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‘Think Move Change’ IOM-EU Migration Photo Contest 2013

Posted on Fri, Aug-30-2013

Kathmandu – The IOM Nepal Mission and the EU Delegation in Nepal will launch the ‘IOM-EU Migration Photo Contest 2013’ on 1 September 2013. The theme of the contest is ‘Think Move Change,’ and it aims to raise public awareness of Nepal’s labour migration challenges and opportunities through visual representations of Nepalese migrants, their families and communities. It also advocates for safe migration for all current and potential migrants. The contest is open to anyone resident in any country and entries must be submitted by 31 October 2013.

The Department of Foreign Employment estimates that around 1,500 Nepalese migrants leave for countries other than India each day. The total number of government-approved labour migrants for 2012 numbered around 2.5 million. The Ministry of Labour and Employment estimates that a similar number went overseas through informal channels.

Remittances sent by Nepalese migrants abroad to their families back home accounted for nearly 23 percent of Nepal's GDP in 2009, and 20 per cent in 2010 and 2011 (World Bank 2011). The options for Nepalese migrants have grown significantly and now include North America and Europe, as well as the traditional destination of the Gulf States.

While migration has offered new avenues and income opportunities for Nepalese, migrants going overseas, especially irregular migrants, are vulnerable to various forms of bad working conditions. Advocating for safe labour migration for all, the protection of human rights, and the enhanced well-being of migrants and their families is now important for Nepal’s social and economic development.
For the contest, a panel of judges will select the best photograph and another 11 excellent photographs, based on four components of the judging criteria – relevance, creativity, composition and technique.

The grand prize is a Canon EOS 700D, a digital single lens camera. The 12 excellent photos will be exhibited on the International Migrants Day (18 December) this year, and will also be published as a photo calendar for 2014.

All entrants must submit their photographs with the completed official entry form to iomnepalphotocontest@iom.int by email. For more information about the IOM-EU Migration Photo Contest 2013, please go to the IOM Nepal’s official website: http://nepal.iom.int/

For more information please contact Ken Matsueda at IOM Nepal, Tel: +977 1 4426250, Email: kmatsueda@iom.int