United Nations Advocates Creative Story Telling To Bridge Divides

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and the United Nations Office connected Drugs and Crime (UNODC) person reaffirmed their committedness to utilizing originative storytelling and the powerfulness of photography to span divides, sphere culture, and foster bid crossed the world.

Speaking astatine the opening ceremonial of the 9th Abuja International Photo Festival connected Wednesday, UNESCO’s caput and typical successful Nigeria, Jean-Paul Abiaga, emphasised the organisation’s continued enactment for young creators — peculiarly successful Nigeria, wherever implicit 70 percent of the colonisation is nether 30.

He highlighted the important relation of originative storytelling successful combating misinformation and enhancing the integrity of information.

“It is ever a pleasance for UNESCO to beryllium portion of this benignant of event,” Abiaga said. “In the future, we anticipation you’ll nary longer see UNESCO conscionable a partner, but 1 of your own.”

He took a infinitesimal to recognise photographers and artists whose enactment continues to enrich planetary culture, urging the assemblage to applaud their contributions.

“Photography, which began astir 2 centuries ago, has go a almighty mean of storytelling conscionable arsenic impactful arsenic words, music, and dance,” helium said.

He added, “In Africa, and particularly successful Nigeria, photography has shaped however we presumption ourselves from the assemblage epoch to the contiguous time celebrating our identity, resilience, and history.”

Abiaga acknowledged the ongoing “photo revolution” brought astir by smartphones and integer cameras, which person transformed idiosyncratic devices into planetary galleries.

“These caller tools link america successful ways we ne'er imagined, linking america not lone to each different but besides to our past and future,” helium added, emphasising photography’s relation successful fostering planetary peace.

However, helium cautioned against the dangers of misinformation successful the integer age, citing a UNESCO survey which revealed that 62 per cent of integer contented creators bash not verify the accuracy of the contented they share.

“A photograph speaks powerfully, but it tin besides disagreement america if not utilized responsibly,” helium warned, stressing the captious relation of photographers and photojournalists successful promoting peace, unity, and understanding.

UNESCO, helium said, remains dedicated to supporting Nigeria’s younker — particularly those pursuing originative careers — by equipping them with the tools to lend to peacebuilding and sustainable development.

Also speaking, UNODC Representative Cheikh Toure acknowledged the almighty and impactful enactment showcased astatine the festival, emphasizing however creation illuminates the analyzable societal issues that the UNODC addresses successful its planetary mission.

“We are present contiguous due to the fact that the enactment being presented aligns with the halfway values we clasp beloved — fostering resilience, peace, and affirmative societal change,” Toure said.

He further underscored the value of collaboration betwixt the UNODC and the originative sector. “If our enactment is to beryllium credible and effective, it indispensable impact your voices, your talents, and your creativity. We request to enactment unneurotic for our efforts to genuinely resonate and make meaningful change,” helium added.

The festival’s opening besides marked the motorboat of the Creative Alliance for Peace, an inaugural bringing unneurotic creatives to research however creation and civilization tin play pivotal roles successful struggle solution and peacebuilding.

“We are arrogant to enactment these originative initiatives, adjacent though they whitethorn look distant from our halfway work,” Toure stated. “Your contributions are invaluable to our mission, and together, we tin make lasting alteration that benefits Nigeria and the world.”

Also speaking astatine the event, the Special Assistant to the President connected Arts, Culture, Tourism, and the Creative Economy, Ayomide Adeagbo, said the Federal Government is processing caller copyright policies to support creatives and fortify the industry.

“The authorities is moving connected intelligence spot policies for creatives successful Nigeria, and it’s precise vital,” Adeagbo said. “Photography is portion of the originative sector, and we privation our creatives and photographers to ain their enactment and person afloat power implicit it. Very soon, these policies volition beryllium rolled retired nationwide.”

Festival convener Efe Osaze said the yearly lawsuit aims to observe the creation of photography and its powerfulness to link the world.

“This year’s theme, A World Connected, focuses connected the powerfulness of photography to span cultural, ideological, and geographical divides,” helium said.

He emphasised photography’s cosmopolitan connection and its quality to unite radical crossed antithetic backgrounds. “In a satellite progressively divided by region and differences, photogr...