Visualize 2030 is an initiative of the Arab Development Portal which aims to encourage the consumption of data by youth from the Arab region in support of advocacy campaigns and innovative thinking around development priorities and to advance their contribution to informed public debate in the region.

Visualize 2030 is an annual data camp that brings together youth from Arab countries to enhance their technical and analytical capacity to produce audio visual content on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Visualize 2030 Camp

What is Visualize 2030?

Visualize 2030 calls upon youth (aged 20-30) to use official statistics with the aim of visualizing a data-driven story that highlights concerns, hopes or ambitions regarding a development topic in a selected Arab country or for the whole Arab region. Every year, Visualize 2030 will be addressing a development theme in the Arab region within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Visualize 2030 brings together the top ideas selected for a data adventure to collectively think and engage with one another in order to unleash the power of data: create a data-driven visual product that can take the form of a poster, infographics, illustrations, videos or any other visualization using the ADP Database or other official national or international sources.

Visualizers are shortlisted based on skills and innovation, taking into consideration diversity criteria, mainly in terms of ideas presented, gender and country representation. Participants are expected to be from the Arab region.

During the camp, Visualizers are granted access to training and production facilities where trainers on graphic design, videography, animation, statistical analysis, visualization and communication and presentation skills are available to assist them develop their final products.

Framework

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 25 September 2015. The new agenda seeks to leave no one behind and aspires to transform the world in which we live.

UN Member States have resolved “to end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and among countries; to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of the planet and its natural resources.”

Moreover, under the same ambitious 2030 Agenda, calls for global data to inform sustainable development policymaking are unparalleled: UN Member States emphasized the importance of “quality, accessible, timely and reliable disaggregated data […] to help with the measurement of progress and to ensure no one is left behind.” (Paragraph 48).

National statistical offices in the Arab region and other national data producers, hence, face an urgent need to adapt and develop in order to meet the widening, increasing and progressing needs of data users, including the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

In light of the above, youth are encouraged to take the below into consideration when drafting their applications:

  • In your opinion and as per the official statistics, what is the most pressing problem or challenge in your home country/Arab region brought up by COVID-19 and that should be resolved by 2030? 
  • How was your life affected by the pandemic? Can you find data that highlight this impact? 
  • How easy is it to access reliable statistics in your home country/Arab region?
  • What does the “data revolution” mean for your country/Arab region and how can it help alleviate the current challenges?
  • How would open data affect the spread/effects of the pandemic in your home country/Arab region?

Objectives

As data revolution is a key part of the 2030 Agenda, and given that data are considered to be one of the fundamental elements of the accountability framework of the SDGs, Visualize 2030 aims to:

  1. Advocate for and encourage the adoption of open data policies and the SDGs;
  2. Contribute to the enhancement of data access, use and communication in a useful, meaningful and innovative way in the Arab region;
  3. Bring together creative development practitioners, data analysts, statisticians, data scientists, graphic designers, etc. from the Arab region for one of a kind data adventure that stimulates data-driven public debates on key development issues and offers the space for highlighting out-of-the-box ideas on pressing development challenges.

The Visualize 2030 theme

Each year, Visualize 2030 addresses a development topic within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Audio-visual products should be aligned with the proposed topic and can cover one or more SDGs within an Arab country, across Arab countries or even globally (comparing the Arab region to other regions). In 2020, Visualize 2030 will focus on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting lockdown measures on youth in the Arab countries within the framework of the 2030 Agenda.

Expected Outcome

The final output is a data-driven visual product that can take the form of a poster, infographics, illustrations, videos or any other visualization using the ADP Database or other official sources.

Application criteria

Step 1 — Launch the call for application
ADP will launch the call for applications for the Visualize 2030 via a social media campaign. Interested applicants are expected to fill the online application and submit an updated professional portfolio and research samples (if available).

Step 2 — Selection of the top ideas
The applications will be assessed by the jury of the preselection phase. The top teams (teams of two or three) will be selected based on skills and innovation, taking into consideration diversity criteria. Shortlisted teams will be notified about their acceptance via email.

Step 3 — Data camp
The shortlisted teams will be invited to the data camp to develop their ideas. Visualizers will be granted access to trainings and production facilities.

