Youngster from Central African Republic wins 37th UPU/UNESCO International Letter-Writing Competition
Moïse Luther Hoza, a 15-year-old boy from Central African Rep., has won the 37th International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People (2008) organized by the Universal Postal Union.
His letter, which explains why the world needs tolerance, is particularly relevant in an age in which globalization, migration and other trends are bringing together ever more people from different cultures. His composition was judged the best of the sixty or so entries received from UPU member countries.
The second and third prizes went to Romane Chikhline (Belarus) and Mónica Albino (Portugal), respectively, while special commendations were awarded to Filip Latkovic (Montenegro), Claudia Goina (Romania), Hachie Vychedsky (Ukraine), Yousef Bin Ahmed Al-Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia) and Thi Que Chi Ho (Viet Nam).
The full text of the three winning letters is available on the UPU website: www.upu.int/letter_writing/en/
Before being submitted to the international competition, Moïse's letter was selected at the national level from among 75 entries from five schools.
First time win for country
It is the first time that Central African Rep. has won the competition since it began in 1972. It is estimated that over three million children participated in the competition.
In his carefully crafted letter addressed to a friend living in the United States of America, who has experienced the horrors of war first hand, Moïse urges his friend to give his enemies a chance to atone for their misdeeds, as this will allow him to see how far tolerance can go. "They will be grateful to you and you will be at peace, as you will avoid a conflict? and you will make friends with them, sharing with them your culture, your traditions and values, and your language." Moïse presented his ideas in a logical manner, and clearly expressed his reasons. The UNESCO jury in Paris described his effort as a "valuable lesson in tolerance".
The jury felt that Romane Chikhline, the Belarus boy who took second prize, had written a well-structured and well-argued letter, using some beautiful metaphors evoking patience, compassion and love to explain why the world needs tolerance.
The third prizewinner, Mónica Albino of Portugal, put herself in the shoes of a Martian observing planet Earth through a telescope and a "toleranceometer". Not only does her highly lucid account display both maturity and creativity, but it shows a 12-year-old-schoolgirl?s awareness of the need for tolerance in the world.
2009 theme on decent work
The theme for the 2009 competition is "Write a letter to someone to explain how decent working conditions can lead to a better life".
This theme was chosen in coordination with the International Labour Organization (ILO), which is currently launching a worldwide campaign on the importance of decent work.
The UPU is involved in the IL's initiative as the United Nations pilot organization.
In a better world of "decent work", there would be no child labour, no forced labour, no inequality, and no danger at work. To find out more about decent work, a brief presentation is available on the ILO website.