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| Armenia Children's Agenda 21 Poster Competition Association for Sustainable Human Development Youth Section ExhibitionContest Agenda 21 in Children’s Eyes June 15 -18, 2001 In 1992 a set of agreements, known as Agenda 21, was developed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. These agreements are to lead our civilization to a sustainable future. Problems to be dealt with in the 21st century belong to several main areas, among which are social, economic and environmental ones. Issues in Agenda 21 are of vital importance for Armenia today, a country with huge socio-economic and ecological problems. It is the upcoming generation that has to play a crucial role. Next year, in 2002, the world is gathering again in Johannesburg, South Africa to evaluate what has been done during these ten years after the Rio conference. ‘Rio + 10’ is a global process set up around our planet and includes several preparatory activities, among which is a contest of posters on the Agenda 21 theme among children aged 7-12. The idea of the contest is to make children familiar with the idea of sustainable development, to introduce them to Agenda 21 and the main social, economic and environmental problems, priorities that are outlined in it. Here in Armenia, classes in schools that provide children with this kind of information are only being developed, but not largely implemented yet, and most children are unaware of the major problems that mankind faces today. The Association for Sustainable Human Development (ASHD) took the challenge to organize the event, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sport of Republic of Armenia, and titled it “Agenda 21 in Children’s Eyes”. In June 2001, more than 200 children from three art schools in Yerevan were given 40-45 minute long interactive lecture-seminars on Issues of Agenda 21, after what they were requested to prepare posters, which would deliver a message of having a sustainable future. The art schools participants came from are:
From about 180 posters 60 finalists were selected, whose posters were exhibited in a hall in the Ministry. The participants grabbed the idea of sustainability unexpectedly well, and expressed most original ideas in their posters. Therefore, it was a very hard selection process. A jury was formed from the representatives of the Ministry of Culture, Youth Affairs and Sport of RA (Mrs. Alice Adamyan), National Assembly of RA (Ms. Gohar Ghazinyan), UN House in Armenia (Mr. Valeri Tkachouk), ASHD (Mrs. Karine Dabielyan), RA National Center of Aesthetics (Mr. Samvel Baghdasaryan), Art school after H. Kojoyan (Ms. Gohar Sanoyan), Art studio at RA House of Architects (Mr. Robert Minasyan), ASHD Youth Section (Miss Lilit Sargsyan and Mr. Karen Sarkavagyan). The opening ceremony of the exhibition and the selection of the winners by the jury took place on July 15. The contest participants were divided into two age groups: 7-9 and 10-12. Accordingly, there were three prize-winning places in each age group.
In addition to these six winner-place prizes, there were also a number of special nominations, and all finalists were presented with packages including painting appliances and were awarded certificates. Those children who did not get through to the final but participated in the contest were also given encouraging presents. A total of 15 posters were selected to be presented in Johannesburg together with other winning posters from around the world. In addition to the six winners, the following finalists’ works were selected:
The exhibition was open to the public, and was visited by many representatives of mass media. The contest-exhibition ‘Agenda 21 in Children’s Eyes’ was a very important step made towards increasing public awareness on sustainability issues, especially awareness among children, for whom it is very important to realize the problem today, because they will have to deal with it in near future. Maybe we would be facing fewer problems today, if our previous generations did not lack this kind of education. This act would have been impossible to accomplish without the committed work of members of the Youth Section of ASHD, and without the generous support of the Armenian Bar Association, a US non-profit organization, and the Earth Council. Nominations 1. For special anxiety:
2. Sacredness of life
3. Expressive protest against overconsumption.
4. Best correspondence to SD thematic
Contact the organizers of the competition. __________________________________________________________________
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