PRESS CONFERENCE ON YOUTH ART COMPETITION

Students and teachers everywhere should reflect on globalization as the great challenge of the new millennium, Nancy Rivard, President of Airline Ambassadors International, said at Headquarters this morning.

Launching an international youth art competition at a press conference sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Spain to the United Nations, she said the challenge was to create a just and brotherly humanity and a world that worked for everyone.  Young people would have to take a leading role, she emphasized.

Noting that the disparity between the world's rich and poor was increasing, largely due to globalization, she said that while travel was an important factor of globalization, its effects did not did have to be negative.  That was the theme of this year's art competition, which the group is co-sponsoring with Peace and Cooperation, an organization based in Spain.

More than 60,000 children in 54 countries had participated in the art competition since Airline Ambassadors became involved, Ms. Rivard said.  Every month, members of the group hand-delivered food, medical supplies, clothing, computers and other items to children and families throughout the world.

"We're living proof that the world's airways can be used as channels of goodwill and sharing, not exploitation and terrorism", she said.  Ordinary people, including flight attendants, could and did make a difference.

Besides promoting the competition internationally, she said, Airline Ambassadors would be promoting a youth inspiration run in the United States.  Hundreds of students were planning to run from Boston to New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, along the routes of the flights involved in the 11 September terrorist attacks.

Colleen Morey, the group's Director of Education and Youth Outreach, described the enthusiasm of youth and their desire to be part of cultures beyond their immediate environment.  The mission of Airline Ambassadors was to connect young people with their peers beyond the oceans.  Such involvement unleashed tremendous energy, making the world smaller and more united.

Christina Andersen, New York Regional Director of Airline Ambassadors, said there were several categories to the competition, including drawing (3 to 8 years old), essay (9 to 11), photography (12 to 14), and poster and slogan (15 to 20).  Educators could write a report on globalization and peace, and a special category called for the entrant to prepare a script for a television programme.

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