Poetry for Peace Contest

For four weeks, a social media Poetry for Peace contest invited the world to hear the living testimonies of atomic bomb survivors, called HIBAKUSHA, and respond to their stories in verse. People were also encouraged to “like” the poems that most touched them.

Throughout the month-long competition, 741 poems were submitted, some echoing the pain of the victims, others calling for nuclear disarmament and almost all crying out for peace. On the UN Peace Day Facebook page, the contest evolved into a dialogue among those visiting the site with a common goal that peace is the only option. The camaraderie that sprung up yielded posts on Facebook such as:

“I don’t really care if I win…it’s a wonderful opportunity to write for Peace. It’s the best I could do to promote peace despite my cerebral palsy. Godspeed everyone.”

“It has been an honor to have my poetry included among so many fine works here. What an important mission we poets have: to write for peace. “

Q: who are the winners? :))
A: POETRY… and PEACE…

The most interesting thing about this contest is that it has brought poets from all over the world together for the sake of peace.

Of the many poignant poems submitted, it was extremely difficult to choose just three. Ten verses were selected, based on criteria including the poem’s connection to a hibakusha testimony, its relaying a message of peace, the structure of the verse, the overall impact of the poem, and the number of “likes” it received from users of Facebook. These finalists were, in turn, narrowed down to three winners, who were announced on 25 October 2011 at a ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

The first step to nuclear disarmament comes with awareness. Although the poetry competition has ended, the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs encourages everyone to keep their voices raised for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Congratulations to the winners, to all who participated and to everyone who contributes to peace.

Stay tuned for our next contest. It will be focused around art!

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All Poems Submitted to the Contest

Paul Abellera
Midori Abe
Wendy Abreu
Kathlyn Acevedo

Sambidhan Acharya
Madison Acosta
Abeku Adams
Perry Addo
Deji Adefila

Kolawole Adepoju
Adjei Adjei-Baah
Nathaniel Adjei
Jailene Adorno

I.K Adusei
Israt Ahmed
Mahdia Ahmed
Ashley Ahn
Sajia Alaha Ahrar

Kwame Aidoo
Eva Akinvall
Emmanuel Monycol Akop
Elikplim Akorli

Seher Akram
Abdo Alawdi
Francesco Alberico
Eleni Alexiou

Hakim Alipoor
Faidon Alkinoos
Lynda Allen
Amberly Almonte

Chloé N. Amarantou
Seratul Ambia
Alwaz Amit
George Amoah

Parbattie Anant
Reasmeiy Angkor
Bengt Jerker Anstrin
Shadrack Appiah

Geetakshi Arora
Theodora Artas
Nana Asaase
Ahbab Ashraf
Omar Ashraf

Mariam Avetisyan
Stamatia Avramidis
Edmund Baffour Awuah
Volkan Aydinoglu

Wilson Amooro Ayinbangya
Natalia Ayres
Sayeef Azgar
Ayobayo J. Babade

Rohan Bader
Afsane Bahar
Kristina Bajic
Nenad Bakaj
Farhat Bakhsh

Mohamed Bakr
Adham Bakr
Anjicka Balaz
Rashawn Baldwin
Noemie Banaga

Ammar Banni
Isaac Barayev
Carlos Barbarito
Lucia Barbera

Matthew Barron
Sharon Bayantemur
Tyler Baylock
Ivan Bazyuk

Fouzia Begum
Hina Kehkashan Behleem
Dante Bellotta
Omar Benkerroum

Jim Bennett
Chéna Benson
Shanjeta Bhuiyan
Zlata Bogovic

Genesis Bonval
Sandra Botha
Antonio Boyd
Brandon
James Bridge

André Luis Bridi
Zachary Bright
Ximena Bringas
Katarzyna Brojakowska

Kimson Bryant
Mara Buck
Jimmy Budis
Omari Burns
Rania J Busada

Mark Bustos
Catherine C.
Kelly C.
Marvin C.
Ya Jing C.

