The International Women’s Peace Group (IWPG), under the leadership of Chairwoman Hyun Sook Yoon, concluded the 6th International Loving-Peace Art Competition with an online award ceremony on November 23. The event brought together 800 participants, including award winners, parents, and IWPG staff, with simultaneous interpretation provided in 11 languages, such as Spanish and Korean.
This year’s competition revolved around the theme, “A heart of peace conveyed to friends suffering from war,” inspiring 23,000 youth and children from 130 cities across 53 countries to express their hopes for peace through art.
Celebrating Creativity and Peace
A total of 112 awards were presented, including one Grand Prize, Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards in each division (12 in total), 20 Recognition Awards, and numerous Participation Awards. The Grand Prize winner received a scholarship worth 1,000,000 KRW, while the total scholarship fund for the competition amounted to 5,000,000 KRW.
This year’s Grand Prize was awarded to Paola Andrea, a 9th-grade student from Carlos Leon Gomez School in Colombia. Her artwork, she explained, symbolized hope and unity: “I wanted to represent hope in the girl’s hair, which is essentially a set of clouds representing the sky. Through the heart, I wanted to show that everyone can contribute to achieving world peace.”
Judges Applaud the Message of Peace
Head judge Shona Hammond Boys praised the participants’ creativity, stating, “The winning works were outstanding for their effort and completion. The range of artworks showcased the diversity of children’s artistic experiences across different countries and societies. The overall effort was sincere, and the team aimed to be inclusive.”
Similarly, Soon Nam Park, Chairwoman of the Korean Japanese Art Exhibition, remarked, “I focused on the strong message of peace conveyed through the drawings. It was inspiring to witness so many young people expressing a deep desire for peace.”
Promoting a Culture of Peace
IWPG Chairwoman Hyun Sook Yoon emphasized the importance of nurturing a culture of peace: “I hope that our message of peace lights up children’s hopes and dreams for the future. Women, as the main educators and half of the world’s population, must unite to ensure peace takes root in our societies and communities. I urge women worldwide to join IWPG in establishing a global culture of peace.”
Since its inception in 2018, the International Loving-Peace Art Competition has been held annually in major cities worldwide as part of IWPG’s peace initiative. The competition aims to inspire children and youth to imagine and illustrate a peaceful world.
Community Engagement and Partnerships
This year, follow-up events were organized in 20 cities across Korea, featuring mentor-mentee partnerships and co-exhibitions with renowned local artists under the theme, “The Exchange of Peace Outlooks Transcending Generations.” These activities received widespread community support, helping to identify and nurture young artistic talent.
The competition also resulted in 70 new Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with civil society organizations, NGOs, corporations, and media outlets. IWPG plans to collaborate with these partners to further promote local talent and instill a lasting culture of peace within communities worldwide.
