To celebrate the International Day of Peace observed each year on September 21st, mobile app Agora challenged international photographers to illustrate what "Peace" means to them in one photo. As a result, 11,500 photos from all corners of the world were submitted to the #Peace2020 contest.
The International Day of Peace, also known as Peace Day, was established by the United Nations back in 1981 in an attempt to provide a “globally shared date for all humanity to commit for Peace above all differences.” The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening ideals of peace through observing 24 hours of non-violence and ceasefire.
To celebrate this important milestone, the global creative platform Agora launched the #Peace2020 photo contest on August 14th. Photographers had until August 28th to participate with their best shots in the app and illustrate what "Peace" means to them through their camera lens for the chance to be selected in the Top 50 finalists and make it to the voting phase.
Congratulations to Kenyan photographer @rashid_sp whose photo "A peaceful world is a fruitful one" gathered the most votes from the Agora global community, making him the #Peace2020 Hero and granting him the top prize of $1,000.
The app's global audience plays an important part in the selection of the winning image in each contest: all Agora users have the power to vote for the photo that struck them the most during the final voting rounds, making the process a democratic one where everyone can participate, vote, and win.
"The most voted image of #Peace2020 is a manifesto of love, hope, and the future. When either side of a conflict declares peace, the sides cease to exist, and the opposites merge into one community," said Octavi Royo, Agora's co-founder and CEO.
Which photo struck you the most? Don't forget to upvote and comment on your favorites!
#1 Winner: A Peaceful World Is A Fruitful One
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
"I want to commemorate the lives lost in violence and wars all over the world, and spread the message of peace and hope by raising our living standards, refraining from the violence and social indifferences. All the models in the picture related personally with the theme of the contest, as they are victims of the 2007 post-election violence in Kenya which forced their families to flee their home."
@rashid_sp (Kenya)
55points
#2 Sleep In Peace
Location: Gandia, Spain
@mayi (Spain)
42points
#3 Starry Skies
Location: Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
"It was below freezing, and I had been waiting for the clouds to part for long enough to get a long exposure shot of the Milky Way behind the Old Man of Storr on Skye. After a lot of hanging around in the cold, I finally got this shot. Despite the cold, it was amazingly peaceful up there on the mountain looking up at the sky. The Isle of Skye in Scotland is on the same latitude as Churchill in Northern Canada, which is home to polar bears and -40-degree temperatures."
@joeshellyy (UK)
41points
#4 A Beautiful Tree On A Hill
Location: Eastern Switzerland
"We were driving to our new destination and decided to avoid the highway. I’m glad we made the detour! When we came across these beautiful hills, we were so thrilled to enjoy the landscape which reminded us of the Windows desktop screensaver!"
@nick_skeyes (Netherlands)
37points
#5 Farmers
Location: Murtosa, Portugal
@jorgebacelar (Portugal)
36points
#6 Lanterns Of Peace
Location: Borobudur Temple, Indonesia
@afriantosilalahi (Indonesia)
31points
#7 Ocean Sound
Location: Cap Ferret, France
"One of the most stunning things I’ve found in France is the possibility to relax on endless, empty beaches. On that day, we decided to reach this wonderful beach around 5 pm to watch the sunset. Unluckily, a big storm was covering the sun, so we decided to just relax on the beach and play with the waves. From there, we got the idea to use the drone to get a long exposure shot, emphasizing the contrast between the blue ocean and my red swimsuit. I wanted to recreate the relaxing atmosphere of that evening, so I could look at that image to reconnect to those calming feelings in the future."
@freeilli (Italy)
31points
#8 Alone With My Thoughts... Peace Is Health!
Location: Cape Coast, Ghana by
@theblvckcreator (Ghana)
28points
#9 Serenity
Location: Philippines
"Watching my puppy sleeping brings so much peace and serenity to my heart."
@liezelannedeleon (Philippines)
28points
#10 The Best Place To Get Peaceful
Location: Bogor, Indonesia
"At first, my plan was to photograph the mandrill’s bright and colorful face. A few seconds later, my attention was caught by this peaceful, beautiful moment between the animal and its infant."
@drozzan (Indonesia)
28points
#11 One With Nature
Location: Dolomites, Italy
"I always feel so lucky and grateful for the chance to experience such majestic views."
@e.stis (Italy)
27points
#12 My Daughter And The Curious Fox
Location: Dunas de Corrubedo National Park, Galicia, Spain
"People would stop to contemplate the scene, but the fox was approaching my daughter only. The fox was so curious, perhaps looking for food. They created their own bubble of peace."
@martínsegade (Spain)
27points
#13 Pray With Gratitude
Location: Kraton Kasunanan Surakarta, Indonesia
"She was finding peace in her prayers."
@cymot (Indonesia)
26points
#14 Cenote Menorquín
Location: Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain
"This photo was hard to take because of the current left by the big waves the day before. I wanted to show how peaceful it is under the sea."
@benjaminriquelme_ (Spain)
24points
#15 Inner Peace
Location: Accra, Ghana
@r.nfodzo (Ghana)
23points
#16 Peaceful Morning Scenes
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom
"It was my first visit to Ashton Court in months, and I really didn’t expect a reintroduction to this beautiful place with light like this... The low-hanging mist was pierced with soft golden light as the sun rose. I wanted to tell these two deer to turn around and take a look for themselves, but instead, they took one look at me and then carried on eating."
@eddcope (UK)
23points
#17 Religious
Location: Myanmar
"Meditation is the key to find your inner peace."
@swetun (Myanmar)
23points
#18 The Last Man Standing
Location: Hangzou, China
"A peaceful moment with long exposure always has a timeless feel; in a way it captures the soul of the place and time. Instead of focusing on the motion, I'm trying to focus on the quiet moments hidden in the noise from a busy location full of tourists."
@patriciasoon (Malaysia)
23points
#19 Peace
Location: Vietnam
"This man was trying to find peace after a long, tiring day of work."
@andylam (Vietnam)
22points
#20 A Master Monk Finds Peace In An Ancient Meditating Chamber
Location: Myanmar
"I spent the best part of 6 days walking and riding around the plains of Bagan to find some interesting temples and light. I had a shot in mind but found it difficult to find what I was looking for. No one was giving up the locations to avoid the inevitable tourist influx (which I actually respected). It certainly made finding a little monastery and my secret location all the more rewarding. I wanted to purvey a feeling of peace and couldn’t have been more blessed to have a master monk meditate in the shot for me. Although I feel I got the shot I was looking for, to me, this image encapsulates trusting my intuition while not giving up on your dreams."
@lukeylove (Australia)
20points