Haitian student holds a What About Peace? drawing from the United States.

For six years What About Peace? has attracted youth ages 14 -20 years old to creatively answer the question, ‘What About Peace?”. It has attracted submissions from all over the United States and a few from the rest of the world.

As the artwork collected over the years we thought it could do more for peace out in the world than stacked in the office.

This October, a Global Exchange Reality Tour was headed to Haiti and graciously agreed to bring five of our favorite What About Peace? paintings to a school in Haiti. We had our message of peace translated into Kreyol;

We are sending you this small gift from young people in the United States who are thinking about how to answer the question “What About Peace?” using art or creative writing. Peace and justice must be understood internationally or it can not exist. We stand with you as you work for peace and justice in your own country and we hope we can learn from you about what you think about peace.

Please receive this gift as a gesture of solidarity and connection – that people-to-people ties can build the world we want.

Zanmi Ayisyen, N ap voye pou nou yon ti kado ke yon gwoup jen ki fe aktivite kom atis ak ekriven pou brase lide sou repons keksyon “Sa Kap Fet Pou Lape?”. Toupatou sou late moun fet pou pran konsyans sou koze jistis ak lape sinon sa pap rive fet. Nou kanpe avek nou kap travay pou lape ak jistis lan peyi pa nou e nou espere aprann sa nou panse sou koze lape a.

Tanpri resevwa kado sa kom yon senbol solidarite lan mache tet ansanm – moun toupatou men lan men kapab bati mond nou vle a.

SOPUDEP students greeted Global Exchange Reality Tour participants.

The Reality Tour was welcomed by Rea Dol, the Director and Co-Founder of SOPUDEP, the Society of Providence United for the Economic Development of Petionville, which runs education projects in the outskirts of Port au Prince. The Reality Tour participants all agreed that Rea Dol represents the best of Haiti – tenacity, hope, and the indomitable spirit of the women and children to learn no matter what the physical circumstances are. The schools are still recovering after the January 12, 2010 earthquake that destroyed Port-au-Prince and killed more than 300,000 people.

Many of the students in schools run by SOPUDEP come from the street. They are “restaveks” – child domestic slave laborers – who were sexually and physically abused and so prefer street life to adoptive parents. They find shelter and community in SOPUDEP

Andrea Broad reported back from the visit to the SOPUDEP school: “The kids really marveled at the whole concept and responded to the paintings, sketches and photos. I read them each of the artists’ names and where they were from. They asked several questions, but were otherwise shy about saying much…. Two days later we went back to the SOPUDEP school, and one young man already had completed an entry.”

TAKE ACTION:

Tell teachers, students and community workers about What About Peace? They can get involved here.

Help us send more messages of peace to schools around the world by making a donation to Global Exchange’s What About Peace? contest. For $10 we’ll send you beautiful blank note cards with images from previous entrants. Order a set for yourself and your friends.

“What About Peace?” by Christina Scheblein

Global Exchange has been a part of the What About Peace? youth art contest for six years, but this is the first year we’re offering notecards featuring some of the artwork. We’re quite excited about this, and hope you are too!

For this first run, we’re offering a collection of three beautiful designs, all past “Honorable Mention” winners.

The cards are available now for your holiday and New Year’s greetings!

The card designs reflect the urgent, dignified and playful call for peace envisioned by three talented young What About Peace? contestants.

A  set of 9 cards (3 of each design) is yours for a $10 donation to the project. The 4” by 5 ½” cards are blank inside with plenty of room for your personal holiday greeting (or any greeting for that matter, since peace is embraceable year-round.)

“Peace Comes From Within” by Allie Witham

• Christina Schebleim of New York has created a colorful watercolor grid of peace signs subtly including the words change and possibility in the pattern.
• Alayna Miller from Michigan calls on us to “Take Time to Converse About Peace” with a playful circle of sneakers spelling out the word “Peace”.
• Allie Whitham of Oregon’s peace dove, “Peace Comes from Within” is constructed of hundreds of black and white peace doves with a simple olive branch in its beak.

“Time to Converse about Peace” by Alayna Miller

• Support the contest designed to give creative voice to youth who want to engage in the dialogue for peace: Order your Peace cards today!
• What About Contest Seeking 2013 Entries Now! Do you know any 14 – 20 year olds? Send them this link to the contest guidelines. – The deadline is February 15. More than $2500 in prizes are offered to winners and their sponsors.
• Keep up with the What About Peace? contest: “Like” What About Peace? on Facebook.

2012 Grand Prize, “Peace is in Our Hands” by Amanda Mckenna of Sacramento, CA

What About Peace? is a Global Exchange art contest that asks youth ages 14–20 to answer this question creatively for a chance to win prize money and wide recognition.

Earlier this year hundreds of submissions rolled into our offices, and after months of jurying, judging and photographing, last April we announced the grand prize winner.

Now here we are in October, we have a What About Peace? Facebook page for folks to “like”, and are looking forward to a brand new round of entries!

What About Peace? submissions from 2012

It’s time to start thinking about peace again. Help us spread the word about this great contest where young people ages 14-20 can showcase their talents answering the question: What About Peace?

Painting, short story, photography, graphic, poetry and essay categories are judged by a panel of artists and activists based on form and content. Because of the careful “refereed” judging process, having an entry published on the What About Peace? web site is equivalent to journal publication.

Entry forms and information are on our website, www.globalexchange.org/whataboutpeace.

Prizes will be given in two categories: written (essay, poem, short story) and visual (painting, collage, photography and graphic).

