WOMEN AND A CULTURE OF PEACE
In June 1997, UNESCO's Programme "Women and a Culture of Peace", in
collaboration with the International Association of Art (IAA), launched an international
contest for the creation of a logo on the theme Visualise your concept of a Culture of the
Peace.
Within the framework of celebrations for the 1998 International Women’s Day
and on the occasion of an open doors day for NGO’s dealing with women’s issues,
on 9 March at 1p.m. the Director- General of UNESCO will present the First Prize to the
winner of the Women and a Culture of Peace Logo Competition.
The jury chose to award its prize for a logo from a 22 year old Mexican artist from the
"Escuela Popular de Bellas Artes," Michoacan, Mexico, Mrs. Laura Bailón
Villarreal and justified their choice in these terms:
"Two hands, two different hands, the one feminine and the other
masculine, one lightly-coloured, the other darker, one young and the other less, meeting
each other around a space which creates a bird, a bird of peace to construct and to
protect which is given birth by these two hands. Femininity is not presented here by the
symbols that one could expect, but by the fluidity of the graphic design, the tenderness
of a gesture which could also be read to represent hands around a pregnant woman's belly,
and the strength of affirmation of this image."
Ms. Laura Bailón Villarreal
thanking UNESCO upon receiving the First Prize award for the Women and a Culture of Peace
international contest for the creation of a logo on the theme "Visualise your concept
of a Culture of Peace" in the presence of (from L to R): Mr Federico Mayor,
Director-General of Unesco; Ms Laura Bailón Villarreal; Ms Ingeborg Breines, Director
Women and a Culture of Peace; Ms Anne Rochette, President of the Jury and Mr Jean-Claude
De Salins, Executive Secretary of the International Association of Art.
Four honourable mentions were awarded to the following artists:
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Natalia Senmartì Tarragó the Principality of Andorra Good graphics, which represents the flight of woman and man uniting their energy in the search for peace. The colours add to the symbolism of an environment of hope and freedom. |
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Eva Koltai Hungary A drawing full of freshness which includes, in the same movement, the woman as creative and protective and a planet in peace. |
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Anand Singh Naorem India A picture which, at the same time is serene and dynamic, that unites the feminine symbol and the dove of peace. |
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Mohamed Ahmed Idris Sudan A simple but original representation of the two symbols respectively representing woman and man united in a harmonious and egalitarian partnership, an essential condition for lasting peace. |
This contest is part of the activities inspired by the 4th World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995, "Equality, Development and Peace," and by UNESCO's Statement on Women's Contribution to a Culture of Peace.
"Equality, development and peace are inextricably linked. There can be no lasting
peace without development, and no sustainable development without full equality between
men and women."
UNESCO’s Statement on the Contribution of Women to a Culture of the Peace. (1995)
UNESCO received 514 logos from all parts of the world, of which 93 contributions from
artists from the region of Africa, 79 from Asia and the Pacific, 38 from Arabian States,
78 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 226 from Europe. Most of them are presented in
this exhibition.
We thank all the artists who consecrated their time and their talent to put into concrete
form their vision of a culture of peace based on the principle of equality between men and
women, as well as numerous artistic schools who encouraged a debate in their school
setting.
The Jury was presided by Ms. Anne Rochette, of the "Ecole Nationale Supérieure des
Beaux Arts", Paris. It was composed of artists and graphic designers from different
parts of the world as well as two representatives from UNESCO: Kim Lan Blood (South
Korea), Christopher Bood (USA), Helen Fergant (Togo), Ingeborg Breines (UNESCO) and
Milagros del Corral (UNESCO). Support was given by the Executive Secretary of the IAA and
two deputy jury members from Russia and Algeria. UNESCO would hereby like to give credit
to these artists for their professionalism and the time that they offered generously to
us.
This exhibition, which brings together works of both professional and amateur artists,
reflects well the spirit of a Culture of Peace: mobilisation of partners for a culture of
peace and of non- violence. Artists are privileged partners who, through their art, show
the way and the importance of creativity and provide inspiration for the resolution of
problems and conflicts through communication and dialogue and not through violence and the
recourse to arms.
The Jury’s choice was not easy; taking into account the message that the Programme
Women and a Culture of Peace had established as its theme for this contest, as well as the
restriction of the logo format.
For more information about Women and a Culture of Peace, please contact:
Ingeborg Breines, Director
Women and a Culture of Peace
UNESCO
7, place Fontenoy
75352 Paris SP 07
e-mail: i.breines@unesco.org
Tel.: (+33.1) 45.68.12.12
Fax: (+33.1) 45.68.55.57
