Twenty-two-year-old Atomea, who is from Northern Malaita in the Solomon Islands, submitted her essay titled “Silent cry of John, a village boy.”
Organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund, the essay competition was open to young people in the Pacific, 18–25 years old.
They were asked to write about how they feel the global economic crisis is affecting them or those around them.
June will receive her prize here in Port Vila, Vanuatu from United Nations Development Program Administrator Helen Clark on Wednesday.
Clark will be in Port Vila to attend the Pacific Conference on The Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis from Feb. 10 to 12.
UNICEF social policy officer Mereia Carling said “June’s story was chosen because it was clearly time-bound to the impacts of the economic crisis and it highlighted a number of impacts and the compounding nature of these. She describes the ‘human face’ of the crisis and the struggles made to survive. Her point is made clear — those who are currently on the brink of survival are the ones who will not survive the crisis.”
The essay competition links to the conference where heads of international and regional agencies, heads of Pacific Island states, non-governmental organizations, academics and young people will discuss the impacts of the crisis in their countries, learn from experiences shared and prepare for any future crises.
A pre-conference for Pacific children and youth coordinated by UNICEF, will be held in Port Vila on Feb. 8–9, to prepare delegates for their participation in the main conference.
Young people will have the opportunity to raise their concerns and issues related to the impact of the crisis.
