Youth Lens on the Silk Roads: best photos from the International Silk Roads Photo Contest, 4th edition

Abstract

This photo album, Youth Lens on the Silk Roads, is the result of the fourth edition of the international photo contest Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads, organized by the UNESCO Silk Roads Programme with the generous support of the Beijing International Peace Culture Foundation. This annual initiative offers young creatives from all over the world an opportunity to share their talents and explore the shared heritage, legacy, and spirit of the Silk Roads through photography. The term ‘Silk Roads’ is used to refer to a vast and complex network of maritime and land routes which have linked East, South, and Southeast Asia, to Central Asia, the Russian Steppes, the Indian Subcontinent, the Iranian and Anatolian Plateaus, and the Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years. They also stretched through North and Northeast Africa, as well as Eastern and Southern Europe, before reaching Western Europe and the Iberian Peninsula. These routes played a crucial role in shaping modern societies by facilitating the movement of people, goods, and ideas in an enriching cross-cultural exchange. Ultimately, movement along the Silk Roads resulted in the development of shared heritages and plural identities, still evident today, with the power to contribute to social cohesion, mutual respect, and understanding. The fourth edition of Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads tasked participants with exploring the themes of ‘Faith and Spiritualities’ and ‘Living Together’. Faith and spirituality concern the myriad ways we understand the world and make sense of our place within it through beliefs, values, expressions, and rituals. The photographic entries captured the vast range of faiths and beliefs exhibited in regions along the Silk Roads, while highlighting the shared nature of these expressions that bring vast numbers of people together. Likewise, the theme of ‘Living Together’ provided an opportunity to share images of intercommunity and multicultural gatherings, local and global events, and moments of dialogue. The resulting photo album presents 76 of the very best photos from the two age categories (14–17-year-olds and 18–25-year-olds) that reflect the themes and spirit of the contest. The images serve as a reminder of the shared heritage and legacy of the Silk Roads and provide insight into young people’s understanding of the ways in which they shape daily life. UNESCO Catno: 0000386140 https://doi.org/10.54678/YPAS1663 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000386140