KATHMANDU:United States Department of State and its partners made public the list of 18 persons who made it to the final of the Democracy Video Challenge, an international video contest providing an array of voices and visions worldwide.

In an online video competition, the contestants were asked to complete the phrase "Democracy is-----", besides submitting the video.

Public voting, part of the procedure to pick six winners, is open to be continued till midnight, June 15 (Eastern Standard Time), the US Embassy in Kathmandu said in a press release today.

The voters can log on to www.youtube.com/democracychallenge and cast their vote.

The finalists were chosen from over 900 entries representing 95 countries, including Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, Philippines, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, the United States, Uzbekistan and Zambia.

US Embassy spokesperson Nicole Chilick expressed her delight over the selection of one of the 17 entries made from Nepal as a world finalist.

Chilick also informed that all Nepali nationals would have a chance to vote online for free for their chosen video till June 15, including the entry from Nepali filmmaker Tsering Choden.

Six winners - one each from the Western Hemisphere, Europe, Middle East/North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central Asia and East Asia/Pacific - will be announced in mid-June, with each winner receiving an all-expense-paid trip in September to Washington, New York and Hollywood in the United States of America.

The prize package includes time on television or film sets, meetings with film professionals, democracy advocates, the mass media, government officials, including special screenings of the winning videos.

The Democracy Video Challenge was launched online by the United Nations on International Democracy Day, September 15, as a joint effort of organisations working for democracy and the youth, the film and entertainment industry, academia and the American Government.