GRAND PRIZE is $1000 in any category
First Place $300 each for the best written entry and $300 for best visual entry
Second Place $150 in each category
Sponsor/Teacher’s prizes $100 for Grand prize and first prizes

Deadline: entries must be in our office by February 15, 2013.

2012 Submission: “We Stand for Peace” by Mary Hare, 17 yrs, Portland, OR

TAKE ACTION!
We’re excited that another contest is underway! Here’s how you can get involved:

• “Like” What About Peace? on Facebook;
• Help us get the word out to teachers and youth workers ready to sponsor another winner;  download the What About Peace? flyer to share with friends and family;
• Youth ages 14-20 enter today! Entry forms and information are on our website.
• Be among the first to receive What About Peace? news and updates. Sign up for the What About Peace? e-mail list.

So, how do you answer the question: What About Peace?

Grand Prize, “Peace is in Our Hands” by Amanda Mckenna of Sacramento, CA

What About Peace?, the art contest that asks youth ages 14–20 to answer this question creatively is pleased to announce the 2012 winners.

Hundreds submitted entries, and after months of jurying, judging and photographing we are ready to reveal the inspiring work of  this year’s contestants, as they think about what peace means in 2012.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners. Below is a list of winners; our grand prize winner along with the first and second place winners for each category, plus honorable mentions in each category.

Check out the What About Peace Facebook page for a peek at some of this years colorful, thought-provoking visual entries.

We will continue to showcase the creative entries through the end of the school year on our What About Peace website. You can go there now to see the first installment of all of our amazing and inspiring entries. Then keep checking back for future entries!

In the meantime, without further ado, here this year’s winners:

2012 Grand Prize Winner:

Amanda McKenna 17 years old, from Sacramento, California: “Peace is in Our Hands” sponsored by Deborah George of Sheldon High School.

First Prize Visual Arts: Paisley Hiefield, 16 years old

First Prize Visual Arts:

Paisley Hiefield, 16 years old from Portland, Oregon: “Release More Peace” sponsored by Annarose Pandey of West View High School

Second Prize Visual Arts: Jessica Tilley, 16 years old from Battle Creek Michigan: “Peace Has No Limit” sponsored by Rebecca Gardner of Harper Creek.

First Prize Written:

Emily Council, 17 years old from Wiliamsburg, VA: “Reality Check” sponsored by Moncia Schauffler of Lafayette High School.

Second Prize Written:

Simran Khanal, 15 years old from Bennington, NE: “A New Kind of Peace”, sponsored by Deborah Ward of Burke High School.

Honorable Mentions Visual Arts:

• Dana Ser, 16, Levittown, NY “Breathe in War, Breathe out Peace”
• Alayna Miller, 17 Battle Creek, MI “Take Time to Converse about Peace”
• Nhi Nguyen, 15 San Diego, CA “The Letter of Peace”
• Baylee Kentner,, 15 Levittown, NY “Represent Peace”
• Camille Mason, 16 Chattanooga TN “Peace on Earth”
• Ashley Hand, 16 Chattanooga, TN “Heartbeat?”
• Mary Hare, 17 Portland, OR “We Stand For Peace”
• Angeleena Tiaokhiao, 14 San Diego, CA “We Are Peace”
• Katie Lober, 17 Odenville, AL “Share the Peace”
• Alexander Setzer, 16 Baltimore, MD “A Piece on Peace”
• Jacob Reynolds, 16, Concord, CA “Peace is in our Reach”
• Allie Witham, 17, Portland, OR “Peace Comes from Within”
• Veronica Stamp, 17 Oneonta, NY “It isn’t Enough..”
• Brenna Rathbone, 16 Oneonta, NY “Holding the World Together, One Hand at a Time”
• Ansley Pearson, 14 Chatttanooga, TN “Let Peace Fly Free”
• David Vieira, 16 Parlin, NJ “Why Not Try Peace”
• Rausan Bonijerai, 18 , Locust Valley, NY “Peace, love, peace, love”
• Emma Black, 17, South Abington, PA “Together we Can find the Missing Peace”
• Mallory Hiefield, 16 Portland, OR “It Starts with You”

Honorable Mentions Written:

Essay:

• David Arellano, 15 Ooltewah, TN “What About Peace”
• Changwoo Hong, 16, Winona, MN “ Promoting Peace”
• Hyuntuek Huang, 16, Winona, MN “Peace Sign (V sign)”
• Lynzee Matousek, 18 Omaha, NE “My Peace”
• Jacqueline Naganuma, 17 Beaverton, OR “Peace, What About It?”
• Amelia Nichols, 15, Winona, MN “Peace is Possible”
• Nicolo Odorizzi, 17 Omaha NE, “Peace”
• Cecilia Perez, 17, Salinas, CA “Give Peace a Chance”
• Alexander Peterson, 16 Omaha, NE “Peace and War”
• Nick Thurber,16 Omaha, NE “A Piece of Mind”
• Joseph Tlougan, 16, Winona,MN “Untitled”
• Michael Yoon, 16, Winona, MN “Untitled”

Poetry:

• Samantha Adams, 16, Baltimore, MD “One World Peace”
• Emily Banat, 17 Omaha NE, “The Implications of ‘Peace”
• Rachel Chuang, 17 Great Falls, VA “Perched on the Window”
• Lauren Cooper, 17 Omaha, NE “The First One Home”
• Eric Keisling, 18 Omaha, NE “Something to Fight For”

Short Story:

• Erin Brown, 16 Omaha, NE “That One Person”
• Hannah Combs, 15 Chattanooga, TN “Why Can’t There Be Peace?”
• Kathryn Gunderson, 16 Seaford, NY “City of Peace”
• Stephen Skelly, 16, Levittown, NY “Stockholm Syndrome”