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PRESS RELEASE
Monday, October 29, 2007
Thirteen-Year-Old from AGBU Children’s Center in Armenia Wins UN
International Art Competition
On October 17, 2007, at an awards ceremony held at the New York
Headquarters of the United Nations (UN), 13-year-old Mariam Marukyan
>From the AGBU Nork Children’s Center in Yerevan, Armenia was awarded top
prize in the International Children’s Art Competition organized by the
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with the
Department of Public Information (DPI) and UN Postal Administration.
In commemoration of International Day for the Eradication of Poverty,
Marukyan was one of six winners whose artwork was selected from a pool
of 12,000 applicants for best depicting the theme of the competition,
"We can end poverty." To be issued as a UN stamp in 2008, Marukyan’s
work was also on display in a special exhibit of the 50 best designs in
the Visitor’s Entrance of the UN.
In addition to Mariam’s great achievement, two other young artists from
the AGBU Nork Children’s Center, Ahahit Martirosian, age 11, and Lusine
Nersisyan, age 14, were awarded Merit Certificates for their work, which
was also on display at the UN. In total, 475 entries came from Armenia
for the competition; Ellada Khachatryan, age 11, was awarded a
Certificate of Recognition. Ten entries from Armenia in total were
recognized by the judges during the competition.
Teresa Fasolina, an illustrator and judge of the contest, reflected on
the children’s work, "Always engaging, often skillful beyond expectation
and sometimes revealing of a national style or tradition, the artwork
embodies the hopes and dreams of the world’s children for the
eradication of poverty."
Hosted by the UN, and the International Movement ATD Fourth World in the
UN Garden, the afternoon program was kicked off with an address by
Secretary General Ban-Ki Moon, followed by personal testimonies from
people living in extreme poverty, live music, a discussion of children
as agents of change, and the awards ceremony for the contest winners.
Presenting Marukyan and the four other top winners in attendance from
China, Indonesia, and Zimbabwe with certificates, UN Assistant
Secretary-General Rachel Mayanja said, "Through their artwork, the
children show us, in a pure and powerful way, the pressing need for
greater solidarity and cooperation among all peoples and countries in
the fight against poverty."
Marukyan, who lives with her grandmother near Yerevan, is a positive
voice for a new generation of Armenian children. Her vibrant artwork
depicts people of all ages producing a plentiful harvest in the fields
together. She explains her picture, "In my mind, work will help people
live fairly. That is why, in my picture, I depict people working in the
garden. They have worked hard and their harvest is rich."
October 17, 2007 marked the 20th anniversary of the commemoration of the
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This annual
observance is a time for people from all socioeconomic backgrounds to
come together and reflect on how the forces that create poverty can be
changed.
Marukyan’s visit to the United States with teacher Ruzana Hakopyan was
made possible by AGBU and the Permanent Mission of Armenia. For more
information on the competition and to view the artwork, please visit
The largest Armenian non-profit in the world, AGBU preserves and
promotes the Armenian identity and heritage through educational,
cultural, and humanitarian programs annually serving some 400,000
Armenians in 37 countries. AGBU has been associated as a Non
Governmental Organization (NGO) through UN DPI since 1989. For more
information on AGBU and its worldwide programs, please visit
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
