RIYADH, 27 September 2005 — The Ministry of Education will organize international art competitions for children every two years as part of its endeavor to promote peace and brotherhood through the arts, according to a senior education official.
Jehad Zainalabeddin, director of education, said one of the objectives of the program was to “plant the seeds of peace in young minds and strengthen its foundation in the long run”.
Zainalabeddin was speaking to Arab News after a function organized to honor nine Sri Lankan children who won prizes in the international art competition with its theme, “A World Without Weapons.”
Four out of the 36 winners were Saudis, while the Sri Lankan contestants emerged as the largest group scooping nine prizes — three gold, two silver and four bronze medals. Of the 5,127 entries received, 3,080 came from Sri Lanka.
Zainalabeddin said all the prize-winning entries would be brought out in a souvenir which will be sent to all the winners.
“We shall pay greater attention to developing the artistic skills of our children,” the education director said, adding that there are a total of 300,000 teachers in Saudi schools, of which the number of art teachers stands at around 50,000.
Sri Lankan Ambassador A.M.J. Sadiq paid tributes to the prizewinners. He lauded the initiative of the Saudi government in organizing the event on the occasion of the Kingdom’s National Day.
Quoting the preamble of UNESCO’s constitution, the ambassador said: “Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed.”
He said education plays a great role in laying the foundation of peace by eliminating the climate of suspicion and fear — the breeding ground of war.
