2019 Photography 4 Humanity Finalist
Photographer: K M Asad – Bangladesh
2019 Photography 4 Humanity Finalist
Photographer: K M Asad – Bangladesh
2019 Photography 4 Humanity Finalist
Photographer: K M Asad – Bangladesh

ABOUT


Photography has long served as humanity’s most powerful witness — a universal language that reveals the lived reality behind human rights. Photography 4 Humanity harnesses that power by inviting photographers around the world to capture images of dignity, resilience, injustice, and hope.



Created by David Clark Cause in partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Photography 4 Humanity launched in 2018 as a founding pillar of the High Note Global Initiative. Together with High Note Music and the upcoming High Note Human Rights Cinema, it forms a global storytelling platform using Music, Photography, and Cinema to advance human rights and inspire action worldwide.


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ABOUT

Photography 4 Humanity stands as a global call to amateaur and professional photographers alike, inviting them to harness the evocative power of imagery to illuminate the essence of human rights. With a lens trained on the profound spectrum of the human experience - from resilience and courage to despair and hope, from glaring injustices to quiet triumphs - this initiative elevates compelling visuals that capture both the fragility and strength of the human spirit. Selected images will transcend borders and narratives, inspiring all who view them to take a stand in the universal pursuit of dignity and justice.
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GLOBAL PRIZE

At the heart of this initiative is an inspiring global call to action, inviting both amateur and professional photographers to submit their most evocative images in an annual competition. The winning photographer is awarded the prestigious Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize, and their image - along with the work of the Top 10 Finalists—is displayed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where it stands as a vivid testament to human rights.

In a remarkable extension, the works of the Global Prize Recipient, the Top 10 Finalists, and the Top 20 Honorable Mentions are also showcased worldwide through the United Nations' digital platform, UN.org, amplifying these powerful images to a global audience.
GLOBAL PRIZE

At the heart of this initiative is an inspiring global call to action, inviting both amateur and professional photographers to submit their most evocative images in an annual competition. The winning photographer is awarded the prestigious Photography 4 Humanity Global Prize, and their image - along with the work of the Top 10 Finalists—is displayed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, where it stands as a vivid testament to human rights.

In a remarkable extension, the works of the Global Prize Recipient, the Top 10 Finalists, and the Top 20 Honorable Mentions are also showcased worldwide through the United Nations' digital platform, UN.org, amplifying these powerful images to a global audience.
INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE

The Photography 4 Humanity Global Initiative—and its renowned international photography competition—gains extraordinary prestige through the support of its global partner: United Nations Human Rights. As the principal authority entrusted with upholding human rights across all 193 UN Member States, UN Human Rights plays a pivotal role in amplifying the initiative's global impact and significance.

Further elevating the competition’s stature is a distinguished jury composed of acclaimed photographers, esteemed human rights advocates, veteran journalists, and expert photo editors. Their collective insight and experience ensure the thoughtful selection of the Global Prize Recipient and the Top 10 Finalists.
INTERNATIONAL PRESTIGE

The Photography 4 Humanity Global Initiative—and its renowned international photography competition—gains extraordinary prestige through the support of its global partner: United Nations Human Rights. As the principal authority entrusted with upholding human rights across all 193 UN Member States, UN Human Rights plays a pivotal role in amplifying the initiative's global impact and significance.

Further elevating the competition’s stature is a distinguished jury composed of acclaimed photographers, esteemed human rights advocates, veteran journalists, and expert photo editors. Their collective insight and experience ensure the thoughtful selection of the Global Prize Recipient and the Top 10 Finalists.
GLOBAL EXHIBITS

As part of the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, Photography 4 Humanity: A Lens on Climate Justice stood as a powerful visual testament to the global climate justice movement. Presented and curated by Fotografiska, the internationally renowned museum of photography, the exhibition brought together compelling imagery from around the world that captured the human cost and courage in the face of the climate crisis.

This striking installation, showcased at the Weston Library at the University of Oxford, offered an unflinching look at climate injustice—and the individuals rising to confront it. Through the universal language of photography, the exhibition gave voice to frontline communities and celebrated the shared resilience of humanity in an era of unprecedented environmental change.
GLOBAL PARTNER
UN HUMAN RIGHTS

UN Human Rights represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. They represent human rights issues for the 193 Member States of the United Nations, and thus have a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect human rights for all, everywhere.
“We are proud to support Photography 4 Humanity, as art has the ability to transcend borders and speak truth to power. It also has the power to galvanize global mobilization for human rights, and at the same time honor artists who passionately use their work to promote and protect the rights of others.” 
- Laurent Sauveur
  Chief of External Outreach, UN Human Rights
GLOBAL PARTNER
UN HUMAN RIGHTS

UN Human Rights represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. They represent human rights issues for the 193 Member States of the United Nations, and thus have a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect human rights for all, everywhere.
“We are proud to support Photography 4 Humanity, as art has the ability to transcend borders and speak truth to power. It also has the power to galvanize global mobilization for human rights, and at the same time honor artists who passionately use their work to promote and protect the rights of others.” 
- Laurent Sauveur
  Chief of External Outreach, UN Human Rights
GLOBAL PARTNER
UN HUMAN RIGHTS

UN Human Rights represents the world's commitment to universal ideals of human dignity. They represent human rights issues for the 193 Member States of the United Nations, and thus have a unique mandate from the international community to promote and protect human rights for all, everywhere.
“We are proud to support Photography 4 Humanity, as art has the ability to transcend borders and speak truth to power. It also has the power to galvanize global mobilization for human rights, and at the same time honor artists who passionately use their work to promote and protect the rights of others.” 
- Laurent Sauveur
  Chief of External Outreach, UN Human Rights
THE INSPIRATION

In 2016, a haunting image of five-year-old Omran Daqnees, bloodied and dazed in the back of an ambulance after an airstrike devastated his Syrian home and took his brother’s life, stirred the world’s collective conscience. David Clark, deeply moved by this image and other viral depictions of human rights crises, recognized the profound power that amateur and professional photographers wield in capturing the stark realities of human rights abuses and triumphs. Through their lenses, these photographers bring awareness to untold stories, inspiring action in defense of human dignity.

In 2019, David Clark Cause, in partnership with United Nations Human Rights, launched The Photography 4 Humanity Global Initiative to underscore the transformative power of imagery to inform, educate, and inspire global action. As this powerful movement in human rights photography gained international prominence, the United Nations Headquarters in New York recognized its impact, inviting Photography 4 Humanity to showcase its annual exhibition on UN.org, the official UN platform. This digital extension now allows audiences worldwide to witness these compelling images, each one a call to awareness and action.
THE INSPIRATION

In 2016, a haunting image of five-year-old Omran Daqnees, bloodied and dazed in the back of an ambulance after an airstrike devastated his Syrian home and took his brother’s life, stirred the world’s collective conscience. David Clark, deeply moved by this image and other viral depictions of human rights crises, recognized the profound power that amateur and professional photographers wield in capturing the stark realities of human rights abuses and triumphs. Through their lenses, these photographers bring awareness to untold stories, inspiring action in defense of human dignity.

In 2019, David Clark Cause, in partnership with United Nations Human Rights, launched The Photography 4 Humanity Global Initiative to underscore the transformative power of imagery to inform, educate, and inspire global action. As this powerful movement in human rights photography gained international prominence, the United Nations Headquarters in New York recognized its impact, inviting Photography 4 Humanity to showcase its annual exhibition on UN.org, the official UN platform. This digital extension now allows audiences worldwide to witness these compelling images, each one a call to awareness and action.
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