We've been hearing a lot about environmental threats, Ebola scares and then of course, all the stories of international strife. Sometimes it's hard to find humor among today's headlines, but that's just what Jamie Masada is trying to do. He's the owner of Hollywood nightclub The Laugh Factory, and he believes you can bring the world together through laughter.

That's why he's launched a contest to find the funniest person in the world. 

Masada pored through videos of comedy festivals looking for funny men and women. He winnowed them down to 31 competitors hailing from all corners of the world, from Switzerland to South Korea, Australia to Pakistan.

Online voters narrowed the list down to 10 semi-finalists who will perform at the Laugh Factory and before a worldwide Internet audience Monday night. From Monday night's competition, the top 5 will go to the Laugh Factory's sister club in Las Vegas. There, a winner will be crowned on Oct. 24, which also happens to be United Nations Day. 

You can watch and vote for your favorite here: Funniest Person in the World Competition. 

Voting will start at 8 p.m. PST On Oct. 20 and continue until 4 p.m. on Oct. 21.