LaTonya Linton, Gleaner Writer
FOUR JAMAICAN children were awarded prizes at the third annual Caribbean World Refugee Day Poster Contest awards ceremony, held on Monday at the Wolmer's High School for Girls.
This year's poster competition was held under the theme "Refugee Rights".
SWEPT CATEGORY
The Jamaicans swept all the prizes in the Grades 6-8 category.
Stephanie Channer, grade eight student of the Edith Dalton James High School, placed first in this category.
"I feel very good; I have entered a lot of other poster competitions, but this one was different from the normal poster competitions."
Channer said that drawing is her skill and that her father, who is an artist, influenced her. She won a computer system for herself and an atlas for her school.
Shelone Reid from Wolmer's High School for Girls and Morgan Mitchell of Allman Town Primary School placed third and second respectively in the Grades 6-8 category. Tiffany Bliss of North School Primary placed third in the Grades 4-5 category.
The poster competition was started by the United Nations High Commissioner For Human Rights (UNHCR).
RAISING AWARENESS THROUGH CHILDREN
Miss Clover Graham, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Honorary Liaison in Jamaica, said "It was done to raise awareness and build knowledge and information through the children about refugee matters".
"We are fortunate in this region as we do not have the kind of conflict that would produce such a situation, however we should support persons fleeing persecution," she added.
Each year, June 20 is celebrated as World Refugee Day in honour of the courage and spirit of the world's refugees, who are forced to leave their homeland because of persecution.
The prize-winning posters are currently on display in the National Geographic building in Washington DC, USA.