Mac Campbell
Mark Carrillo
Tomás Ó Cárthaigh
Nicole Cayton

Daniel Celis
Ceridwen
Laurent Chaineux
Amanda Chan
Reon Chang

Mei Jun Chan
Clairie Chatzigianni
Dereck Chavez
Emmanuel Chekumbe

Jessy Chen
Yi-Hsin Chen
Henry Cheng
Yi Chen
Nabin Kumar Chhetri

Akeil Chin
Sarita Chitrapu
Virile Chittangsomboon
Ashley Cho

Prerana Choudhury
Maheen Chowdhury
Farhat Chowdhury
Tangila Chowdhury

Zahra Chowdhury
Jessica Chu
Jiakai Jeremy Chua
Mikaela C
Allison Hedge Coke

Zhane Constantino
Nasheem Cooper
Edwin M. Cordevilla
Laurie Corzett

Donald Crane
Courtney Crawford
Sophal Cresswell
Jose Cubillos

Katherine Cunalata
Elias Dafoe
Nubi Kayode Damilare
Adri Daniel

Enrico Danna
Stephen Larbi Darkoh
Thanaree Darncharnjitt
William Davis

Tatjana Debeljacki
Channell Decastro
Jaylene Delgado
Vivian Delgado

Brianna Dendy
Antoine Desrosiers
Kodjo Deynoo
Prakash Dhamala

Kyara Diaz
Julie A. Dickson
Fotios Dimitriadis
Chris Diz

Michella Domenici
Katherine Dominguez
Emmi Doumit
Kyle Du

Saiya Dumaran
Barbara Duong
Rosalis Duran
Smajil Durmisevic

Moinak Dutta
Melissa Echevarria
Aifuwa Edosomwan
Tanzina Eisha

Dzisam Antoine Elikem
Yaseer Elkhou
Rania Elmrini
Marwa Elnagar

Ahmed Elnawawy
Emmanuel Boakye-Yiadom
Robert Epstein

Bridgette Espinoza
Yenifer Estevez
Isabel Etchevarria
Cole Larry Eubanks

Maurizio Evangelista
Danielle Evans
Angelina F.
Ivandra Felix

Richard Fenner
Abonti Ferdous
Sandra Moreta & Brielle Ferguson

Genesis Fermin
Amber Fernandez
Christline Fernandez.
Cameron Ferrol

Serina Fields
Frank Fierro
Celia Finnimore
Jamie F
Indializ Flores

Aminata Fofana
Don Ford
Angie Forero
Raymond Foss
Georja Fotiou

Ilias Foukis
Michelle Frost
Jenny Funston
Zina Gacevic
Amina Gacevic

Clinton Gachangi
Georgina Galanis
Branco Gamarra
Vanessa Gapa

Giancarlo Frank & Corey Garcia
Michelle Garcia
Jelica Gavrilovic

Stephanie Geier
Selikem Geni
Eleni Georgiadis
Phillip Georgiou

Max Gerozissis
Nadia Ghulam
Petros Giannros
Anam Gill

Delicia Gilling
Imani Torres, Diane Dhanpatm, & Lacey F. Giordano
Sebastian Giraldo

Marianna Glyfada
Ana María González
Julia Gordon-Bramer

Damia Govia
Catherine Graham
Brindusa Luciana Grosu
Edwin Gruda

Michael Grullon
Viktorija Gudina
Tiffany Guerrero
Keanen Guzman

Debbie Guzzi
Julia H.
Yasmine Haddad
Katerina Hadjipavlis

Arif Hafeez
Laud Kweku Halm-Quartey
Nancy Hamill
Max Hamilton

Mohammad Hanif
Fatema Haque
David Harkness
Satenik Harutyunyan

Mohammed Hashas
Chicoat Helm
Maria Henriques
Michelle G. Hernandez

Patrick Hernandez
Tatianna Hernandez
Sheknah Hibbert

Charlax Hice
Kasim Hicks
Francina Saint Hilaire
Myaia Hodge

Robert Hodges
Hoi Hoi
Destiny Holley
Nazia Hossain
Jerome Howard

Irene Hu
Hendrick Hui
Shamael Husain
Usman Hussai
Jeremy Huynh

Aida I.
Mariam Ibrahim
Hassan Ibrahimi
Chinedu Jonathan Ichu
Victory Ike

Joice Im
Barsha Islam
Karina Iturralde
SK Iyer
Natalia J.