Step 4 — Final Ceremony
Visualizers will present their final products and the top three teams will win cash prizes and their names will be announced in a spot broadcasted on the ceremony day

Who can apply?

  1. Visualize 2030 targets youth aged 20 to 30 years in the Arab region
  2. It mainly addresses young students, researchers, graphic designers, journalists, and any other citizens interested in sustainable development in the Arab region.
  3. The Visualize 2030 is open to teams composed of two or three individuals. Individual applications will not be considered.
  4. The team must include at least one designer and one data analyst/researcher/economist.
  5. Visualize 2030 alumni are not eligible to participate.
  6. UN staff are not eligible to participate.
Evaluation criteria

Phase 1 — Work progress and attendance (25 percent)
Over four weeks, the trainers (graphic designers, videographers, animators, statistical analysts) and the ADP team will assess and grade visualizers progress of work and their attendance over 25 percent of the final grade.

Phase 2 — Dissemination and Outreach (25 percent)
Participants should disseminate their products during Week 5, tagging and mentioning relevant organizations and governmental institutions. The engagement and reach of the posts/tweets will account for 25 percent of the final grade. 

Phase 3 — Final product (50 percent)
The multidisciplinary evaluation committee will assess the final outputs of the teams. The competing ideas will be scored over 50 percent of the total grade based on the following criteria:

  • Richness of data: Does the content produced by teams use diverse datasets? How much effort did the team put into data analysis and data crunching? How well referenced are the data sources used?
  • Creativity and impact: Is the visual content unique? Does it reflect creativity and an attempt to produce something new and visually appealing?
  • Quality of work: Is the visual product of high quality?
  • Relevance:
    1. Is the visual content relevant to the selected theme?
    2. Does the idea relate to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
    3. Does the idea show a concern over an Arab country or the Arab region’s priorities?
       
Highlights from Previous Camps

The 2020 Visualize 2030

The 2020 Visualize 2030

Youth from the Arab region visualize the impact of COVID-19 on their lives:

The 2020 Visualize 2030, the first regional SDGs data camp in its fourth edition, was virtually held from 16 November to 18 December, gathering 100 young participants from 13 Arab countries.

The fourth edition of Visualize 2030 brought participants in one virtual setting to reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on their lives as youth from the Arab region. Visualizers took part in a five-week training and socialization scheme with 28 trainers and 12 lecturers, who introduced them to one another and guided them through the camps three different phases: work progress and attendance, dissemination and outreach, and the execution of their final audio-visual products.

The 2020 Visualize 2030 was able to break the distance and overcome the challenges accompanying the spread of COVID-19 pandemic with the support of international and regional partner organizations and institutions, namely the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ).

The 2020 Visualize 2030 Winners
  • First place: Qatra team from Yemen, produced a short video addressing water insecurity and the lack of access to clean water in Yemen.
  • Second place: Timeline team from Yemen tackled the economic effect of the spread of the pandemic in their audio-visual product, particularly on unemployment, and poverty, as well as the effect of conflict in Yemen on displacement.
  • Third place: Gleam team from Lebanon, recounted the experiences as Lebanese youth who have lived through an economic crisis and its exacerbation due to the spread of the pandemic.
  • Fourth place: United team from Saudi Arabia, dedicated their audio-visual product to the destigmatization of mental health by addressing depression among Saudi youth under Covid-19.

Over 100 participants attended the online celebratory closing ceremony on 21 December 2020, including youth, data scientists, experts, and journalists.

The 2019 Visualize 2030

The 2019 Visualize 2030

The 2019 Visualize 2030, the first regional SDGs data camp in its third edition, held from 10 to 14 October gathered 65 young participants from 14 Arab countries that were selected among 464 applicants

As in the previous Visualize 2030 camps, youth from multi-disciplinary teams crafted 24 impactful audio/visual products that highlight their concerns and ambitions. The 2019 camp’s theme particularly addressed inequalities in the Arab region, whereby the teams covered a broad range of issues from gender inequality to discrimination against migrant domestic workers, from inequalities in accessing education and health services to lost opportunities in conflict affected countries, and much more.

