We would like to invite you to participate in the “World Through the Child's Eyes" program; the international children' (youth) open social-humanitarian photo-project (ICOP), which is being held by the ICOP Organizational Committee with the support of the Committee of Foreign Affairs of the St. Petersburg Government, photo-section of St. Petersburg branch of the Journalist's Union, St. Petersburg state regional Center “Family", non-profitable public organizations "Alexandra".

Our project started its work in 2000 and is designed as the long-term program.
Children which take part in the project, have to be young people of the age from 7 up to 23 years. Now over 460 children - young amateur photographers from Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany, Kazakhstan, Finland are the participants of ICOP.

The main Mottoes of the project - “The World of the Child - The World without aggression and terror!" and - “the World of the Child is a tolerant World!".

Realization of the project is based on representation about creatively spent free time of the child as the alternative to existence in the children (youthful) environment of negative socially unacceptable hobbies and dependences. The project is in the form of permanent international children's photo competition. Preparation is being done in the form of carrying out the regular mobile children's photo-exhibitions – traveling actions "World through the Child's Eyes", one of which purposes should become involving by children creative means in order to attract public attention to actual and social - significant problems of a modern society. At the same time, on the verge of centuries and millennia competitive and exhibition actions under the project give an occasion of wider dialogue for children living in different regions and countries, enable to find out a lot of new and interesting about the world surrounding the child (not only to children, but also adults!), involving for this purpose ample opportunities of a modern photo.

The basic purposes of the project are:

• popularization and support of children's creativity, in particular, in the field of photo, demonstration of samples of children's creativity as elements and opportunities of achievement the healthy way of life
• social and psychological support of creatively gifted children, in particular children from most socially vulnerable layers of the nation, and also children with problems in development and social adaptation
• development of mutual understanding through creativity of children and youth from the different countries and peoples, development of children's and youth intercultural attitudes in connection with world process of globalization
• promotion of forming the intercultural tolerance.

Our project has its own non-periodical illustrated edition named "World through the Child's Eyes". Publication of the magazine became the new stage of the project development. Thus on pages of it there is an opportunity to express their feelings and thoughts as children through their photos so journalists, psychologists, officials, politics, businessmen who are not indifferent to the themes touched by children in their photo works.
The Organizing committee ICOP hold a lot of photo-expositions, such as:

• May 2004 - June 2005 - ICOP exhibition "Petersburg. From morning till dawn" in a State children's movie centre "Rodina" (SPb)
• December 2003 - ICOP exhibition "Petersburg through the Child's Eyes" in Bratislava within the framework of St. Petersburg Days in Slovakia, held by the Government of St. Petersburg
• August-September 2003 - two ICOP exhibitions "Animals in city" in city youth library;
• - January 2002 - Christmas ICOP exhibition in Mariinskij palace of Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg
• 2001-2003 - series of photo-expositions in regional Palaces and centers of young creativity
• May-June 2001 - an exhibition in the Institute of Finland in St. Petersburg
• 2000-2002 - series of exhibitions-actions in galleries of Finnish non-profitable public organizations in Helsinki.  

• participants: children from 7 till 23 years (at the moment of the works submission)
• amount of the submitted works from 1 participant : not limited
• color and black-and-white photos
• print format - not less than 15х20 cm
• all photos should be signed on the back - the title, name and author's surname, date of birth, contact address and contact e-mail
  
• the Basic photo-categories and nominations:
  
  - "City". Street sketches, city in daily life, advertising in city etc.
  - "Nature and Environment". Landscape, ecology, animal world, macro etc.
  - "Children through children's eyes". Children's portrait, children and world around;
  - "Reflections and shadows";
  - "Traveling photography"
  - "Still-Life"
  - "Photoshoppin’-n-Art ”
  - “Free theme”
  
  
• the children's photo works, which shall be marked by special prizes and recognized by judges as the best, will take part in the international mobile children's photo-exhibitions as in Saint Petersburg, so abroad. The best photos will be published in the illustrated press-review  “World through the Child's Eyes", and also in the mass media supported by ICOP.

The competition Organizing committee reserves the right to use the works which have come for competition for special exhibitions and publications for a popularization of a children's photo. Also the best works will be demonstrated, placed on the Project website. Everything will be done with the indication of the author of the photo.

Children's photo works are accepted for competition during all year long at the following address: Sergey Petrovich Pavlov, the State regional Centre "Family", Moskovskiy prospect, 104A, St. Petersburg, Russia, 191119.

The information about project  “World Through the Child's Eyes" can be received: by work phone: +7 (812) 387-4211  (Sergey Petrovich Pavlov), e-mail - nevadomi@mail.ru

Head of the Project and the Chairman of Organizing committee ICOP, psychologist Sergey Pavlov.