Poets with a unique vision for a sustainable future on Earth are encouraged to submit a submission to this year’s Sustainability Poetry Contest.
Hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair at Brock University, the annual competition is now in its eighth year and is open to everyone in the Niagara region. .
This year’s theme is “Beyond Sustainability,” which relates to the transdisciplinary research project of the same name led by Brock.
The research team is investigating new ways of thinking about how humans interact with non-humans and the natural environment to ensure a more socially equitable and ecologically viable world.
Liette Vasseur, Senior Fellow Beyond Sustainability and UNESCO Chairholder, said this year’s call for poems aims to engage the public in the conversation about possibilities for the future.
“With the various crises affecting us – from the COVID-19 pandemic to biodiversity loss, land degradation and climate change – we need to rethink our world, reconnect with nature and reflect on what we really have. need rather than just what we want,” she said. “The current way of life based on overconsumption is unsustainable, and poets are encouraged to think about how we can change the systems in place today and contribute to a better tomorrow for all of us.”
The competition aligns with UNESCO’s World Poetry Day, celebrated on March 21 every year since 1999. The aim is to use poetry as a social tool to raise awareness of social issues, give voice to community, promote linguistic diversity, and change the way people perceive their place in the world.
All Niagara residents can submit their original unpublished poems for this year’s competition, which includes categories for elementary, secondary and post-secondary students, as well as the general public. Poems will be accepted in English and French.
Poems can be submitted online until 5 p.m. on Friday, February 11 by visiting the UNESCO Chair website. Prizes, such as books and gift cards, will be awarded in each of the four categories. The winners will be announced publicly. All poems are also published in an e-book compilation.
All poets will be celebrated at a Poetry Day celebration on March 21, 2022. More details about the event, including venue and program, will be available closer to the date and can be found on the sustainable poetry contest.
