IWPG Chairwoman Yoon said, “This year’s theme was ‘The Global Community Becoming One Under the Light of Peace.”
By Our Reporter
Seoul, South Korea, December 3, 2022: On November 29, the 4th International Loving-Peace Art Competition Awards Ceremony, hosted by the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG, Chairwoman Hyun Sook Yoon) and organized by the IWPG branches, was held successfully in Korea.
The event took place at 9:00 pm (KST) with 850 participants online, including children and their families.
The International Loving-Peace Art Competition, a part of IWPG’s ‘initiative to spread a culture of peace’ was first planned to plant ‘the mindset of peace’ into the hearts of children so that they can all come together to achieve cessation of war and world peace. With the objective of sending messages of hope for world peace to those living in conflict and war, this annual event has been held in cooperation with various institutions such as national art institutes and artist associations.
The 4th event was held this year under the theme of “The global community becoming one under the light of peace.” Approximately 12,000 children and youth between the ages of 7 and 14 (4,524 children in Korea and 7,408 children overseas) participated, and the top 3 pieces from each of the national preliminaries advanced to compete in the finals. The preliminaries were held in 145 cities in 52 countries from May to July.
The honor of this year’s Grand Prize went to the piece titled, “The Wind of Peace Blowing Toward Us” by Da Yeong Lee, 13, from Donghae, Korea. Da Yeong explained that this drawing expresses her hope for “a peaceful world in which all nations around the world live in harmony without war, like the two friends holding hands in the drawing.”
The judges also commented that Da Yeong’s drawing “held a very clear message of freedom and peace in a world without discrimination.” She received a certificate and one million Korean Won scholarship.
The awardees of 2nd Place were Anisha Santoni (Elementary School Division, Bangladesh), Geon Kim (Middle School Division, Korea), and Kawin Smansaksiri (High School Division, Thailand). Each received a certificate and a 200,000 Korean Won scholarship.
The 3rd Place Prize was granted to six students, Taym Taj AL Deen (Lebanon) and Min Ha Rhu (Korea) in the Elementary School Division; Sneha Yumandhi Rathnayake (Sri Lanka) and Seol Jeon (Korea) in the Middle School Division, and Malak Mata (Lebanon) and Si Yoon Kim (Korea) in the High School Division. Each received a certificate and a 100,000 Korean Won scholarship.
21 participants including Jaanvika Agarwal (Australia) received the Award of Recognition, and 2 Korean students were given Special Awards. The Chairperson of the Korean Fine Arts Organization Award went to Sol Han, while the Chairperson’s Federation of Artistic and Culture Organization of Korea Award went to Myeong Seo Kong. Boukchakeche Hanae (Morocco). 87 others received the Award of Participation.
In her greeting remarks, Chairwoman Yoon said, “This year’s theme was ‘The Global Community Becoming One Under the Light of Peace.” I was amazed by the artistry and creativity demonstrated by the participants this year and was deeply touched by the message of peace that the drawings held. […] We are currently living in an era in which peace has never before been more desperately needed. […] In order to achieve peace, people need to understand that peace is a basic right for all and that we must spread a culture of peace. […] I hope that the world of peace portrayed in these paintings is achieved as soon as possible.”
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Head Judge Yang Hyung Lee, standing advisor of Korean Fine Art Association, said, “As children think more and more of peace, they become more and more creative, and have a stronger desire to spread their message of peace around the world through their drawings. I believe that this firm determination will ring loudly all around the world.”
Judge Shamika Deshpande from India encouraged the students in her congratulatory remarks by saying that, “participation is important because without participation, [we] will not get the best one. Children have done excellent jobs. They have done something more, expressed themselves, have got the prizes and I say all the best to all those children.”
Judge Linda Ciharova from the Czech Republic said, “despite competition, all of you created amazing drawings of pieces,” commending the students’ drawings.
The awarded pieces will be presented at an online exhibition, and the drawings will also be published as a brochure and sent to all awardees, even those living overseas.
IWPG is an international NGO in consultative status with UN ECOSOC, and since its establishment in 2013, it has been conducting various peace initiatives and campaigns to achieve world peace and reunification of the Korean peninsula.