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On March 8, 2019, Peace Pals International was featured at the Vernisage art exposition in Bern, Switzerland.  Dagmar Bergman of May Peace Prevail On Earth International (Germany) organized to bring the artwork of our finalist and winners.  The art exposition feature artists from the 2018 Peace Pals International art contest, with the theme “Living Peace,” and will remain through The International Day of Peace on 21^st of September. We were so proud to learn that two of our young artists were honored by their countries Ambassadors to Switzerland.

 

We were so proud to learn that two of our young artists were honored by their countries Ambassadors to Switzerland.]

Thasneem Abu Thahir, age 15 from The United Arab Emirates and who was our 2^nd place winner in 2018, was honored by Vice Ambassador Ahmed bin Nassere Al Nuaimi (UAE).  The Ambassador spoke at length about Thasneem and what an honor she brought to the United Arab Emirates. 

 

 

The event was broadcast on TV.   Please click the link to view.  http://www.loly.ch/aktuelle-sendung/

 

In addition, Mr. Fernando Espinosa, Chief Chancery of the Embassy of Mexico had the opportunity to see our 1^st place winning artwork of Sofia Guadalupe Gonzalez Garcia.  He was so pleased and proud to see his countries winning artwork.

 

 

We are always so grateful to our youth for participating in our annual art contests. We could not make this happen without the young people, their families, schools and all those who support them.

In addition to the art exhibition, Dagmar led a World Peace Flag Ceremony in which the people in attendance said “May Peace be in *country* – May Peace Prevail On Earth.”   Many people said MPPOE in the language of their home country.  There was music and great speeches were given.  It was said to have been a beautiful and most successful event.

We thank Dagmar of May Peace Prevail On Earth International (Germany) for bringing Peace Pals International to Switzerland and always honoring our children.

For more information on Peace Pals International and how you can get children involved, please visit our website.

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[:en]August 22 – 23, 2018

At the time of on-site registration, pre-registration for the annual conference was counted at near 2,300 people from 100 Countries – this event brought international visitors and community fixtures to the Head Quarters of the United Nations for two days of presentations, discussions, and interactive forums for sustainable peace and relevant topics towards an interfaith and intersectional future.

Peace Pals was approved to present a board with art from their traveling Ambassador of Peace exhibition. Displayed on view for conference attendees was art from students in Russia, Japan, Italy, Mexico, Ukraine, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Greece, South Korea, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Israel, Turkey, and Colombia. All art included the message “May Peace Prevail On Earth!”

Included with the exhibit were informational pamphlets regarding the World Peace Prayer Society, and the Peace Pole Project.

For more information on Peace Pals International – Please visit.[:]

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The Goi Peace Foundation annual essay contest is organized in an effort to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world’s youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world.

*This program is an activity within the framework of the UNESCO Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

Theme:
“The Change I want to Make”
What is the one thing you would like to change the most to make your school, workplace, community, country or the world a better place? How would you bring about that change?
Please share your concrete ideas.

Essays may be submitted by anyone up to 25 years old (as of June 15, 2018) in one of the following age categories: a) Children (ages up to 14) b) Youth (ages 15 – 25)

Essays must be 700 words or less in English, French, Spanish or German, or 1600 characters or less in Japanese, excluding essay title and cover page. Essays may be typed or printed.

To learn more visit:  https://www.goipeace.or.jp/en/work/essay-contest/

 

 

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21 November 2017

It was an event to be remembered with International Partners #NatureForAll and DiversEarth celebrating with IUCN council members from over 30 countries and special guests from Geneva and abroad.

The event began with guests arriving to Cite Du Temps located in the heart of Geneva, Switzerland and in the middle of the Rhone River.  Guests were able to admire the artwork and faces of children which was displayed on various digital frames throughout the event hall.

The event began at 7:30pm with introductions in English and French by Sean Southey of #NatureForAll and Liza Zogib of DiversEarth both partners/collaborators of this year’s Peace Pals International Art Exhibition and awards. We also heard from John G. Robinson, IUCN Vice President and Councilor for North America and the Caribbean; and Chief Conservation Officer, Wildlife Conservation Society who expressed his congratulations to all the children who participated this year and left us with words of wisdom.

Liza Zobig, Director, Sandra Spissenger, Operations and Divya Venkatesh, Communications, spoke about their work with DiversEarth and their invaluable participation with this year’s contest, with the theme “Nature For All ~ Loving The Earth.”  Liza, Sandra and Divya were our team on the ground and with their help and expertise in Geneva, this event was an absolute success.

Fumi Johns Stewart, executive director of The World Peace Prayer Society and Jules Lamore, Director of the Peace Pals International program spoke briefly about Peace Pals International and the importance of Peace and Nature for all children and what it means to the youth who participate.  This year we received over 4,000 works of art and we encouraged all guests to encourage educators, parents and children from their communities to continue supporting this worthwhile program.

An audio visual concert was performed by Kenji Williams of Bella Gaia who took us through a 20-minute presentation of imagery accompanied by his violin playing.  Kenji’s magnificent visual concert allowed us to see the world through the eyes of NASA which left the audience speechless and stunned with a greater understanding and love for our planet.

