Lions Peace Poster Competition
- 2007
In June 2007 in Kinepolis Brussels, Dries Peeten, then 13 years old, was proclaimed national laureate of the Lions Belgium Peace Poster Competition. His peace poster was unanimously chosen by the public and the jury as the best of more than 6,000 entries. The drawing then travelled to the American exposition to take part in the International Lions Competition. The proceeds of the competition and the subsequent sale of greeting cards were donated by the Lions to the fight against non-congenital blindness in children in developing countries.
"Once upon a time…
There was a girl, so fine, who wrapped the world in cream
while she blew her airy bubbles in a dream.
She displayed tenderness and gladness,
she remained vulnerable and knew no badness…
Such are the children of all times."
My drawing and the dreamily bubbles blowing girl in it, for whom my little sister modelled, try to symbolize the idea of ‘Peace on Earth’. The soap bubbles represent a child’s dream world; it is a visionary world that is all too often, as it is with peace, pricked and pierced by hatred, violence and war… The Dove of Peace and the rainbow-veil propagate the ideal of peace all over the world. It is my dream to make this colourful poster eventually visible to the inner eye of all, grown-ups and children all alike.
Dries Peeten,
13 years old