REVELA 2013 Photography Award for the Social Rights Holders

Last saturday, in Barcelona, the ceremony of the Awards of REVELA 2013 Photography Award for the Social Rights Holders took place among a large crowd on people gathered to learn the names of the winners of this very special award.

It is an unusual – and absolutely interesting – kind of photography Award, as the prize goes both to the photographer and to the photographied social group/NGO. And the award is pretty interesting: 50 thousand euros to be shared by the three winners (there is not a rank, all three win the Award by the amount of money is chosen according to the actual need of the organization and the potential impact on them).

This year I was member of the Jury  together with:

Ângela Ferreira, director/curator of the Portuguese PhotoFestival Encontros da Imagem José Antonio Bastos, president of MSF Spain (Doctors without Borders) Stephen Burgen, journalist Javier Bauluz, director of Periodismohumano (Human Journalism) and Pulitzer Prize winner

I love this Award, because  the aim is to promote direct social aid, publicise the photographers and their portfolio and create dynamics of supportive social participation.

It’s a mix of important and dramatic social stories and positive ones that demonstrate the importance of those NGOs that work in the field on a daily basis and that actually bring about relief and social change.

Not only we awarded three prizes to the three winners, there was also the  GEA Photowords Award Ceremony and two Shoot4Change honorable mentions to two special stories that hit my interest.

Shoot4Change decided to mention the two stories (by Walter Estrada/Sandra Sotelo and by Jose Antonio de Lamadrid as best positive local  story and best authorial interpretation of a social issue)