What if you could change the world with photographic images?

Well, the Resolution Project 2009 offers you that opportunity.

The Jamaica National Building Society Foundation will launch the project at the Bloomfield Great House in Mandeville, Manchester, tomorrow.

The Resolution Project has evolved from Youth Zoom, which was established in 2004 to teach high-school students in rural Jamaica how to capture images of positive and negative situations in their communities.

"Last year, approximately 230 students from 44 schools participated in the photo-advocacy programme with the support of the United Nations Population Fund," said Saffrey Brown, general manager of the JNBS Foundation.

Changing lives

She said that winning photos and essays served to change lives, citing the image of two senior citizens, photographed by a student from Clarendon College. Food For the Poor came forward to upgrade the house of the elderly pair after the photo captured their poor living conditions.

"That was an example of lessons learned," said Brown.

The general manager also pointed out that, "this year, the advocacy through photography competition will continue with its central theme of 'Youth Advocacy Through the Arts' in an exciting format, to generate a new level of public awareness, and encourage more young people to participate."

The plus side of photography

Students are invited to attend workshops with some of the country's most vibrant and dynamic photographers.

They will learn to transform passion into action. They will then be asked to use photography to examine the issues in their communities, highlighting the positives, identifying problems and seeking to effect affirmative change.

How to enter

Schools are encouraged to establish photography clubs. Each school may enter two teams with no more than three members each, and will be provided a digital camera by the JNBS Foundation.

If you are a student at a high school in rural Jamaica and you are interested in being a part of the photography revolution, ask your teacher to contact the Jamaica National Building Society Foundation at 922-4931 for further information.