Student wins International Day of Peace award

Ivybridge Community College student Sarah Wills has won a top award in a national creative writing competition that aims to educate people about peace and inclusiveness.

The high-profile competition, run by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), was open to students aged seven years old to 13 years old from throughout the UK, and 15-year-old Sarah received her award at an awards ceremony at Central Hall, Westminster.

“My entry was a form of literary artwork,” said Sarah, who took third prize in the Year Groups 7-11 category. “I wrote and drew a piece that focuses on saying ‘No to Nuclear’ and I tried to get across the message on a personal level. My work emphasised the destruction and devastation that war can cause and the harsh realities of conflict.”

The competition, which promotes the building of a fair and inclusive world that embraces diversity, required Sarah to compose a piece of creative writing no longer than one side of A4 based on the theme of 'peace' and/or 'nuclear weapons'. Her entry will be published in CND materials leading up to the International Day of Peace on Sunday 21 September – a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace among all nations and people.

Sarah has just completed Year 10 at Ivybridge Community College. Despite her literary talents, Sarah’s favourite lesson is Chemistry and she has ambitions to be a meteorologist when she leaves college.

Sarah entered the competition after learning about nuclear disarmament in Theory of Knowledge (TOK) lessons at Ivybridge Community College, which was organised by Head of Human Sciences Helen Ryder.

“In TOK lessons we discuss world issues with students of all ages,” said Helen Ryder, “so that they get a rounded view of global politics and the struggles that many others in the world face. International Day of Peace calls for a ceasefire in conflict zones and an end to war and violence, and Sarah’s words and artwork brought home very clearly the damage that can result from conflict. We’re tremendously proud of her achievement and hope that her words go some way to helping more people understand the devastation that war causes.”

The competition follows on from a speech by Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, where he spoke about the International Day of Peace and said: “Let us pledge to teach our children the value of tolerance and mutual respect. Let us invest in the schools and teachers that will build a fair and inclusive world that embraces diversity. Let us fight for peace and defend it with all our might.”