Justin Jacob
Jaden
Usha Jagdeo
Ishrat Jahan
Ariana Jailall

Lizeth Jaimez
Shalini Jairaj
Adrian Nour Jamal
Zeljka Vucinic Jambresic

Lydia Jamenya
Kuteara Jamison
Yerim Jee
Ricardo R. Jesus

Hua Jing
Annika Joeng
Olanihun Opeyemi Joe
Jesse Johnson

Avery Jonas
Adele Ogiér Jones
Dale Stokes Jordan
Kathleen Julia

Ivanka Juran
Jakub Jurski
Malik K.
Sabrina Kabir
Justyna Kadyszewska

Elhameh Kaghazchi
Ravi Karan Kakkar
Biuma Kalala
Vinko Kalinić

Alima Kanumilli
Ardi Kapeshnica
Ed Kaplan
Dhervi Kapoor

Eleni Kappa-Karasavvidou
Slimi Karim
Zavier Kaufman
Kamaljot Kaur

Sandeep Kaur
Wataru Kazui
Timothy Kelly
Jeton Kelmendi

Penn Kemp
Kawa Kerami
Joseph Keteku
Zoha Khalid
Takiya Khan

Hamed Khawary
Asif Khowaja
Shanil Khowaja
Christina Kim

Doyun Kim
Heajin Kim
Rebecca King
Uwandu Chinemerem Kingson

Fernando Kinoshita
Baris Kiralioglu
Julia Kitell
Gert W. Knop

Maja Kojcheva
Clara Kolinek
Patrick Kolodziej
Despina Kontaxis

Samuel Koranteng
Dubravko Korbus
Diakogeorgios Kosta
Katerina Kostaki

Katerina Kostaki
Vijaya Bhanu Kote
Dimitris P. Kraniotis
Sri Kriti

Olf Thomas Krumm
Kinga Kuczynski
Ayman Kuddus
Aarish Kumar

Hashela Kumarawansa
Helena Kurtezi
Girish Kute
Samantha Kwok

Cindy Kwok
Win Kyi
Anthony L.
Carter L.
Fletcher L.
Joey L.