The Peace Pals Awards were officiated by Jules Lamore of Peace Pals International who invited 12 presenters to join her on stage to present the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners from the 4 age categories.  The presenters represented their organizations; The World Peace Prayer Society, DiversEarth, IUCN and special young guests from The International School of Geneva.  Everyone in attendance celebrated the winners as the room filled with applaud for each of the talented 12 winners.

Following the awards ceremony for Peace Pals International Art Contest, Liza Zogib announced the local winners from The International School of Geneva, Switzerland.

Congratulations to all of our winners and finalists from both the international and local contests. The winners can be viewed by visiting:  http://peacepalsinternational.org/2017-winners-and-finalists/

During the program, Fumi Johns Stewart and Jules Lamore presented IUCN with an 8 language Peace Pole to be on permanent display at the IUCN offices in Gland, Switzerland.  Kathy MacKinnonm Chair WCPA, Kristen Walker, Chair, CEESP and Sean Southey, Chair CEC received the Peace Pole on behalf of IUCN.  In addition, desktop Peace Poles were gifted to Liza, Sandra and Divya of IUCN as a special  thanks for all their heartfelt assistance in Geneva.

 

 

 

The event ended with our World Peace Flag Ceremony Finale, which was led by Fumi Johns Stewart.  There wasn’t a silent voice in the theatre as people waved their flags for each and every country in the world as they sent peace to every country by name with a special emphasis for our host country, “May Peace be in Switzerland – May Peace Prevail On Earth.”

After the Finale, the guests were invited to view the art exhibition which featured the 12 winners from the 4 age categories and the 40 finalists of the 20^th Anniversary Peace Pals Art Exhibition and Awards.  Many of our guests took selfies of themselves with winning artwork from their countries.

We would like to thank our partners and supporters for making this event a great success.

Please view the video to see highlights from the event.

May Peace Prevail On Earth
Please visit Peace Pals International to see all the winners and finalists.

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[:en]When I heard about the Annual Peace Pals International Art Exhibition and Awards project I immediately thought of the many children in Brazil, my native country, and in England where I live, which I would like to invite to this wonderful initiative. We cannot be neutral in the face of the great need for peace in the world and this would be a great opportunity for children not only to participate in a contest but to get in touch with the PEACE theme.

Then, after getting in touch with the project, I planned to gather “Little Artists for Peace”. That would be the name of my work groups and I started my contribution with this significant project, which has Art as an ally.

As I had planned a trip to Brazil, I saw the opportunity to work with children from the school Escola Municipal de Educação Básica Maria Tomich Monteiro da Silva (EMEB), in the city of Cuiabá, Brazil. Teacher Vania Campos is a dedicated education professional, who has stood out for making a difference in the classroom. I contacted her, who immediately accepted the challenge.

The school has as Director the Teacher Maria Estevina Mendes de Souza, a young educator who runs the institution, with almost 400 students (according to the school sense of 2016) with a lot of competence and affection. Maria Estevina authorized the accomplishment of my work in the school institution.

The theme for this year’s contest is “Nature for Everyone – Loving the Earth”, and after following the initial directions of the project, the children made their individual drawings, but in a united way, exchanging ideas, talking to each other about the theme. It was a wonderful day!

When we started the conversation about the drawings, the children showed a lot of interest in knowing the work of the winners of previous years, drawings of children from all over the world, so even in school was having other activities that prevented the organization of a more formal exhibition, We present the drawings for the students, with improvised form.

I believe in art as a transforming expression, as a form of aesthetic expression capable of educating critical thinking for the construction of another reality from an existing reality.

Its importance is made by being essentially human. To bet on an education through art is, first and foremost, to choose to bring to the educational environment what we have most essential: the capacity to create and recreate. Therefore, art can be seen as a form of language of strong pedagogical character where the child expresses him/herself to speak about the world and to the world. It is a bearer of meaning, an expression of thought that precedes a practice.

In this way, artistic expression, allowing the dialogue between the real life and the desired life, can nourish and strengthen the desire for change, for a better world.

All drawings must contain, in addition to the name and age of the author, the message “May Peace Prevail On Earth”, written by him/herself.

After finishing the drawings, we talked a little more about the activity and the message that should convey. Some children asked about the details of the contest, others said they liked to draw, but what I felt most important in developing the project was the fact that every child was able to express the importance of being there, participating in something in the name of PEACE.

Sonia Palma
Nuneaton – England.
July 2017.[:]

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June 1, 2017

The Berlin “Peace Bell Society“, a wonderful WPPS partner for years now, applied for official funds this year from Berlin`s town quarter council to organize a wonderful International Children Day on June 1st focussed on “LOVE TO NATURE – LOVING THE EARTH” AS PER THE PEACE PALS ART COMPETiTION 2017.

I enclosed their application to the Berlin Authorities as our art competition is featured there. The Peace Bell Society  did get funds! 

The Children Day each June 1st was a big thing in East Germany, in West Germany it is hardly known! The program this year was to pick up refugee children living in  Berlin Marzahn, drive them to the Volkpark`s Peace Bell where they shall paint for WPPS and have a peace fun day there.

If you watch the children`s RELAXED faces you know how their day was! They were allowed to ring the peace bell made of former weapons.

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