Friday, July 25, 2008

International children's painting competition focuses on climate change

Nairobi, 17 July 2008 – Climate Change: Our Challenge is the theme of the 18 th International Children's Painting Competition, which was launched today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
This year, the children's paintings will focus on climate change, from the impact of global warming on our planet to concrete actions everyone can take - - such as using renewable energy and energy saving light bulbs, sharing vehicles and using public transport, planting trees, and many other steps.

Children from around the world aged 5 to 13 are encouraged to take part in this global competition which is gaining momentum every year. An unprecedented 15,550 entries from 90 countries around the world were submitted for last year's award.

The competition is organized every year by UNEP and the Japan-based Foundation for Global Peace and Environment (FGPE), Bayer and Nikon Corporation. Since its creation in 1991, the competition has received more than 190,000 entries from children in over 100 countries.

One global winner and six regional winners will be selected, with a cash prize of US$ 2,000 for the global winner and US$1,000 for the others. All the winners will get a fully paid trip with a chaperone to the 2009 Tunza International Children's Conference.

This year's theme was announced as the twenty winners of the 2008 UNEP Chinese Children's Painting Competition visited Nairobi to receive their awards from UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. The twenty children will take part in cultural activities and visit environmental spots in Kenya such as Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru to learn more about the environment.
They will also create a giant canvas painting entitled "Our Environment" which will be presented to the Executive Director as a mark of their commitment to the environment.

Participants should submit their paintings by 15 January 2009 to the UNEP office in their regions. Aside from the global winners, there will be regional winners for Africa, Asia and the Pacific, West Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and North America .

The regional winners will be announced on 22 April 2009 and the global winners will be announced at the venue of the 2009 Tunza International Children's Conference (venue and dates to be confirmed later).

For more information on the competition, including the full entry rules and conditions, please visit:

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