Two beaming school children from Grenada who participated in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Thirtieth Anniversary Art Competition were presented with their trophies in Grenada today.
The students, Sean Harford and Shellon Eleazer placed second in the junior and senior categories respectively in the competition, which was one of the activities geared for the Community's youth during the anniversary year, February 2003 to March 2004.
In the 8-11, junior category the Region's students depicted the theme “we live in the Caribbean” while in the 12-16, senior category the theme was “what can CARICOM mean to me”.
Sean drew on the sport of cricket to capture the theme while Shellon turned to Mother Nature, using a tree with roots to symbolise the Community comprising of 15 Member States and 5 Associate Members. Both students attend the Westmoreland Junior and Westmoreland Secondary school, respectively.
In handing over the trophies, CARICOM's Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development, Dr. Edward Greene congratulated the students for the manner in which they depicted the themes.
“Art symbolises the spirit of Caribbean people and I congratulate you for a job well done.” said Dr. Greene.
The students also had the opportunity to meet with the CARICOM Secretary-General, H.E Mr. Edwin W. Carrington. “Your are the future and I am pleased that you participated in the competition and you have done well,” the Secretary-General told the students.
Coordinator of CARICOM's Thirtieth Anniversary celebration, Ms. Marilyne Trotz, Special Advisor to the CARICOM Secretary-General, remarked that the art competition attracted a significant amount of interest from students across the Region. The judges were distinguished Caribbean artists Mr. Stanley Greaves of Guyana and Mr. Luigi St. Omer from Saint Lucia, as well as Curator of the National Art Gallery in Guyana, Ms. Elfrieda Bissember.
The Caribbean Community and Common Market was born in 1973 in Trinidad and Tobago with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas by the Heads of Government of the then four independent Commonwealth Caribbean countries. The Heads of Government were Hon. Errol Barrow of Barbados, Hon. Forbes Burnham of Guyana, Hon. Michael Manley of Jamaica and Dr. Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago.
