World Photography Day: August 19

"You don't just take a photograph, you make it" 

Since its inception in 2009, August 19 is the day set aside to celebrate the love of photography -  the day in 1839 on which the French Government officially announced that the daguerreotype process, invented in January the same year, would be a gift free for the world to use. 

Founder Korske Ara states “I believe that a photograph has the power to tell stories, freeze memories, inspire generations and initiate change. 

I’m passionate about photography and the ability it has to change the world.”

How can you get involved in 2013? 

By submitting a photo to the official website - World Photography Day has hosted an online gallery since 2010, to which avid photographers are invited to submit their work. The gallery is open each year from August 19 - 26 here.

Check the Calendar for events happening near you - Planning on hosting an event? Curious to know what is happening in your local area? The official calendar has all the information you will need. 

Plan a photo adventure - World Photography Day is the perfect time to photograph that one location you have always wanted to, but never have. 

Go on a photography date - When the one you love also has a passion for photography, what could be better than planning a date for August 19 to share it. 

Lose yourself in a great photography book - Learn something new about photography, and discover a myriad of interesting historical facts about photography. The official World Photography Day website  recommends The Art of Photography and Photo Inspiration: Secrets Behind Stunning Images. 

The Official World Photography Day Website

May 3, 2013: 20 Years of World Press Freedom Day

Unesco - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the agency of the United Nations with the mandate to promote freedom of expression and exchange of ideas, marked the 20th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd in Costa Rica.

Officially proclaimed at a meeting of the UN General Assembly in 1993, World Press Freedom Day has its origins in 1991, at a meeting of African journalists in Namibia convened by UNESCO,  which called for an official day to acknowledge and recognise the importance of press freedom. This meeting resulted in the Windhoek Declaration being adopted and further endorsed by the UNESCO General Assembly the same year.  The Windhoek Declaration outlined aims for a worldwide press that is free, independent and with plurality - ie free from monopolies of ownership, be it privately or by governments. 

Since that time, several major developments have occurred in the field of journalism which have impacted on the notion of a free and open press, not least of which have been the increasing use of technological advances such as smart phones and tablets as well as the adoption of the 24 hour news cycle. In response to these changes, last year the UN endorsed the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. Despite these advances, it continues to be a challenge to ensure the safety of journalists and freedom of the press. In 2012, 121 journalists lost their lives in the field, almost double the number for 2010 and 2011.  In addition to this, harassment, intimidation and arrest of journalists continues to be widespread around the world, while the seeming lack of action agains the perpetrators of these attacks against journalists remains at a high level. 

For this reason, the theme of World Press Freedom Day for 2013 was Safe to Speak: Securing Freedom of Expression in All Media to highlight the need for journalists to work in a safe environment, to stand up to those who would actively prevent them from reporting freely and establish a free and open Internet as a basic requirement of operating online. 

Included below are further videos on the issue:

Why Should We Care About Press Freedom?

UNESCO's Director-General, Irina Bokova, on World Press Freedom Day 2013