Due March 8th, 2016 - From March 28th to April 19th, 2016, a diverse group of people of different nationalities – including victims of the many forms of violence that derive from drug trafficking as well as the equally violent responses that seek to counteract it, along with human rights defenders, journalists, social and religious leaders, and activists – will gather together to undertake a “Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice”, which will journey through Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico, and the United States, to arrive in New York City during the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Drugs.

The objective of the Caravan is to open a necessary debate about the war on drugs, promoting a paradigm shift in which governments’ actions cannot be limited to the use of violence while leaving behind fundamental aspects such as education, prevention, public health programs, and real measures against money laundering and the corrupting power of the mafias that control the high-level drug trade.

Each country holds histories of people that reflect concretely the challenges that we face as societies with respect to our drug policies, such as: the stigmatization and persecution of peasant farmers; the drastic penalties against people who sell small amounts of drugs while the large cartels remain intact; the incarceration, murder, and attacks against migrants, young people and people living in poverty who appear as “perfect culprits”; the moral double standard of societies which tolerate the disproportionate use of alcohol but impede information and education about other substances, while recriminating and persecuting the people who use those substances; and the stigmatization of ancestral cultures that use substances and plants that could be alternative treatments for different ailments.

The Video Contest
Because it is of great importance to know these stories in order to amplify the perspectives around such a complex issue, which needs to be analyzed from all possible angles, the Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice is launching an international video contest about drugs and human rights.

To participate, create a 1-3 minute video on the stories or analyses of the impacts of drug policies on people or communities, in rural, urban, or international spaces. Comparative cases are welcome, too. Special value (or emphasis) will be placed on originality and clarity of language that is easily understandable and compelling to the general public. Interview, documentary, dramatization, animation, or any other format relevant to the producer may be employed.

Click the link below for Official Rules and more details.

Prizes

First Prize
Join the Caravan as part of the Audiovisual team in charge of the documentation of the Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice, March 28th until April 19th, 2016, from Honduras to New York, with all expenses paid, including airfare, accommodations, transportation, and food.

Second Prize
US$ 1500 in cash

Third Prize
Nikon D7100 Digital Camera

Eligibility
Open worldwide, 18 and older.