Turning the Tide exhibition

The British Council, the Permanent Mission of the Maldives to the United Nations office at Geneva and the Global Risk Forum GRF Davos would like to invite you to take part in “Turning the Tide”, a major international exhibition that will take place during the main annual Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in March 2009. The exhibition, which will be seen by Presidents, Prime Ministers, Ministers and thousands of delegates, will showcase the photographs and stories of climate witnesses from around the world whose lives and rights are being affected by the everyday reality of global warming.

We ask young climate witnesses from around the world to go out into their community to create a photographic record of the way in which climate change and its consequences are affecting the human environment, including the lives, livelihoods and human rights of local people. The photographs should highlight the challenges your community is facing and how you are living and coping with the changing environment. “Turning the Tide” is about your own experiences - we want to know your climate story.

A jury including representatives from the British Council, the Maldives Mission, the Global Risk Forum Davos and UNESCO will select the best 12 submissions. The photographs, portraits and stories from these 12 submissions will be made up into posters that will be showcased at the UN Human Rights Council in March 2009. An online exhibition featuring work by all participants will accompany the event.

Competition closed

We have received interesting and inspiring entries from over 30 countries. Thank you very much for this and we will get back to you soon with more information on the exhibition.If you have any questions regarding the competition or your sumbission please contact us by email at turningthetide@britishcouncil.ch.

About the project

There is now a clear scientific consensus that climate change is real, it is man-made and it is having an increasingly devastating impact on natural systems around the world. Yet our understanding of the social impact of global warming on the lives, rights and livelihoods of millions of people around the world is far less evolved. Bridging this gap will be crucial if the world is to move towards empathy, solidarity and action.

The “Turning the Tide” exhibition will be shown at the Palais des Nations in Geneva (UN) during the 10th Session of the Human Rights Council. It is designed to “humanise” climate change by showcasing the stories of twelve young people from around the world whose lives and rights are affected by the reality of global warming. All of their stories also highlight the everyday reality of adapting to and ultimately surviving in a changing climate. The organisers hope to show the exhibition during the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in late 2009.

Please look at the Turning the Tide website for all the pictures and for more information.