundation CURE, Human Rights House in Sarajevo; Odd Nerbø, professional photographer, photo correspondent at Bergens Tidende, the largest daily newspaper in Western Norway; and Rohan Jayasekera, editor of Index on Censorship magazine, Human Rights House in London.
The members of the international jury had to choose one winner in each category who would receive a prize — a weekend trip to Vilnius for two persons. Upon careful consideration and discussion, the jury selected the following winners:
1. "The Best Professional Photo" nomination: Andrei Liankevich with "Cranberry Pickers", illustrating Article 23 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment".
2. "The Best Amateur Photo" nomination: Olga Tarasenko with "Child with Mother", illustrating Article 25 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection".
A number of factors were considered in choosing the winners, including a non-conventional approach. Rohan Jayasekera shared his impressions, “Andrei Liankevich deserved to win for his picture of cranberry pickers. Cranberries are associated with cocktails and healthy lifestyles in the West, so it had a lovely irony to my eye”.
In addition to the two prizes, the winning photos and 40 more works will be included in an exhibition ‘Human Rights in a Snapshot’, which will be opened in January 2009 in the Belarusian HRH in Vilnius.
The competition was organized with the support of the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Human Rights House Foundation (Norway).
