Canon Europe takes its Young People Programme to the next level

Canon Europe, leader in imaging solutions, has announced that following a number of successful activities to engage young people across Europe on visual storytelling, its Young People Programme has entered a new stage. This will involve offering a series of interactive workshops to young students in which they will be encouraged to take photos or videos of subjects that relate to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and express their views on the need for change. The aim is to show the power of visual storytelling and raise awareness of the need to deliver the 17 SDGs, which were created to eliminate poverty, protect the planet and achieve prosperity for all.   

Xavier Longan, European Officer-in-Charge at the United Nations SDG Action Campaign said, “Engaging young people and giving them the tools they need to tell their stories and raise their voices is critical to make sure we make the 17 Sustainable Development Goals a reality by 2030. We are confident this program will inspire creativity, raise awareness on the importance of the Goals and encourage people to take action."

Stuart Poore, Director of Sustainability and Government Affairs at Canon Europe commented, “The Young People Programme is one of several sustainability projects Canon Europe is currently running in the EMEA region that deliver social and environmental benefits through our people and products, demonstrating our commitment to our corporate philosophy of Kyosei: living and working together for the common good. We hope this programme will help us grow the positive power of imaging technology and services whilst amplifying the voice of young people in developing the United Nations’ SDGs. We look forward to seeing the results of each local initiative.”

The first event took place on 22nd June in Cologne, Germany, where a group of 15 students were joined by Pulitzer prize winner and highly acclaimed photographer Daniel Etter and Instagrammer Karla Schwede to learn about visual storytelling. Both Daniel and Karla guided the students in the task of documenting some of the 17 SDGs through photography. The workshop was closely followed by events in the UK, Finland and Poland in 2017, and in other locations throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the future, in order to reach as many young people as possible.

Canon Europe has been delivering visual storytelling workshops for young people since 2015, and to date, 14 countries across Europe have run events, reaching more than 1,100 students including many who would not have had the chance to have their talents identified.