Tackling global issues by nurturing the next generation of change agents

All of that is just the start… We have big plans for Shutter Stories, as you will hear over the coming months, and we hope you’ll join us for them. Listen and subscribe to Shutter Stories, available where you normally find podcasts:

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Lifting the next generation up

“People respond to visuals”, Laura says, “which enable us to communicate in a digestible but also very powerful and influential way.” It is our human stories and images of real situations, which inspire people to get involved with advocacy campaigns and drive their own change.

That’s why we created the Canon YPP. Through our network of local NGOs, working with our Canon Ambassadors and our global partners such as the UN, we want to reach and inspire young people across the world. In a session inspired by our YPP workshop, Laura, Tasneem and I discussed how encouraging, educating and supporting young people across EMEA in telling the story of their community has inspired positive changes on issues such as wildlife conservation, gender equality and youth development.

Tasneem said: “I’ve realised that often in the countries I work in we don’t have the means to tell our stories. But by giving workshops I can show young people that the camera can be a tool that will give them much more than just imagination and playfulness. It can be a way to tell your story instead of having someone else say it for you.”

From their own neighbourhoods, we want to empower these young people to harness their creativity and as stated by Laura, “bring their own history into the photographs they take”. This unique view and power which each young person holds, plays an essential role in enabling them to become agents of change and active participants in making a difference to their futures. As Tasneem says: “We’re all in this together, and it’s time we start sharing our stories. The platform is yours.”