FOLLOW US
UPF-Argentina Celebrates UN International Day of Peace with Awards for Outstanding Poetry
Written by UPF-Argentina
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Para leer en español, haga clic aquí.
Buenos Aires, Argentina—The Award Ceremony for the Ninth International Poetry Contest, organized by UPF-Argentina with the theme “Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values,” was part of the celebration of the UN International Day of Peace. The event took place on September 23 on Zoom. The first prize in poetry went to “Galope de mariposas,” by José Luis Hernández Castellanos (La Habana, Cuba); and “Mi paz, tu paz,” by Mirta Nancy Almassio (Necochea, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). The jury decided that these two poems should be given the first prize, placing value on sharing instead of competing, a central message of this proposal in perspective of a peace culture. Both poems were recited as a corollary of this emotional, intense meeting, which had more than 90 connections from different provinces and countries, and a live streaming through UPF-Argentina’s YouTube channel. To see the event, click here.
The intercultural-interreligious celebration began with two artistic presentations, which were also presented at the contest: “Imagino,” a theme song performed by Osvaldo Sanguinetti (Mercedes, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina); and “Soy paraguaya mujer gloriosa,” a dance from the Art Institute ‘La Victoria,’ directed by Ambassador for Peace Lidia Victoria Giménez Amarilla, from Asunción, Paraguay. Afterward, we had an interreligious section guided by Ambassador for Peace Jackeline Giusti, Coordinator of the Pacis Nuntii Movement and member of the Santa Fe’s Interreligious Dialogue and Peace Culture Board. From this board, prayers and reflection were given by Luciano Rossi, gnostic student; Iosy Przepiorka, seminarian of the Santa Fe’s Jewish community; Father Alejandro Saba, from the Apostolic Catholic Orthodox Church of Antioch; Imam Marwan Sarwar Gill, president of the Ahmadiyya community in Argentina; and Mónica Levrino, Director of Public Affairs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. From Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, Audelino Sac Coyoy, Ajq’ij Maya K’iche, “counter of Mayan time,” from Xelajuj No’j, joined the invocations. Meanwhile, Yndabor del Valle Sayavedra, director of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in Santa Fe and representative of UPF in Santa Fe, gave a few words to close this section with fraternal spirit.
The Award Ceremony followed, held in relation to the date and year of the UPF Co-Founder’s Centenary, which had more than 250 participants from 21 countries of the Americas, Europe and Asia (1). Besides the first prize, it gave three Honorable Mentions, five Special Mentions, and five Mentions. It also awarded a diploma to the selected works (illustrations and paintings) that will illustrate an anthology, which will be digitally edited with all awarded poems: “Árbol de cinco continents,” by Sandra Santibáñez Morales (Villa Alemana, Valparaiso, Chile); Sin título, by Ivana Maibel Campoya (Florencio Varela, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina); “El hombre y su incognita,” by Ricardo Gallardo (Lanús, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina); “Serie Iluminatis I,” by Verónica Franco (Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina); and “Un ángel nos salvará del naufragio,” by Martha Laroche (Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina).
Representing the contest jury, writer and plastic artist Martha Candioti, Assistant Secretary of Culture of the Argentinian Writers Society (SADE); and writer Jorge Alcaraz, Coordinator of the Almafuerte Literary Circle (SADE), gave feedback on the winning and selected works. The rest of the Jury are all Ambassadors for Peace: literary critic Bertha Bilbao Richter, vice president of the Hispanic Literary and Cultural Institute (ILCH); narrator and poet Graciela Licciardi, coordinator of the Mystery and Word Cycle (SADE); and Miguel Werner, secretary general of UPF-Argentina, who was the emcee for this event.
The bilingual poet Marina Fagundes Coello, founding member of the Society “Sociedad ProArte y Cultura de Uruguayana” (Brazil), sent a warm message from Brazil in representation of the contest Godmothers (2). The Godmothers consist of writer Juana Alcira Arancibia, founder and president of the ILCH; poet and writer Nélida Pessagno, current coordinator of literary groups from SADE, where she was president; poet and plastic artist Mabel Fontau, member of the ILCH and the “Gente de Letras” Committee. The Godfather was poet Donato Perrone, representative of the Santa Catarina “Grupo de Poetas Livres” (Brazil).
This was a pleasant meeting in which we felt the joy of the winning authors, who expressed their gratitude for the award and celebration. There were more than 30 speakers deserving of attention and respect, which required an important technical expertise for the event to flow naturally and without major issues. During the closing, Mirta Almassio recited her poem “Mi paz, tu paz,” and “Galope de mariposas,” by José Luis Hernández Castellanos, was read by writer Jorge Alcaraz, Jury member and Coordinator of the Almafuerte Literary Circle (SADE). The author could not connect from Cuba due to technical problems.
