🎥 Call for Submissions: Human Rights Video Competition

Presented by Citizens for Global Solutions Minnesota

Theme: Human Rights in Our World

Citizens for Global Solutions Minnesota invites students to creatively engage with human rights issues through video storytelling. Whether focusing on the right to education, rights of the child, women’s rights, freedom of expression, gender equality, environmental justice, or any other recognized human right—this is your opportunity to raise awareness and inspire change.

🎯 Objective

This competition aims to promote awareness and advocacy by encouraging students to explore and document human rights issues or achievements—either in their communities or across the globe. Videos can address:

  • A current human rights violation (domestic or international)

  • A success story or progress in the protection or promotion of human rights

  • The role of youth, communities, or institutions in advancing human dignity and justice

Through critical reflection, research, and creative production, participants will contribute to a culture of rights-based dialogue and global citizenship.

🔹 Who Can Submit

  • Open to students, residents in the state of Minnesota, currently enrolled in a school (high school, college, or university).

  • Two age categories:

    • 15 to 18 years old

    • 19 to 24 years old

  • Individuals or teams of up to 3 students are welcome.

🎬 Submission Requirements

  • Length: Videos must be between 10 to 15 minutes in length.

  • Theme: Any recognized human rights issue (local or global).

  • Submissions will be evaluated based on:

    • Relevance to human rights principles

    • Timeliness and urgency of the issue

    • Creativity and execution

  • Videos may include interviews, narrative, documentary, animation, or performance.

  • Format: MP4 or MOV

  • Language: English, and must include English subtitles for non-English content

  • Originality: Videos must be original work and not previously published.

📆 Key Dates

  • Registration open:  From September 1 to November 30, 2025

  • Video Submission Period: From December 1 to January 5, 2026

  • Winners Announced: April 2, 2026

  • Award Ceremony: April 30, 2026

🏆 Awards (per age category)

  • 🥇 1st Place: $400

  • 🥈 2nd Place: $300

  • 🥉 3rd Place: $200

Outstanding entries may be featured on Citizens for Global Solutions Minnesota’s website, events, and media channels at no cost to the participant or to Citizens for Global Solutions Minnesota. By submitting a video, participants agree that their work—whether selected as a winner or not—may be publicly used, shared, and credited for educational and non-commercial promotional purposes for an undetermined period of time. Authorship remains with the creators of the work.

✅ Rules & Guidelines

  • Students must register to participate (form link below).

  • All submissions must follow copyright guidelines (no unlicensed music, footage, or images).

  • By submitting, participants grant Citizens for Global Solutions Minnesota permission to use their video for educational and promotional purposes.

  • Submissions will be disqualified if they:
    a. Contain hate speech, violence, or misinformation

b. Use copyrighted material without permission

c. Are plagiarized or AI-generated

📩 How to Register

Complete the registration form on CGS-Mn website.
Once registered, you will receive submission instructions and upload details.

Let your voice be seen and heard—join us in standing up for human rights through storytelling and video.

For questions, please contact: cgsmn.contact@gmail.com