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| Never
is the world more captivating than when seen
through the eyes of a child. This summer, visitors
to the 2005 World Expo in Aichi were intrigued
by the childen's illustrated diaries, in which
colorful artwork and insightful texts reflected
a wide variety of local lifestyles, cultures
and customs. Meanwhile, the creators of the
most evocative pieces, invited to Japan for
the grand-prix award ceremony, were equally
intrigued by exciting cultural activities in
the local area |
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| The
artists' illustrated diaries are gathered
into a textbook to teach reading in local
languages. |
The
seventh Festival of Asian Children's Art,
co-sponsored by the Asian Federation of UNESCO
Clubs and Associations and the National Federation
of UNESCO Associations in Japan, attracted
over 48,000 entries—including for the
first time works from the Democratic Republic
of Timor-Leste and the Democratic People's
Republic of Korea.
As in previous festivals,
the project's organizers faced the stiff task
of reducing this huge number of amazing works
to a mere 10 per country and region, and then
from each batch select a single grand-prix
winner.
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Capturing
this year's theme, "Our Lives on
This Wonderful Earth," all diaries
vividly expressed events from the children's
daily lives. Some were joyful, such as
the Indonesian recount of colorful kites
in the sky above rice paddies, the Indian
entry describing local festivities, and
the Thai girl's story about a trip to
Bangkok on an elephant's back. Others
were more tragic, telling stories of political
strife, floods and friends injured by
landmines. There were also scenes of daily
life, such as helping the family with
farming, fetching water and going to markets.
In addition to producing
textbooks and promoting education, one
important aspect of the festival is to
give hands-on cultural exchange experience.
During their 6-day visit to Japan, this
year's young artists enjoyed a wide range
of activities, from meeting sumo wrestlers
at Nagoya Castle and visiting a local
elementary school to exploring the Aichi
Expo, where the children paid courtesy
calls on their respective countries' pavilions.
They also created a joint art piece at
the Nagoya International Center. On the
fifth day, the children, wearing their
national costumes, were honored at the
award ceremony and photographed in front
of their creations. |
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| As
guests of Mitsubishi, the
winners sampled Japanese culture,
including an Expo visit, and
made new friends during their
stay. |
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| Additional
information and artworks: http://enikki.mitsubishi.or.jp/e/index_f.html |
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| The Democratic
Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka |
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Democratic People's Republic
of Korea |
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Republic of Maldives |
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The Union of Myanmar |
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The Republic of Singapore
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Kingdom of Thailand |
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The Kingdom of Cambodia |
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Republic of Indonesia |
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| Mongolia |
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The Socialist Republic
of Vietnam |
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Brunei Darussalam |
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People's Republic of China |
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| Malaysia |
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Lao People's Democratic
Republic |
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Japan |
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The Kingdom of Nepal |
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| India |
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Republic of Korea |
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Republic of the Philippines |
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The Islamic Republic of
Pakistan |
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| Kingdom of Bhutan |
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Chinese Taipei |
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The People's Republic of
Bangladesh |
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The Democratic Republic
of Timor-Leste |
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