At the end, besides the acknowledgements, we extended the invitation to the Rally of Hope on September 27, with speakers from all regions and a keynote speech by UPF Co-founder Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. The invitation was presented with images by Emanuel Sayavedra, member of UPF-Argentina’s Governing Board.
It is worth recalling that the Contest seeks to contribute to Peace, understanding that “art and poetry in particular, and culture in general, can make their contribution, based on universal values, transcending barriers, ideologies, and religions. Particular and universal ambition of peoples and cultures,” as expressed in its Rules. This year, our theme seeks to encourage regional and world summits of UPF: “Interdependence, mutual prosperity and universal values,” in support of the International Day of Peace 2020, established to “commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples” (Resolution 36/67). We also supported the Centenary of UPF Cofounder Dr. Sun Myung Moon, as a way of acknowledging his legacy as a peacemaker: with the Creator, the neighbor and creation.
Winners of the 9th International Poetry Contest - UPF Argentina
“Interdependence, Mutual Prosperity and Universal Values”
In support of the UN International Day of Peace 2020 and Centenary of UPF
Co-founder
Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men
that the defenses of peace must be constructed.
Preamble of the UNESCO Constitution, 1945.
POEMS
FIRST PRIZE (Shared)
“Galope de mariposas”
José Luis Hernández Castellanos
La Habana - Cuba
“Mi paz, tu paz”
Mirta Nancy Almassio
Necochea - Province of Buenos Aires - Argentina
HONORABLE MENTIONS
“Más allá del paraíso”
Santos Nerone
San Francisco Solano – Quilmes - Province of Buenos Aires - Argentina
“La vida y la fe”
Ángel Omar Gonzalvez
Las Toscas - Partido de Lincoln - Province of Buenos Aires - Argentina
“Sería perfecto…”
Marcela Edith Diaz
Nueva Atlantis – Province of Buenos Aires – Argentina
“Un poema para mañana”
Sharon Gorosito
Derqui - Partido de Pilar – Province of Buenos Aires - Argentina
SPECIAL MENTIONS
“Yo a la vida”
Gabriela Steiner
Boulogne Sur Mer - San Isidro - Province of Buenos Aires – Argentina
“Hablemos de Paz”
Norberto Rubén Calul
Wilde - Avellaneda – Province of Buenos Aires – Argentina
“La agonía de la violencia”
Cristina Noguera
Pergamino - Province of Buenos Aires - Argentina
“Por esos ojos”
Eva Noemí Fernández
General Enrique Mosconi – Province of Salta – Argentina
“Entendimiento”
María Cristina De Blasis
Yerba Buena - Province of Tucumán - Argentina
MENTIONS
“Los enemigos”
Daniel Matul Romero
Guanacaste - Hojancha - Costa Rica
“Anhelo de Paz”
Andrés Leonardo Jeromín
San Martín de los Andes – Province of Neuquén - Argentina
“Empatía”
María Trinidad Williams Fuenzalida
Talca – Maule Region – Chile
“La libertad”
Claudia Marta Galante
El Bolsón – Province of Río Negro - Argentina
“Sobre una historia oscura y una tierra germinada”
Marco Antonio Valencia Calle
Popayán - Cauca Department – Colombia
PICTORIAL WORKS
“Árbol de cinco continentes”
Watercolor on Fabriano paper. Dimension: 25 x 17,5 cm. Date of creation: May 2020
Sandra Santibáñez Morales
Villa Alemana - Valparaíso - Chile
Sin título
Ivana Maibel Campoya
Florencio Varela – Province of Buenos Aires – Argentina
“El hombre y su incógnita”
Graphite. Dimensions: 47,5 x 31,5 cm
Ricardo Humberto Gallardo
Lanús - Province of Buenos Aires – Argentina
“Serie Iluminatis I”
Collage, oil paint and handmade embroidery with old gold and copper thread on canvas. Dimensions: 30 cm diameter
Verónica Olga Franco
Autonomous City of Buenos Aires – Argentina
“Un ángel nos salvará del naufragio”
Oil paint on canvas. Dimensions: 80 x 60 cm
Martha Laroche
Autonomous City of Buenos Aires – Argentina
MUSIC
“Imagino”
Music: Osvaldo “Tito” Sanguinetti (Genre: Tonada) / Lyrics: Jorge Porcel
Osvaldo “Tito” Sanguinetti - “La voz de la tierra”
Mercedes – Province of Buenos Aires - Argentina
DANCE
“Soy paraguaya mujer gloriosa”
Art Institute La Victoria
Lidia Victoria Giménez Amarilla
Asunción - Paraguay
FIRST PRIZE POEMS (Shared)
Galope de mariposas
…Y es cuando aparece mi voz,
o la tuya, o la entera fragancia instituida
por el pétalo labrado;
y es esa selva silente que salta
al precipicio delicado, al cuenco
de las alas benditas con sus colores, con sus
disímiles colores carnales, con sus eternos avatares
de luces galopantes.
