More than 3,000 entries are expected at this year’s World Environment Day (WED) painting contest to be held today and tomorrow at the Friends of Environment Centre (FEC), say organisers. For the seventh consecutive year, the International Academy on Intercultural Development (IAID) in association with the FEC is organising the competition, considered the most popular and anticipated painting contest in the country. A total of 2,300 entries were received last year and organisers of the event are confident that this number will be surpassed this year. “Through this fun and simple contest, we strive to foster a great deal of enthusiasm on environmental education amongst today’s youth, who are the stewards of tomorrow’s economy,” said Dr Saif Ali Al Hajari, Chairman of FEC. The painting contest is open to all age groups, and the theme for this year’s competition has been aptly chosen as, “I love Planet Earth.” Those wishing to participate in the contest can fill out the registration form at www.iloveqatar.net/wed2013. Contestants will be given two hours to draw and colour their creative art piece, and will be allowed to use colour in any medium. A panel from Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar (VCUQ) will judge the paintings, and the winners will be notified and invited to the closing ceremony on June 7, when the winning entries will be exhibited. “The response we receive every year to this painting contest shows that children care. It also shows that their teachers, their parents, and their communities care. If we are going to reverse the environmental decline that we know is happening to our land, our seas, our rivers and our air, we all need to care and to act. So, get those imaginations into gear and see what you can come up with,” said Marianne Indrinal Project Manager, WED 2013. The painting contest is one of the initiatives organized by IAID and FEC to involve the Qatari community in the WED celebrations, and create awareness how they — as individuals — could make a positive impact on the environment. Alongside the painting contest is a seminar related to the WED 2013 world-wide theme - Think.Eat.Save entitled Healthy Eating for a Healthy Planet to be facilitated by Karishma Desai, a nutritionist from IAID. WED celebration sponsors include Al Khalij Commercial Bank (al khaliji) (Major Sponsor), ORYX GTL Limited (Diamond Sponsor) and Ooredoo (Official Telecom Partner). The event partners are Faber-Castell, VCUQ, ILoveQatar.net, Hemaya Security Services, Ritz Carlton Doha and Renaissance Doha City Center Hotel. http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/238414-over-3000-entries-likely-for-painting-contest.html

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