Sometimes a Picture Says the Most
16 Mar 2012
We conclude our focus upon the interaction between animation and international relations and security by presenting the winners of the external pageCenter for International Private Enterprise’s (CIPE) Global Editorial Cartoon Competition 2011. CIPE’s annual competition demonstrates how cartoons can be used as tools of free expression and critical discourse. The winners of the 2011 competition come from Afghanistan, Indonesia and Israel. We also present some of the winning cartoonists’ thoughts on their own work and what they think cartoons are good for. As CIPE Deputy Director Jean Rogers pointed out, “these winners show that sometimes a picture says the most.”
Winner in the category "Democracy"
From the Cartoonist: “The cartoon I submitted shows someone becoming happy after an incandescent bulb lights up. This object becomes a symbol of democratic principles, which can be the best choice if carried out appropriately for a community. But in fact upholding the principles of democracy is not easy, as can be observed in many developing countries, including Indonesia. There are a lot of obstacles in the application of democratic principles, such as corruption, money, politics, dishonest public officials, poverty, etc. These obstacles, symbolically, I have pictured as the rats eating the table.
I believe cartoon art can be a medium to convey opinions freely and critically.”
Taufan Hidayatullah is a lecturer at the Faculty of Design at Universitas Komputer Indonesia in West Java, and a former illustrator and cartoonist for Metro Newspaper Bandung.
Winner in the category "Corruption"
From the Cartoonist: “ I found the theme of the cartoon competition very interesting. The idea of my work is ‘do not feed the corruption’ – those who offer bribes support the spread of corruption.”
Ilya Katz is a graphic designer and cartoonist.
Winner in the category "Gender"
From the Cartoonist: “Regardless of politics and any political group membership, I focused for my cartoon on the decade from 2001 to 2011, which started with new hopes, desires, and new aspects. But unfortunately we were witness to a day-to-day increase in the already high rates of violence against women. The cartoon shows that while the decade started with new hopes for female rights [in Afghanistan], it was only a dream or a set of slogans.”
Basir Ahmad Hamaid is a finance/funding officer for the Mazar-e-Sharif Office of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
To see more editorial cartoons and learn more about the CIPE Global Editorial Cartoon Competition visit external pageCIPE’s cartoon website.