Lions Club International holds Peace Poster Contest Awards 2022/23

District 418, Ghana of the Lions Club International in partnership with the Children's Department at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and UNICEF has held the 2022/23 Peace Poster Contest Awards in Accra.

The 2022/23 Peace Poster Contest Awards which took place at Mensvic Hotel in Accra was initiated by the Lions Clubs International aiming at giving children everywhere the chance to express and realise their visions of peace and inspire the world through art and creativity.

For over three decades, Lions clubs around the globe have been sponsoring this very special art contest in schools and youth groups.

Speaking on the theme for this year's contest, "Lead with Compassion" District Governor for District 418, Ghana, Lion Emmanuel Kojo Gyimah said Children are often able to express their feelings more openly than adults. Hence young people are being challenged to explore and visually express the peaceful future that compassionate leadership brings.

"In doing so, the world can become a better place for all if we treat one another with respect and ensure that our fellow human beings especially the vulnerable are shown compassion and given some dignity."

Lion Emmanuel Kojo Gyimah is of the view that this contest will bring to the fore the importance of peace "in our common destiny as a country, as the organisation has always promoted peace and international understanding among the people of the world."

Speaking as the guest of honour at the occasion, Reverend Dr Lawrence Tetteh, Founder and President of Worldwide Miracle Outreach called on leaders around the world to walk the talk in order to achieve peace. He said, "until we come together in a massive united form we can not see peace."

He added, "If we want to achieve peace then we have to walk the talk, there are so many people who talk about peace but don't walk including the united nations. We are all hypocrites. Until we come together in a massive united form we can not see peace. Most of the problems we have today we created it; let's embrace unity".

According to him, peace is a prerequisite for the co-existence of all. "Running away and leaving certain things does not mean you are weak rather you have chosen to rise above a certain situation. I want to say to you the young ones, you have a responsibility, in the classrooms to be each other's keeper. If all of us can see ourselves as one people, if we can see ourselves as children of God and come together in a massive united form, then there will be peace", he explained.

On his part, the Chairman of the National Peace Council Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu Gyemfia commended Lions Club for taking the mile step to inculcate the importance of peace in these children; adding that the national peace council was pleased to participate in the process that seeks to consolidate the peace and stability of the country.

"Today's event aimed at engaging and encouraging and motivating the participants as well as schools about the peace-building enterprise. I'm encouraged to be here today because this has targeted the children. Most peace-building meetings targeted the youths and adults in our society. I want to congratulate the Lions Club for including children in this course.

"Children and the youth who are the future leaders of Ghana have been actively involved in political activities since 1960. They are engaged by political actors, election management bodies, and civil society for positive and negative activities. For the past election, children have been used to campaign and advocate for political parties, and some of them have fortunately lost their lives or have been abused in the process.

"It is of this background he believed this program is relevant in times, particularly in times of economic crisis with its attendance for children," he stated.

He encouraged the young ones to give attention to their academic work and build the needed skills for the future.

This year's winner of the Peace Poster Contest will represent Ghana at Lions Club International Convention in July 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States of America.