U.S. Department of State Launches Second Annual ExchangesConnect Video Contest to Amplify U.S. Public Diplomacy: "Change Your Climate, Change Our World"

WASHINGTON, November 23 - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today launched the Department
of State's second annual ExchangesConnect Video Contest, "Change Your
Climate, Change Our World," with a video message on the ExchangesConnect
social network at connect.state.gov.

The contest is a call to action for global citizens around the world to
engage in cross-cultural community building and mutual understanding. The
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) of the U.S. Department of
State launched ExchangesConnect social network in October 2008 and it has
attracted over 14,000 members.

People all over the world, ages 14 and older, are invited to submit their
2-minute videos to ExchangesConnect at connect.state.gov. Two
international and two American winners (one in each of the two age
categories: 14-17 and 18 and older) will receive one of four Grand Prizes: an
all-expense-paid two-week international exchange program. Last year's contest
drew over 8,400 new ExchangesConnect members from 170 countries and the
winners were featured at exchanges.state.gov/news/ovc.html.

Video submissions will be accepted November 17, 2009 through January 12,
2010. The ExchangesConnect community will vote on video entries and an expert
panel of judges, all ECA exchange program alumni, will rank the "top 40"
videos based on originality, creativity, effectiveness and production
quality. The panel of judges includes:

    - Jay Craven - Independent Filmmaker (U.S. Cultural Envoy and AFI 20/20
      Global Cultural Exchange Program alumnus);

    - Vassilios Karamitsanis - President, Platforma International Film
      Festival and Urban Cultural Company (International Visitor Leadership
      Program alumnus);

    - Josef Frank Madisia - Director, National Art Gallery, Namibia
      (International Visitor Leadership Program alumnus);

    - Rodolfo Molina - Coordinator, El Salvador's Biennials of Visual Arts
      events (Fulbright Student Program alumnus); and,

    - Hind Shoufani - Writer and Filmmaker (Fulbright alumnus).

The School of Cinema and Performing Arts (SOCAPA), one of the premier
visual and performing arts programs for young people, joins the Department in
support of the contest in providing the young international winner a two-week
summer camp experience.

Please visit
exchanges.state.gov/news/2009/exchangesconnect-videocontest.html.

Catherine Stearns, +1-202-632-6437, StearnsCL at state.gov