This year, we’re challenging the dominant narratives on Africa – and we called on our incredible global community to make it happen.
As part of the GLF Africa 2022 Digital Conference, the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) and the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) hosted a youth storytelling contest to amplify critical voices from across the African continent. We received over 250 incredible submissions from young people from across our African community.
We announced the winners during the event – and now, it’s time to see the winning entries!
And your winners are…
Little Drops of Climate Action
Kiragala 'Green'
Saving Mother Earth
Ghost
Little Drops of Climate Action
StorytellingLittle Drops of Climate Action' was made to inspire others to reconsider their daily actions and take little steps that contribute to climate change mitigation.
Daniel Obloni Kweitsu is a communications specialist with several years of experience working on development-related projects, especially in the environmental and Natural Resource sector. In this video, he tells the story of Eunice and her amazing work raising tree seedlings for landscape restoration activities in Ghana. Her example shows how we can all take little actions toward a greater social good at the individual level.
Learn more about this story and discover more narrations in the session 'The many stories across Africa.'
Kiragala 'Green'
MusicKiragala is a Luganda word that means green. This song advocates for climate justice by encouraging people to go green, preserve the environment and stand against the single use of plastic.
This song celebrates East Africa's work to stand against plastic pollution. For example, as the first landlocked country to sign the UN Environmental Program Clean Seas pledge, Uganda commits to curb the flow of marine and plastic waste entering lakes, rivers and oceans. 'Kiragala' encourages us to play our part and reminds us that the Earth is our only home.
Suubi is a visual and performing artist who uses her voice and visual art as tools for change in her community and the world. She is vocal about climate change, proclaims truth and hope, and signals the power to start acting using what one has around them.
Learn more about this story and discover more narrations in the session 'The many stories across Africa.'
Saving Mother Earth
ShortfilmSaving Mother Earth' follows an agriculturalist who, inspired by past life traumas, starts a draught eradication initiative dubbed 'It's Not Yet Done.'
Muga Brian is a filmmaker, poet, scriptwriter, biology teacher and agricultural extensionist who hails from Kisumu-Kenya. He shares his passion for life, as it is what keeps him alive.
Learn more about this story and discover more narrations in the session 'The many stories across Africa.'
Ghost
StorytellingThis story of Oladele is a sad tale of a creative who hails from the south-western part of Nigeria. In terms of finding a greener pasture, he lost his life at sea because he couldn't afford the expense of leaving legally.
Oladele Bello is a theatre and media arts student at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti. He's on a quest to tell stories as a filmmaker.
Learn more about this story and discover more narrations in the session 'The many stories across Africa.'
If you’d like to see the finalists, visit the GLF Africa Art Gallery to view all of our shortlisted entries.
Congratulations to all of our winners, and stay tuned for more contests at our next major event, GLF Climate 2022 alongside COP27 on 11 November.
This year, we’re changing the dominant narrative on Africa – and we need your help to make it happen.
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) and the Youth in Landscapes Initiative (YIL) are hosting The Stories of Africa, a youth storytelling contest that aims to amplify critical voices from across the African continent.
We’re looking for perspectives from Indigenous Peoples, local communities, pastoralists, women leaders, farmers, and community leaders on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
- Food systems and livelihoods
- Land tenure and rights
- Land degradation and restoration
- Youth initiatives
- Women’s leadership
What’s in it for you?
The three best stories will receive prizes of EUR 500, 300 and 200 respectively. We will also be showcasing the best 10 to 15 stories and announcing the winner stories at the GLF Africa Digital Conference 2022 on 15 September 2022, which will be attended by thousands and reach millions via social media and the press.
Get inspired by the winners of our photo competition
#GLFAfrica 2022 Photo Competition
Strong competition from remarkable photos illustrating Africa’s breathtaking landscapes. The winning entries of the GLF Africa 2022 Photo Competition have been chosen! We received an overwhelming response worldwide: over 700 photos of exceptional quality, diversity, creativity and passion were submitted, collectively proving beyond any doubt the unique beauty of the African landscapes, people and cities.
SEE BELOW FOR THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The contest is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 who:
- Was born in Africa and lives there;
- Or belongs to the African diaspora but has strong ties with the continent;
- Or works closely with Indigenous Peoples and local communities in Africa;
- Or has a strong interest in amplifying the voices of African youth.
Content
Please address the following questions in your story:
- Why is the topic you are presenting important and relevant to your community?
- What are the biggest challenges to your culture or community in relation to this topic?
- What are the opportunities for your community in relation to this topic?
- Are you currently working on a project or initiative relevant to this topic? If so, please briefly explain or show us!
Format
- You can submit videos of any length and format: short films, interviews, documentaries – anything you like!
- You can also submit audio stories in the form of a podcast.
- Poems, songs or any other forms of art may also be included in your application.
- Please include a photo of yourself and your landscape in the application.
- In case you want to send your video or audio in French or an Indigenous language, please also provide a transcript in English.
Remember to include the following in your story (e.g. at the beginning or end of the video or audio):
- Your full name;
- Your municipality and country;
- The name of your community (if applicable)
For organization/group submissions, you must provide the following information:
- Full name of the organization/group;
- Mention the location of the organization/group, including the municipality and country;
- The name of the current community in which the organization/group is based.
The submissions are now closed.
We’re looking forward to receiving your submissions! If you experience any issues uploading your stories, we will be happy to receive them via WhatsApp. Please contact Elivis Omoit if you have any questions.
- All entries will be reviewed by a panel including the YIL Steering Committee and the GLF team.
- We acknowledge all submissions but will contact only selected candidates. The panel’s decision will be final and is not subject to appeal.
- YIL and GLF reserve the right not to select a winner if no entries that they deem suitable are received.
- YIL and GLF reserve the right to use, edit or modify the final version of submissions, to be presented during sessions at the GLF Africa conference.
- YIL and GLF would like to particularly encourage underrepresented groups to apply for the storytelling contest.
- Contributors must be 18–35 years old to submit their story. The story must be original and owned by the contributor. By submitting your entry to the contest, the contributor agrees to a creative commons, attribution, non-commercial share-alike license (BY-NC-SA).
- By uploading your entry, the contributor ensures that the material was taken legally and that they have the right to portray all people or other information contained in the uploaded material.
- Contest organizers reserve the right to use the material submitted through the contest for GLF materials and exhibitions during GLF and YIL events. Contributors will be given proper credit when the organizers publish or use their pictures, videos and/or audios.
- Contributors who work for the media are required to attach an authorization signed by a representative of the media company employing them. This authorization should state that the contest organizers have permission to publish the author’s piece from the media outlet where the story originally appeared. Please attach your approval (if applicable) in the submission form.
- The GLF and YIL reserves the right to disqualify contestants in the case of suspicious activity throughout the voting period. Fraudulent activities will be monitored and will lead to exclusion.