Sasha L.
Serena L.
Hailey Lam
Alec Lam
Jessica (Yanyi) Lam

Laura LaMorta
Cristiana Lauri
Anna Lauria
Chris Law
Eric Law

Chris Lawrence
Christos N. Lazaropoulos
Kathleen Leach

Juliet Leech
W. M. Lewis
Patricia M. Lewis
Jurell Lews
Jennifer Li

Derek Li
Elaine Li
Katerina Ligoni
Shannon Lima
Ellen Birkett Lindeen

Helen Lin
Janice Lin
Mia Lipstick
Chris Lliguichuzhca

Erica Lliguichuzhca
Johan W Löfgren
Ryan Long
Alice Loor

Karla Loor
Lelsy Lopez
Catherine Lora
Ugo Love
Hamish Low

Karen Lui
Kylie Luu
Anthony M.
Duha M.
Winnie M.
Kanako Mabuchi

Winy W. Macheru
Eileen Maguire
Hasani Mahdi
Adhar Maheshwari

Grace Mahony
Kawamoto Maki
Sonia Manga
Lucy Manukyan

Qaqambile Q. Mapukata
Rafael Marin
Vikki Marshall
Elias Martes

Lani Martinez
Robert Masterson
Dusko Matas
Thandiwe Louise Matavire

Xavier Mateo
Sarah Mathai
K. K. Mathew
Matthew
Mehrdad Mazari

Rahid Mazumder
Hamida Mazumder
Kiara McDonald
Eileen McGrath

Grant D. McLeman
Patrick McManus
Johanna Medrano
Syeda Rumana Mehdi

Didi Mena
Paola Mendez
Ayaa Mesbah
Gero Miceli
Malvina Mileta

Leonidas Milonas
Chamanjit Minhas
Monserrat Mitchell
Mitsuki

Petros Mkheyan
Suhaila Mohideen
Gbrielle Mompalao
Eric Monda

George Monokrousos
Chelsea Morales
Veronica Morali
Ombuge Mose

Cristal Mota
Tamara Moultrie
Ijudmila Milena Mrsic
Tinashe Muchuri

Bernard Muhia
Aju Mukhopadhyay
Naosuke Mukoyama
Donna Lee Murphy

Olawuyi Mutiu
Dionne Muyalde
Walter Keyombe Muzembi
Joy Muthanje Mwaniki

Homaira Mysha
Denis N.
Majid Naficy
Fumiya Nagai
Siddharth Sunil Nair

Hisashi Nakamura
Sherwin Navarro
Michelle Negrete
Franklin Neira

Catherine Ng
Timo Nicolakis
David Kotei Nikoi
Lindsey Nkem
Patrick Adjei Nketia

Michael Nketiah
Nivedita N
Ayaka Nojiri
Matthew Nunez
Myles Nutifafa

Raphael Nwadike
Nana Nyarko
Mgcini Nyoni
Jordi Ochoa
Mark Odea

S. Senyo Ofori-Parku
Nana Agyemang Ofosu
Ifeanyi Ogbo
Rotimi Ogunjobi

Oluwafemi Jacob Ojo
Olaitan Victor Olatomide
Princess Olivera
Rafael Olivera

Adedayo Albert Olofinnika
Abikoye Oluwatoyosi Oluwatosin
Eddie Ombagi

Eoin O’Neill
Madelaine Ong
Oduor E. Oriko
Lea Ormandy

Daniel Ortega
Johana Lopez Osorio
Mari Ota
Adam Ouyang
Harry Owen

Neelima P
Kevin Padilla
Yam Padua
Carbin Palafox
Manuela Maria Pana

Demetrios Pandazis
Michael Panteloukas
Alex Papadopou

Isidora Papagiannakis
Anil Parbhudial
Stella Parthenis

Annamaria Pecoraro
Brianna Perez
Rama Krishna Perugu
Daniel Phillip

Anisah Pillay
Pamela Janet Rodríguez Piminchumo
Irene Pirovolikos

Peter Pitsakis
Marija Pogorlic
GJV Prasad
Mark Prime

Ronece Pringle
Pallavi Priyadarshini
Selena Prodromidou

Ivy Prosser
Jessica Puliafico
Nazanin Qaumi
Kate Quane
Amn Rahman

Thusme Rahman
Sakibur Rahman
Sumaia Rahman
Tanzina Rahman

Arun Prasad Raja
Rinzu Rajan
Devindra Ramadhar
Jane Smith Meme Ramapatel

T A Ramesh
Gerardo Ramirez
Jennylee Ramos
Glenda Ramos
Moraysha Ramsahai

Nicii Rashan
Carla Redondi
