Yennie Shyu, 12, a San Jose, Calif. girl, attempted to see peace. She immediately thought of email.
“In this age, technology and computers are very popular, so I thought about combining technology and e-mail with spreading the message of peace and love,”Shyu won the 21st Lions Clubs International Peace Poster Contest with her poster that depicts little girls sending olive branch-carrying birds to each other.
Shyu describes the image like “little fingers typing big messages, spreading love and peace worldwide.”
Shyu’s poster portrays the theme. It was selected from 350,000 entries in 70 countries. “Peace Begins With Me.”Shyu, the grand prize-winner, was awarded a trip to New York City as part of a special award ceremony held during Lions Day with United Nations.
“Lions in many nations have embraced the Peace Poster Contest as a hands-on way to promote peace and to support the young people in their communities,”Al Brandel, President of Lions Clubs International, said: “The contest is another example of Lions being everyday heroes in reaching out and listening to the young people of this world.”
More than 4,000,000 children between the ages of 11 and 13 have submitted their peace visions to the Lions International Peace Poster Contest in the last 20 years. The contest is sponsored by Lions clubs in schools and youth organizations. This contest allows children and adults to express their feelings visually while discussing the meaning of peace in the world. The contest is now in its 22nd year and has been held across more than 100 countries.
“It takes energy and even courage to live in peace,”Remi Delanghe, a Belgian merit award winner, said: “It’s something you need to work on every day in order to be able to create and maintain it.”
All over the globe, winners have gathered to share their visions and ideas for peace. “Peace is something big and marvelous, full of happiness to be achieved from our own homes and in the heart of each human being,”Ana Stephanie Rosero Morales (Peru) was a winner of the merit award.
The 24 finalist peace posters are going to be displayed at various locations across the United States, including children’s museums. Visit www.lionsclubs.orgTo view posters and to send e-cards
