Religions for Peace Europe Launches International Painting and Photography Competition on Interfaith Dialogue
Religions for Peace Europe, in cooperation with the Committee for Interreligious and Interconvictional Dialogue of the Conference of INGOs of the Council of Europe, has launched an international painting and photography competition under the theme:
“Interfaith Dialogue: Bridges of Cooperation, Peace and Understanding”
The competition aims to encourage young people to express, through art and photography, their perspectives on religious harmony, respect for diversity, peaceful coexistence, and the role of dialogue in building a more open and inclusive society.
The competition is open to young people aged 18–25 who reside in Europe or are affiliated with a European university, faith or community organisation, or partner network. The European Interfaith Youth Network of Religions for Peace Europe will support outreach and encourage youth participation.
The competition includes two separate sections:
- Painting
- Photography
Submitted works should reflect themes such as interfaith coexistence, respect for others, peace, solidarity, friendship, cooperation among religious communities, and shared human values.
Prizes
Three prizes will be awarded in each section:
- First Prize: Trophy, Letter of Recognition, and EUR 500
- Second Prize: Framed Certificate of Recognition and EUR 300
- Third Prize: Certificate of Recognition and EUR 200
Selected works may be published online for public voting. The paintings and photographs receiving the highest number of online votes may be exhibited at the Council of Europe during the award ceremony.
The final prizes will be determined by a jury based on creativity, originality, relevance to the theme, artistic expression, and the message conveyed.
Submission Deadline and Application
The deadline for submissions is:
1 September 2026
Entries should be sent to:
Each submission should include the participant’s full name, age, country, university or institution, contact details, competition section, and a short description of the work.
All submissions must be the original work of the participant. Fully AI-generated artworks or images are not eligible. Minor technical adjustments, such as cropping, exposure correction, colour or light correction, and scan cleanup, are permitted, provided that any use of digital tools is declared in the submission.
Award Ceremony
The winners will be announced during an award ceremony to be held on:
28 September 2026 at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France.
Attendance at the ceremony is not mandatory. Travel and accommodation expenses are not covered by the organisers unless otherwise confirmed in writing.
Religions for Peace Europe invites eligible young people to take part in this initiative and use their talent to promote messages of peace, dialogue, cooperation, and interfaith understanding.
