An Israeli entry has advanced to the final stage in a global video competition sponsored by the US Department of State that asks people worldwide to share their thoughts on democracy by completing the phrase “Democracy is…”

People around the world can vote for their favorite videos at Democracy Video Challenge until midnight GMT on June 15, 2010. Six winners, one from each geographic region of the world, will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Los Angeles, New York and Washington, D.C. in September.

The competition is a public-private partnership between the State Department and leading US organizations from the film/entertainment industry, youth and democracy organizations, and academia. Since its launch two years ago, more than 1,600 people from 111 countries have submitted entries and spurred the online engagement of at least 1.5 million people.

This year’s Democracy Video Challenge jury, chaired by renowned Peruvian economist and President of the Institute for Liberty & Democracy Hernando de Soto, narrowed the field to 18 finalists – three videos each from Africa, East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Eurasia, Near East, South and Central Asia, and Western Hemisphere.