This video contest, to be formally announced on International Democracy Day, seems easy at first glance. Just make a short video that completes the phrase, “Democracy is…”. However, in this worldwide video challenge, democracy may mean one thing to a Malaysian, another to a person in British Columbia, and yet something totally different to someone living in Portugal. This is an exciting competition to me because just about everyone on the planet is eligible to submit their video and have their voice be heard.

Seven winners – one each from the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central Asia, East Asia Pacific and one anonymous winner will be announced mid-June 2009. The grand prize winners will travel to the United States to claim their prize in October 2009.

Although the submission deadline is January 31, 2009, I think it’s best to submit your entry as soon as possible, in order to create a buzz about your video. During the contest the general public will be voting on finalist videos using YouTube’s rating system. Make sure to review the official contest rules and I can’t wait to see the submissions created by everyone throughout the world.