To help promote this year's Run for Freedom, organisers are again running a poster competition – won last year by Bermudian Akil Richardson whose work was used on the Island and in London.

"I was very surprised to win," he said. "The poster started off just being a homework assignment for a course I was taking at Bermuda College.

"My instructor encouraged the class to enter the competition and I decided to take her advice. Winning was never on my mind."

His poster showed a level of depth and insight and here he explained what was on his mind during the design process.

"Well I wanted the poster to be powerful," he said. "Something viewers could appreciate and hopefully understand. The hand, which was the main focus of the poster was the symbol to tell people to stop trafficking humans.

"I placed different nationalities in the fingertips to show that traffickers have no particular preference. The fingertips were also detached from the hand to show pain and suffering. As for my colour choice, I used red, white and black hues, which are used on a stop sign to indicate to the viewers to stop the trafficking."

Of his thoughts on slavery and human trafficking, he said: "I feel that it is unfortunate that people are still being kept against their will after all these years. People need to come together and join this campaign, because by doing nothing, it's like you're allowing it to happen."

Run for Freedom organiser Charlotte Wilberforce said the contest was now open and the closing date was February 28.

"We are looking for something that represents people trafficking. Examples of previous entries and other posters are on the Run for Freedom Facebook group.

To enter the competition, which closes on February 28, e-mail posters to info@globalrunforfreedom.com.