John Remillard
Richel Rennie

Christ Reymundi
Olivia Richards
Martin Rijntjes
Syeda Rithu

Abigail Rivera
Jason Rivera
Zulikha Roberts
Tristan Michael de Robillard

Danny Rodriguez
Jhovany Rodriguez
Diana Rodriguez
Edgardo Rodriguez

Chris Rojas
Kenny Rojas
Meshack Kipyego Rop
Yamelis Rosado

Lokesh Roy
Pinaki Roy
Stjepan Rozic
Danae Ruiz
Yassine Sabri

Jasper Sabuni
Walter William Safar
Sakib Safi
Gurjoj Sahota

Dinesh Sairam
Yukiko Sanada
Tomoki Sano
Ernesto P. Santiago

Ömer Sapanli
Lovro Saric
Minal Sarosh
Mohsin Sarwar
Simone Sawyers

Sofia Schmidt
Nicole Schweit
Iolanda Scripca
Ameza Selorm

Stella Seo
Brianna Serna
Mai Setoguchi
Archana Sharma
Rajat Sharma

Bayarjargal Shartolgoi
Fahredin Shehu
Norphel Sherpa
Akhter Shihab

Hiroki Shimomura
Shodai Shiota
Dhimitrios Shoshari
Komatsu Shota

Satis Shroff
S. Sideris
Charleston Silla
Anastasiya Sindyukova

Aishwarya Singaravelu
Ranveer Singh
Simran Singh
Soumya Sinha

Suhrab Sirat
Esther Slowley
Brinanna Monica Smalling
Jordan Smalls

Matthew F. Smith
Martin Smith
Myriam Solar
Michael Kwaku Kesse Somuah

Sarah Speziali
Uma Srikar
Bolaji St.Ramos
Stella Steinbach

Grace Stempel
Gabriela Stinson
Ellen Stoyanov
Jose Suarez

Shania Subhani
Maho Sugihara
Milica Sujica
JC Sullivan

Lina Sultana
Ian Sun
Esa Suomaa
Kevin Suriel
Brianna Sutherland

Judith Suzuki
Konstantinos Sventzouris
Felix Orisewike Sylvanus

Christina T.
Ryan T.
Momo Takahashi
Tasnuva I. Tamim
Alexander G. Tanaskidis

Helen Tang
Eduard Tara
Saqlain Tariq
Matthew Taylee
Christine Janz Taylor

Jogga Singh Teidy
Maria Tejeda
Jane Tekin
Princess Tensang
Yin Yin Thain

Swati Thakur
Bhuwan Thapaliya
Aung Zin Phyo Thein
Jan Theuninck

Kristy Thu
Tiffany Ting
Bekim Tocani
Nour Tohme
Reem Tohme

Falokun Tolulope
Kiani Torres
Abikoye Tosin
Georgia Tsamados

Tenzin Tsering
Vasiliki Tsitouridou
Spiro Tsoumpariotis

Mandy Moe Pwint Tu
Najma Tubssum
Jade Turbides
Mizuki Uozaki

Darleny Urena
Jael Uribe
Kevin Uzzle
Paul Valdivia
Emilce Vallejo

Brian Van
Seda Vardikyan
Alexandra Vassiliou
Julijana Velichkovska

Chryssa Velissariou
Aaron Anthony Vessup
Santa Vetturi
Bhooma Vikas

Connie Villon
Soraya Vivas
Sara R. Vogler
Duska Vrhovac
Djurdja Vukelic-Rozic

Surakij Vuthikornpant
Joshua W.
Hazel A Waite
Lesa R. Walker

Christina Wang
Judy Wang
Dechen Wangmo
Brendan Ward
Ed Warner

Theresa White
Morgan E. White
Jessica White
Andrew Whyte
Martha Reiser Williams

Sydnei Williams
Justus Williams
Christina Williams
Daashaun Williams

Donte Williams
Lindsay Williams
Katie Wu
Anson Wu
Linda Wu

Mendy Wu
Lin Xue
Jenny Xue
Zainab Y.
Yanique
Yeni Yi

Kolawole Adepoju Yinka
Joyce Yoo
Joanna Z.
Samantha Z.
Jawed Zafari

Daniel Zahzouhi
Kozi Zavalani
Jeffrey Zhang-Sun
Elona Zharku

Lediona Zharku
Janet Zheng
Mary Zhuo Ke
Verica Zivkovic
Caroline Zuba

Jakub Zuk
Mark Zurita

 

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