April 28, 2022
The photo contest on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, held by WIPO, had 30-year-old Brazilian Joanderson Gomes de Almeida as the first place. He is a Pankararu indigenous from the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. Joanderson is currently completing a master's degree at the University of Brasília.
The Pankararu people have a very strong characteristic of preserving indigenous culture and traditions, says Joanderson. Unfortunately, their community is heavily punished by periods without rain and drought, which makes it difficult to carry out traditional agricultural activities. Joanderson's message to innovators is to become partners with indigenous peoples, as “[their] relationship with nature is one of respect... because it is from the land that we consciously and sustainably source our food”.
Second place went to Verine Ogutu, 24, a young woman from the Luo community in Kenya. She is a graduate student in Communication and a photography enthusiast.
Third place went to Prince Loyd Besorio, 22, a young leader in the Philippines. He is a journalist, volunteer, photojournalist and content creator. Prince is passionate about the ocean. He and his community are concerned about the water and ocean pollution they witness daily.