THE Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica has launched a school’s photo competition that gives Jamaican children an opportunity to give a personal view of their country.

The competition, among five schools which have benefited from EU support through its Poverty Reduction Programme (PRPII), is one of the organisation’s activities to mark Europe Day 2012 and to recognise the EU partnership with Jamaica as the country celebrates its 50th anniversary of Independence.

Europe Day commemorates each year the May 9, 1950 declaration by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman starting an era of peace and unity for the countries of the European Union after the horrors of two World Wars. Over the years, cooperation and partnerships with developing countries has been one of the main features of EU action and until now the EU is the major provider of development cooperation worldwide.

Ambassador Paola Amadei, Head of the EU Delegation in Jamaica, said that the aim of the competition “is to see Jamaica through the eyes of its children”.

Amadei said that the EU is non-prescriptive about style and content but was “encouraging children to be imaginative, bold and authentic in their choice of subjects and the way in which they choose to portray them.”

The EU, she said, “is particularly keen to ensure that children who may not normally have such opportunities are given a voice to share their particular vision of Jamaica”.

In this regard, the EU has provided disposable cameras for use by 50 competitors in two categories, ages 10-12 and ages 13-15. Each of the five schools selected will be allowed 10 participants, with five in each category for schools which have a Junior High component and 10 for those with only primaryaged children.

Schools competing in My Jamaica at 50 are St Patrick’s Primary, Constant Spring Primary and Junior High, Allman Town Primary, Windward Road Primary and Junior High and Maverley Primary and Junior High.

Judges for “My Jamaica at 50” are noted photographers Michael Gordon of the Jamaica Observer, who will serve as chief judge; The Gleaner’s Ricardo Makyn; and Dave Reid, of the Jamaica Information Service.

On Friday, Gordon charged the young competitors to “be creative, walk around your school, your community and show us your Jamaica”.

Winning entries of “My Jamaica at 50” will be featured in a travelling exhibition starting in May.