¿Por qué el amor
tiene un precio, tiene un extraño, bárbaro e ilegítimo
precio instaurado por el tornado oscuro, por
la oscura silueta de la infamia?
¿Por qué tú no puedes ser yo,
si ambos somos bañados
por la gravedad?
¿Por qué
el mar se ahoga, se amonesta, lagrimea
en tanto la espuma se mancha
de tantas y odiosas
osadías?
Hoy la mañana llora porque nadie narra sus dolores;
hoy el rocío se hiere porque la sequía
viene con la herida de las confabulaciones;
hoy necesito tu mano para juntarla
al claustro de la mía;
hoy es todavía verde nuestro cielo porque
la sangre se ha puesto delante de la aurora;
hoy busco la felicidad
en tanto el alba sale del horizonte para alcanzar su propia magia.
¿Y tú, qué haces con el alba?
¿Qué haces mientras el río corre su voz hasta el final
sin lastimarse la garganta?
José Luis Hernández Castellanos (La Habana, Cuba)
Award-winning narrator and poet, whose alias is Albert Shüger. About 30 of his poems and stories have been included in anthologies promoted by Letras como espada, El muro del escritor, Revista Anuket, Mundo escritura, and Georgianbay Books.
Mi paz, tu paz
Inmaculadas, ondulantes,
Rítmicas, níveas.
Acompañan el devaneo
de las soledades y la indulgencia.
Imparten calma, esa calma
que implora, de vez en cuando, el alma.
Y de repente,
la veo, en esa ola, zambullirse,
y fragmentada la ilusión
en infinitas gotas saladas,
se esparce sobre la arena
entibiecida.
Serán las gaviotas,
las que descifren
fragmentos de un todo
atormentado por el juicio.
Será un niño,
quien con palita y balde,
recoja los deshechos
de la ilusión cristalizada.
Será el mismo mar
quien los rescate, náufragos de amor
y desencuentros
Y arme rompecabezas, gota a gota.
Serenas, altivas, eternas, impetuosas.
Acompañan la quietud
de los indómitos pensamientos.
Suspiro de resignación y consuelo
que inspira la brisa
acompañada por el viento.
Los miedos embarcan
hacia alta mar, hacia otro puerto
y la esperanza retoza
enamorada del mar, en sus orillas.
Inmaculadas, ondulantes, rítmicas, níveas
Acompañan el devaneo
de las soledades y la indulgencia
Y respiran expectantes, tu viento y mi cielo
hasta que pasen los días de aislamiento.
Mirta Nancy Almassio (Necochea, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina)
Graduated as Superior Teacher, Teacher in Early Education and Teacher of Special Education. She currently supervises the Primary Level and writes romantic poetry. She participated in different poetry contests. She published three poetry books in the Publishing House “Editorial de los Cuatro Vientos:” Hombres irreales (2017), Mujeres reales (2018), and Amores invisibles (2020).
QUOTES
1) Participants of the 9th International Poetry Contest – UPF Argentina: from Belgium, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Spain, United States, Guatemala, India, Italy, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Dominican Republic, Romania, Uruguay, and Venezuela. From the Argentinian provinces of Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chubut, Córdoba, Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquén, Río Negro, Salta, San Juan, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, and Tucumán; also, from the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires.
2) Greetings from the Brazilian poet Marina Fagundes Coello: click here.
If you find this page helpful and informative please consider making donation. Your donation will help Universal Peace Federation (UPF) provide new and improved reports, analysis and publications to you and everyone around the world.
UPF is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization and all donations are tax deductible in the United States. Receipts are automatically provided for donations of or above $250.00.
|
Donate to the Universal Peace Federation: Your donation to support the general programs of UPF. |
Donate to the Religious Youth Service (RYS): Your donation will be used for service projects around the world. |
Donate to UPF's Africa Projects: Your donation will be used for projects in Africa. |