Norte de santander
- The Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) held the awards ceremony of the 'Arts Contest: Reconciliation and Peace', wherein students from 37 education institutions in Cúcuta and its metropolitan area, Catatumbo and Pamplona participated in categories such as short storytelling, free painting, unpublished song and poetry and couplets categories.
- With songs, drawings, stories and poetry, children, teenagers, and young people delivered a message of reconciliation and peace from Norte de Santander to Colombia, in a virtual ceremony broadcast live on ARN's social networks.
The 'Arts Contest: Reconciliation and Peace' is a community initiative led by the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) in the department of Norte de Santander, which this year had the participation of nearly four hundred students and children of people undergoing the process of reincorporation and reintegration.
In the finals of the contest, the jury, comprised of experts in the categories of painting, song, short storytelling, and poetry, praised the quality of the works exhibited, which, in addition, contain the cry of the students through artistic manifestations that want peace in their territories.
As part of the ceremony, a discussion was held on 'Arts as an instrument of reconciliation and peace' with the participation of: Jesús Alberto Escalante, delegate of the Secretary of Education of the Government of Norte de Santander; Luis Armando Carreño, coordinator of the ARN Norte de Santander; Maria Fernanda Galvis Fuentes, delegate of the company Centrales Eléctricas de Norte de Santander SA ESP (CENS) and Lady Yajaira Cerpa, education coordinator of Save the Children.
The Secretary of Education of Norte de Santander is one of the agencies allied to this initiative. Jesús Alberto Escalante, undersecretary of education for post high school and higher education articulation, stated that “These spaces allow children and adolescents to explore their talents and have another vision of the world. We motivate them today so that tomorrow they will be great artists of Norte de Santander. From the departmental administration we are working on several processes to train teachers in the creation of protective environments".
After the qualifying stages and the assessment by the jury, in the short storytelling category, the first place in the 6th and 8th grade category went to Gabriel Subero Brito from the Luis Gabriel Castro Education Institution in the municipality of Villa del Rosario and in the 9th to 8th grade category the winner was Diego Delgado González from the La Llana Education Institution in the municipality of Tibú.
In the case of free painting, first place in the 6th and 8th grade category was awarded to Adrián David Redondo from the Minuto de Dios Policarpa Salavarrieta school in Cúcuta, and in the 9th to 11th grade category, the winner was Juliana Benavides from the La Presentación Education Institution in the municipality of Pamplona.
In the category of unpublished songs, the first place in the 6th and 8th grade category was awarded to José Darío García from Centro Educativo Rural Agualasal de Cúcuta School, and in the 9th to 11th grade category, the winner was Marialex Karolina Mora from Megacolegio La Frontera School in the municipality of Villa del Rosario.
Finally, in the poetry and couplets category, first place in the 6th and 8th grade category was awarded to Linda Sofía Pérez from the New Cambridge School in the municipality of Pamplona, and in the 9th to 11th grade category the winner was Julieth Lozano from the Pablo Correa León Education Institution in Cúcuta.
For Marialex Mora, winner in the singing category, participating in these events strengthens the artistic abilities of the children and, in addition, “is a great opportunity to uncover the hidden talents in the region and what better way than through a message of peace, especially in our department that needs it so urgently".
This contest is part of the strategy led by ARN to strengthen protective environments, and through it, the different talents of children, adolescents and young people are promoted, making the most of their free time.
said Andrés Stapper Segrera, Director General of the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN).
Interesting facts:
- The panel of judges for the different categories was comprised of: Jaqueline Maldonado Avendaño, artist and Master´s Degree in peace, in the short storytelling or poetry category; Carlos Alberto Sandoval, founder and Director of the Academy of Fine Arts 'Tallando Talentos', in the painting or drawing category; Carlos Alberto Sandoval, founder and director of the Academy of Fine Arts 'Tallando Talentos', in the painting or drawing category.
- Thirteen municipalities of Norte de Santander actively participated in the competition call.