At my job at ONE, I get a chance to use my creativity for good every single day. And I have the luxury of being surrounded by a group of really talented and creative people all doing the same. What we all know is how important storytelling is in attracting people to the fight against extreme poverty. But if there’s one lesson I’ve learned time and again, it’s that the best ideas often come not from the professionals, but from the most unexpected places.

That’s why I’m especially excited to announce a contest we just launched with Zooppa – a global social network where creative folks submit work to win prizes. Together with our friends at iStockphoto, we’re offering $20,000 in prizes — pretty incredible, right?

The theme is “ONE thing we can all agree on,” a play on the fact that uncommon bedfellows often join together in the fight against extreme poverty. We’re looking for video and print submissions that bring opposites together — you can be edgy, funny, ridiculous, in-your-face – but whatever you do, make it super engaging. Don’t wallow in doom and gloom, but rather celebrate what we can make happen when we work together.

If video is your thing, create a short piece (three minutes or less) that brings opposites together to fight poverty. They could be athletes from opposing teams, a superhero and super villain, feuding neighbors or even comically mismatched roommates.

SUBMIT YOUR PIECE HERE

If print is more your style, express the same point through a digital version of your still artwork.

The first 500 entrants to submit their briefs before January 23 will receive free credits toward photos, illustrations, video or music from iStockphoto to help tell their stories.

Industry legends like Tom Freston and Jesse Dylan will help us pick the winners. Finalists will be announced at SXSW in March and share a piece of the $20,000 prize pie.

So, check out all contest details and rules here, spread the news about the contest on your social networks, and get to it! We can’t wait to see what you come up with.