As May 2014 was our first month in which our #theDignityProject Photo Competition took place, we first of all want to thank all participants who had the courage to share their unique creativity with us on Intsagram. Lots of great contributions came in and enriched our new innovative project!
Thus, we are very happy to announce our first and only winner Rebecca #beboom97 for this first month!
With the snapshot of the three jumping children, her picture emphasizes the joy of pleasant company in life, whether in family, friendship or the new encounters that come up throughout life. This year, WYA celebrates the international year of the family. We loved how this photo captured that certain, special freedom for spontaneity that only comes from being part of a family. With it, she submits the appropriate quote “A good life is a work of art”. A work of art- as a human’s life appears to be- obviously remains in progress throughout life and is just as colorful and exceptional as the picture illustrates.
We were also very impressed by many other beautiful pictures, which offered a very strong expression of parenthood and family.
Love with love, I used to say.
Mother is just another word for God.
One picture amongst them gives us the suitable opportunity to remember a strong and beloved woman, who passed away just a week ago.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” (Victor Frankl)
In memory of Maya Angelou, we especially loved this photo and its relation to her memoir and poem “I know why the caged bird sings”.
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” (1969), one of her seven autobiographies, is a poignant autobiographical story which talks about the young girl Maya, who, for the first time in her life, encounters love for herself, the kindness of others and her own strong spirit, after the ache of abandonment and brutality of the racial discrimination she experienced during her childhood. “If growing up is painful for the southern black girl,” she wrote, “being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult.” With her tenacious will to seek freedom, she had much in common with Martin Luther, with whom she cultivated a deep friendship. Her family stated After her death on May 28, her family summed up her legacy; “She lived a life as a teacher, activist, artist and human being. She was a warrior for equality, tolerance and peace.”
Angelou’s words and actions continue to stir our souls, energize our bodies, liberate our minds, and heal our hearts.
“A bird doesn’t sing because he has an answer, it sings because it has a song“ – Maya Angelou
With this in mind, we shall all fly off and let the melody of our lives rise.
Next month (#June) we’ll be awarding two winners!
If you want to be one of the next honored winners in sharing your joy about your dignity AND a 25$ gift card, submit your photo in easy steps:
1. Snap a pic!
2. Choose a corresponding quote from the WYANA list (you can place the quote on top of the photo or simply include it as a caption)
3. Upload it in your public Instagram account with the hashtags: #TheDignityProject #MonthSubmitted
*The contest is open to USA and Canada residents only.
We are waiting for your great artistic ideas! www.wya.net/thedignityproject
By Anna Maria Honeck, an Austrian intern for WYA North America
