World Boys and Girls Art Exhibition in Belgium

The World Boys and Girls Art Exhibition was held at the Espace Maurice Carême in Brussels, Belgium, from October 29 to November 7, 2008. Some 120 guests, local residents and SGI-Belgium members attended the opening on October 28.

Over 100 paintings by children from around the world were displayed. Originally created in 1988 by SGI in partnership with UNESCO, embassies and government ministries, the full exhibition contains 400 paintings selected from over 100,000 submitted by children from 160 countries. With the showing in Belgium, the exhibition has now traveled to 25 countries.

Local children visiting the exhibition were invited to create their own artwork at a space prepared for them. The drawings were then collected in an album. A primary school teacher who brought her class to see the children's art noted, "My students were delighted and full of admiration; the works spoke to them directly. Before visiting the exhibition, we delved deeply into the idea of peace, and together the class created a poster on that theme."

Approximately 720 viewed the exhibition. One visitor commented: "This magnificent artistic expression by children shows the diversity and richness of all our cultures. We all have in the depths of our hearts the same desire for peace, harmony, joy, dialogue, sharing and respect."

[Adapted from an article in the November 9, 2008 issue of the Seikyo Shimbun, Soka Gakkai, Japan, and a report from SGI-Belgium; photos courtesy of SGI-Belgium]