PRESS BRIEFING ON PEACE AND COOPERATION AWARD 2005

 

For 20 years now, the Peace and Cooperation Award competition had been raising awareness concerning international issues and the outcome of important United Nations conferences in schools around the world, correspondents were told at a Headquarters press briefing this morning.

Launching the 2005 competition were Joaquin Antuna, President of Peace and Cooperation; and Nancy Rivard, President of Airline Ambassadors International.  The event was sponsored by the Mission of Spain.

This year, the contest would be devoted to the theme “For a World without Violence”, Mr. Antuna said.  The organizers of the project invited teachers and students around the world to study the values of the culture of peace and non-violence, seeking to link the events of 11 September 2001 in the United States with the terrorist acts in Madrid last March, as well as numerous other recent events, including the violent attack on a school in Beslan, Russia.  In today’s volatile times, it was necessary to cry out for peace, promote the concepts of non-violence and cooperation and pay tribute to the victims of violence.  The importance of the theme was emphasized by the fact that, only yesterday, another terrorist act had taken place in Spain.

Speakers said that the project connected youth and art in an effort to promote peace and understanding among peoples and cultures.  Its objective was to spread awareness and spark debate in a quest for possible solutions to the problems of today’s world.  To promote the competition, two posters were being distributed by its organizers -- one by a seven-year-old boy from Argentina, and the other by a teacher from Iran.

Ms. Rivard said the 11 September events had brought about not only great pain and shock, but also a feeling of unprecedented sharing and cooperation.  People had also come together when terrorists hit Madrid on 11 March last year and when the tsunami devastated 12 countries at the end of December 2004.  The Internet and television had brought those events to people around the world.  Out of such events came a deep desire to share and care for one another.

Explaining the terms of the competition, she said that it would include five levels:  drawing for children up to seven years old; a mural for ages eight through 12; a poster and a slogan for ages 12 to 16; photography for young people 16 and older; and a video project in the teachers’ category.  Entries would be sought not only in all the official languages of the United Nations -- Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish -- but also in the languages of all the victims of the terrorist act last March in Madrid, including Portuguese, Polish, Romanian and Bulgarian.

Over the years, over 1 million children from some 70 countries had taken part in the project, she said.  Each year, a global issue was chosen for the youth of the world to reflect upon.  For instance, in 2004 -- the year when Barcelona had hosted a Universal Forum of Cultures to advance sustainable development, cultural diversity and peace -- the theme of the competition was “The Universal Dialogue of Cultures”.  Held in cooperation with the World Food Organization, another contest was devoted to the “Food for All” issue.  Next year’s event would seek to bring attention to the issue of gender violence.

Introducing the speakers, Spain’s representative, Faustino Diaz, said that his Mission’s support for the project was a tradition of over 10 years.  It was “very much in tune” with the goals of his Government, which was trying to help the victims of terrorism and promote the principles of non-violence among the new generation.  Next month, a conference on democracy, terrorism and security would be held in Spain.  During the event, homage would be also paid to the 192 victims of the terrorist act in Madrid last March.  Among them, there were nationals of 10 countries.

Information about the contest can be found at www.peaceandcooperation.org.

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