The International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), led by Chairwoman Hyun Sook Yoon, hosted the final award ceremony of the 6th International Loving-Peace Art Competition online on November 23, this year in South Korea. The event, attended by 800 participants, including award winners, parents, and IWPG staff, was simultaneously interpreted into 11 languages, including Spanish and Korean.
This year’s theme, “A heart of peace conveyed to friends suffering from war,” inspired 23,000 participants from 53 countries, including youth from 130 cities worldwide, to depict messages of peace through their art.
Paola Andrea, a 9th grader from Carlos Leon Gomez School in Colombia, was awarded the Grand Prize. Her artwork featured a symbolic depiction of hope through a girl’s hair designed as clouds representing the sky. Andrea explained, “Through the heart, I wanted to show that everyone can have hope and that there are people contributing to achieving world peace.” She received a scholarship worth 1,000,000 KRW, with the total scholarship fund for the competition reaching 5,000,000 KRW.
Head judge Shona Hammond Boys, National Director of New Zealand Children’s Art House Foundation, praised the effort and completion of the submissions, highlighting their diversity and sincerity. Judge Soon Nam Park, Chairwoman of the Korean Japanese Art Exhibition, added, “I focused on the strong message of peace in the drawings. It was uplifting to see so many young people desiring peace.”
A total of 112 awards were given, including 1 Grand Prize and 12 Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards across various divisions, alongside 20 Awards of Recognition and numerous Participation Awards.
Chairwoman Hyun Sook Yoon emphasized the importance of fostering a culture of peace, stating, “Women, as the essence of households and half the world’s population, must unite to ensure peace takes root in our communities and internationally. I call on all women to join IWPG in establishing a global peace culture.”
The competition, first held in 2018, is part of IWPG’s initiative to promote peace locally and globally by encouraging youth to imagine a peaceful world. This year, follow-up events in 20 Korean cities included mentor-mentee partnerships and co-exhibitions with established artists, fostering talent under the theme “The Exchange of Peace Outlooks Transcending Generations.”
The success of these activities also led to 70 new partnerships with civil society organizations, NGOs, corporations, and media outlets. IWPG plans to continue collaborating with these entities to nurture local talent and instil a culture of peace.