The 2019 Visualize 2030 attracted contributions from other UN agencies, namely World Food Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The 2019 Visualize 2030 Winners
  • First place: Harf team from Yemen, produced a video which tells the story of two young Yemeni students that witnessed their education, future and dreams destroyed by conflict.
  • Second place: Entrepioneers 2030 from Syria looked into their country’s social contract and the level of trust between citizens and institutions.
  • Third place: Sanad from Sudan, highlighted the challenges homeless children in Sudan face for being without identification documents.

Over 100 people including youth, data scientists, experts and journalists attended the closing ceremony of Visualize 2030, which took place in the historic Beit Beirut, a building destroyed during the Lebanese war and now operating as a cultural center.

The 2018 Visualize 2030

The 2018 Visualize 2030

The 2018 edition of Visualize 2030, held from 12 to 16 October 2018 in Beirut, brought together 50 youth from 14 Arab countries and challenged them to use their creativity and data skills to bring the vision of the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs to life.

During the 5-days camp, Visualizers crafted 23 impressive visual and audio data products, including animated infographics, virtual reality games, technologically-advanced videos and interactive presentations, employing official data and statistics. Visualizers were guided by the ADP team and data analysts and worked closely with technical experts (graphic designers, animators, videographers…). They also had the opportunity to meet and learn from well-known and highly visible influencers, namely: Betty Taoutel (famous actress/director), Zaven Kouyoumdjian (well-known anchor) and Imad Bazzi (award-winning advocacy specialist).

The 2018 Visualize 2030 was held in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development.

The 2018 Visualize 2030 Winners
  • First place: Hekaya from Yemen, aimed to raise awareness on the impact of early marriage on a woman’s life and the importance of family planning.
  • Second place: ArtMoony from Tunisia, looked into their country’s social contract and the level of trust between citizens and institutions.
  • Third place: Dania Al Khalaf from Syria, called for immediate action to stop the devastating effect of the conflict, especially on children.

Over 150 people attended the closing ceremony, which took place in the historic Beit Beirut, a building destroyed during the Lebanese war and now operating as a cultural center.

Media Coverage

Jaafar AbdulKarim did a special ShababTalk episode with participants on the Ceremony day.

The 2017 Visualize 2030

The 2017 Visualize 2030

The 2017 Visualize 2030 held in Beit Merry, Lebanon from 19 to 23 October 2017, brought together 50 youth from 13 Arab countries to produce 21 audio-visual products around different priority areas, such as food security, education, economic development, peace, water, health, etc.

Throughout the camp, Visualizers had the opportunity to attend inspirational lectures and interactive sessions on open data for SDGs, data visualization tools, data analysis and innovation, data pipeline and main data challenges and that were delivered by regional and international speakers from the World Wide Web Foundation, Infotimes, Web Radar, and Data Aurora.

The 2017 Visualize 2030 Winners
  • First place: Supermilk from Lebanon, aimed to raise awareness on the importance of breastfeeding.
  • Second place: BrainMix from Iraq, aimed to enhance education.
  • Third place: TechArmy from Algeria, highlighted the industrial investment in Algeria.
Terms & Conditions
  1. Attendance: Participants are expected to attend a minimum of four hours per day, Monday through Friday, throughout the four weeks. Attending trainings and meetings with the trainers is mandatory.
  2. Integrity: Participants should submit their own work for assessment. Representing someone else's work as your own is considered plagiarism. Even with consent, using someone else's work is a violation of integrity.
  3. Participation in other competitions: The team must inform the ADP team, when submitting their proposal, if the idea has been previously used in any other competition.
  4. Intellectual property and copyright: The output of the Visualize 2030 are the property of UNDP and the participant(s) who create it. Accordingly, ADP can publish the products on www.arabdevelopmentportal.com and the social media pages owned by ADP, crediting the creators of the product.
  5. Sole liability of the participants: Neither the ADP nor the UNDP-RBAS may be held responsible for any claim relating to the activities carried out by the participants in the framework of or outside the competition.
  6. Checks and audits: The winning teams accept checks by UNDP in relation to the competition and the prize received.