Photography plays an important role in the current environment of Ghana as a post-colonial society, recording daily existence, everyday life, and revealing a brilliant era politically and socially during the 1960s and 1970s. It is significant today that this medium shows real factors that oppose the perfect world of a typical protected world since independence. The Carmignac Prize for Photojournalism therefore intends to help create an editorial and visual project that reports on an ecological, human and transnational emergency.
This year, the Carmignac Foundation will focus on Ghana, a reference in West Africa for its stability and its respect for multiparty legislative issues. The cradle of Pan-Africanism, Ghana is faced with the expansion of open dumpsites such as Agbogbloshie, where nearly 80,000 people reside. The United Nations program has recognized Ghana as one of the world’s leading e-waste objections.
Although global regulations have evolved to restrict the development of hazardous waste with the Basel Convention in 1992 and the Bamako Convention in 1998, there is no sign of a shift in Ghana. Attracted by lower treatment costs, but with reuse targets, Western Europe is currently one of the main shipping areas for this illegal waste with nearly 600,000 tons each year.
In Ghana, approximately 95% of e-waste is collected and reused through the informal market. This work is done by unsuitable people, often underage, and without any welfare guidelines. During the time spent collecting important materials, such as copper and gold, they are exposed to over 1,000 harmful substances, including lead and mercury. These wastes are not biodegradable and accumulate in the environment and in living beings.
Selected by an international jury that will meet in Paris in November 2022, the winner will receive a grant of 50,000 euros to carry out a six-month report on the field with the support of the Carmignac Foundation, which will finance a traveling exhibition and the publication of a monographic book upon return.
Applications will be open until Monday, October 17, 2022 and are completely free.