Children around the world have been turning their thoughts on what “peace without limits” means to them into colourful illustrations for the annual Lions Club International Peace Poster contest.
On Saturday November 9, the poster entries from 26 children were judged at the Central Library in a district leg of the contest, and Hanri de Vries, 13, of Brackenfell, who was sponsored by the Durbanville Lions Club, took first place for the Lions Western Cape district 410 W, which includes the Western Cape, the Northern Cape, the Garden Route and Namibia.
Christian Louw, 12, also sponsored by the Durbanville Lions Club took second place, and Amerie Hope, 12, sponsored by the Groote Schuur Lions Club, took third place.
Hanri’s poster will be judged against the winner for District 410 E, which includes the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, North West, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and Polokwane in Limpopo.
That winner will represent South Africa in a global competition for which there is 5000 dollar (R89 306) grand prize and a 500 dollar (R8 930) prize for 23 merit award winners.
For over 30 years, Lions clubs around the world have sponsored the Lions International Peace Poster Contest in schools and youth groups.
Every year the theme is different – this year was “peace without limits”.
District 410 W chairperson and peace poster coordinator Yolanda de Jager said Lions clubs bought the peace poster kits from the organisation’s headquarters in Chicago and then encouraged art students aged 11, 12 and 13 to express their feeling about peace.
Gallerist Samasile Myokozeli, who judged the district competition alongside art teacher Brendon Bussy and Ms De Jager, said it was interesting to see how peace was interpreted by the children.
“There is so much we are learning from them and that they are teaching us.“
Hanri was absent on the day, but Durbanville Lions Club chairperson Danielle Cronje accepted the first prize on her behalf.
“It really shows the children’s creativity and the impact the world has on our children,” she said of the competition.
Christian, of Durbanville, said he was happy to have taken second place with his illustration of a dove trying to enter a slightly open window, showing how peace keeps trying to enter spaces.
Rustenberg Girls Preparatory School art student Amerie, of Rondebosch, said her poster depicted peace through the eyes of a child ”where peace is simple and a bright dream“.
