“Global Peace Begins at the Fingertips of Children”
Over 100 Students Participated, Expressing the Preciousness of Peace through Art
The Melbourne branch of the International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), led by Branch Director Jesmeen, successfully held the preliminary award ceremony and special exhibition of winning artworks for the 7th International Loving-Peace Art Competition on the 16th and 17th of last month at Yarra Valley Grammar School and Tarneit Rise Primary School in Melbourne, Australia.
The award ceremony was designed to provide children and youth with an opportunity to express and experience the meaning of peace through art. Alongside the ceremony, an exhibition of the winning artworks was held, with over 100 students, parents, and teachers participating over the two days.
At Yarra Valley Grammar School, Principal Mary and art teacher Sacha Gough attended the event in person, acknowledging the significance of the competition and commending the students’ efforts. The event was held in a respectful and elegant atmosphere. The first prize was awarded to Alivin Jin (9), and the excellence awards were given to Orlando Lewis (9) and Zayna Ashhar (9).
Teacher Sacha Gough said, “It was touching to see how the students grew by thinking about and expressing peace through their drawings,” and added, “I sincerely hope this competition continues next year.”
A winning student from Tarneit Rise Primary School shared, “War makes people cry, but peace makes friends smile,” and expressed their desire to participate in the International Loving-Peace Art Competition again next year. Teacher Jessica Stewart said, “I am deeply grateful for IWPG’s activities that provide students with opportunities to care about global issues and express their voices.”
Jesmeen, Head of the IWPG Melbourne Branch, stated, “The peace messages children convey through a single drawing can be more powerful than words from adults,” and added, “We will continue to expand peace culture and education through art around the world.”
Meanwhile, IWPG is a global women’s NGO registered with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Department of Global Communications (DGC), headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It operates 115 branches in 122 countries and actively collaborates with over 800 partner organizations in 68 countries. With a vision of achieving sustainable world peace, IWPG strives to spread necessary global solidarity, promote a culture of peace, provide women's peace education, and advocate for the enactment of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW).
