Nairobi, 25 April 2016 - The three global winners of the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP's) 24th International Children Painting Competition received their awards, Monday, at the organization's headquarters in Nairobi.
The winning works of Gloria Yang from the United States, Salya Richita Susanto from Indonesia and Sataporn Thitiprasert from Thailand were selected from among nearly 63,000 submissions from 66 countries around the world.
The theme of this year's competition - "We have the power!" - inspired thousands of young artists around the world to share their visions of how renewable energy can be harnessed for the wellbeing of people on the planet.
"Through the painting, I (...) showed how mining causes pollution on Earth. Energy can be obtained not only from below the Earth's surface, but it can be obtained from other sources which are environmentally friendly on the Earth's surface. Nature provides the sun, wind, water, and sun flower, as substitutes for fuel and fossil-based energy sources," said the winner of the second prize, Salya Richita Susanto.
Launched in 1991, the Competition is co-organized every year with the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), and has been receiving the support of the Al Sayer Group since 2015. It aims at raising awareness on environmental issues among children and providing them with information and tools on how to build a sustainable future for our planet.
"I am currently helping my parents to preserve energy and used water. For examples, I turn on the lights only in the rooms that being used. I will use the water used in our kitchen for example, to rinse off our vegetables to water the plants in our kitchen garden," said the third prize winner, Sataporn Thitiprasert.
Throughout the years, UNEP and partners have encouraged children to research, reflect on and create art about some of the most pressing environmental issues, such as sustainable lifestyles, food waste, deserts and water as a source of life.
Winner of the first prize, Gloria Yang said, "My life has consisted of many talks and presentations on how to save natural resources and not to take them for granted. I usually save renewable energy like water or electricity by using the amount that I truly need, and thinking about the environment every time I do something that might seem wasteful."
While in Nairobi, the winners of the competition visited the informal settlement of Mathare, where they joined local children for an art workshop led by the Kenyan artist Koi at the Mathare Environmental Conservation Youth Group centre. The workshop focused on the subject of illegal trade in wildlife, which will be the theme of the 2016 World Environment Day on 5 June. Notes to Editors About The International Children's Painting Competition
The International Children's Painting Competition is organized by UNEP, the Al-Sayer Group and the Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE). It has been held since 1991 and received more than 3 million entries from children in over 100 countries. The goal of the competition is to inspire people all over the world to see environmental issues through the eyes of children and increase environmental awareness and action among children.
Winners of the UNEP's 24th International Children Painting Competition Global winners:
- Gloria Yang, from North America Region.
- Salya Richita Susanto, from Indonesia
- Sataporn Thitiprasert, from Thailand.
Regional winners
- Hussein Malla from Kenya, Africa
- Mehweesh Kadegaonkar from United Arab Emirates, West Asia
- Panchachon Phommueang from Thailand, Asia Pacific
- Evdokia Bogacheva from Ukraine, Europe
- Juan David Díaz Manríquez from Colombia, Latin America and the Caribbean
- Gloria Yang is both the global winner and the regional winner for North America
For more information, please contact unepnewsdesk@unep.org
