The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair at Brock University invites members of the University and the wider community to attend an online poetry event free.
The 2022 Poetry Day celebration will take place at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 21 on Lifesize. Everyone is invited to attend the celebration, which will include a live poetry reading, the announcement of the winners of the 2022 Sustainability Poetry Contest, and a discussion on the role the written word plays in advancing efforts. sustainability premises.
Liette Vasseur, chair of UNESCO at Brock, said she looks forward to congratulating the winners, even if it has to be done on a computer screen for another year.
“We have encountered many challenges over the past two years and while we wish we could come together in person for this special event, we always look forward to celebrating the community spirit that is fostered by sharing a love of poetry with each other,” Vasseur said. “The celebration is a wonderful way to recognize the hard work and effort put in by all participants in the Sustainability Poetry Contest, and the important role poetry plays in our societies.”
The celebration aligns with UNESCO’s World Poetry Day, which has been celebrated on March 21 every year since 1999. The celebration highlights how poetry can be used as a social tool to raise awareness of social issues, give voice to the community, promote linguistic diversity, and change the way people perceive their place in the world.
Prior to the event, the Brock UNESCO Chair invited Niagara poets to submit their original and unpublished poetry, in English or French, to the annual poetry contest.
The theme for the 2022 competition was “Beyond Sustainability,” which relates to the transdisciplinary research project of the same name led by Brock.
All winners will be announced and will have the opportunity to read their poems aloud during the event. Each winner will also receive a small prize and have their work published in the next annual eBook of this year’s competition.
The decision to hold the event online again this year was made due to great caution related to the ever-changing pandemic conditions.
While Vasseur looks forward to celebrating together again next year, she said it’s important to continue the tradition of sharing insights into the world through creative means — in whatever capacity.
“It’s more important than ever for us to think critically about how we interact not just with each other, but with all creatures and systems on our planet,” she said. “We have been inspired by the insights on this presented by the poets this year and look forward to having meaningful conversations about how we can contribute to a better future for all of us.”
Everyone is welcome and can access the celebration here on Monday, March 21 at 5 p.m.
For more information on the competition and to read e-books from previous years, please visit the UNESCO Chair website. The sustainability poetry contest will resume in 2023 under the theme of United Nations Decades of Ecosystem Restoration and Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. More details will be announced later this year and all Niagara poets are again encouraged to participate.
