IWPG Global Region 2 Holds Online Preliminary Round Across 10 Middle Eastern and African Countries
International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG) Global Region 2, (Regional Director Seo Yeon Lee), recently hosted the Middle East and Africa Online Preliminary Round of the 8th International Loving-Peace Art Competition.
The online preliminary brought together more than 150 participants, including approximately 100 children and youth from 10 countries—Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Tanzania—as well as IWPG members and distinguished guests from across the region.
The competition was organized to encourage children and young people to learn about and express the values of peace through art, while fostering mutual understanding among diverse cultures and providing an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of peace together.
In her congratulatory remarks, Amira Ali El-Jarmal, President of the Our Step Association in Jordan, said, “Peace is a value that transcends borders and must be protected by all of us. Children are not only the leaders of tomorrow but also active builders of peace today and in the future.”
During the event, children explored the meaning of peace in their daily lives through guided questions and discussions centered on the theme of peace. They then expressed their own experiences of peace through artwork under the theme, "My Peace Story."
Sedra Alzaeem from Syria shared, “I feel the most peace when I drink tea while looking out the window at the beautiful weather,” illustrating how peace can be found in life's simple, everyday moments. Other participants described peace as “love,” “the end of war,” and “safety and independence,” each sharing their own unique understanding of what peace means.
Seoyeon Lee, Regional Director of IWPG Global Region 2, said, “This online preliminary round provided a meaningful opportunity for children across the Middle East and Africa to share their thoughts on peace and connect through mutual understanding and empathy. IWPG will continue to expand international peace education and cultural exchange programs so that future generations can build lasting connections through peace beyond borders and cultures.”
IWPG is an international NGO registered with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the United Nations Department of Global Communications (DGC), and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family of the Republic of Korea. Working together with 100 branches in 123 countries and more than 900 partner organizations, IWPG is committed to advancing sustainable world peace.
