The Fourth World Poetry Canada International Peace Festival October 1-27 with displays, UBC, SFU, UBC Learning Exchange, New Westminster Public Library, and the Britannia Library. Book launches and a Peace and Human Rights Film festival will be celebrating the African Award Winners and welcoming them to Vancouver. Each winner has been recommended and carefully chosen. World Poetry Canada International is delighted to present these talented youth humanitarian award winners who will help create a better world. Please join us in welcoming them at the festival and in spirit. ariadnes@uniserve.com for more information. We thank TAN THE AFRO NEWS for being our honored partner for the festival.
World Poetry Cultural Ambassador Michael Kwaku Kesse Somuah, Ghana. He lives in Ghana and is an African Poet. International Poetry congresses and festivals have included his poetry presentations and writings in their programs. He is a multi award-winning poet and has participated in Poetry events, readings and performances in and out of Ghana, including Greece, Cyprus, South Africa, Canada, India, Holland etc. Michael has been voted as one of the top twenty “coolest” individuals of repute In Africa by Celebrity fashion magazine Glitz Africa, Issue 20 in 2013.
As the World Empowered Youth Poet- honored in Canada at the University of British Colombia, National Youth Achiever in Literary Arts during the maiden awards by his Excellency the President of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, Kostis Palamas poetry prize winner in Greece, and Guest editor of Poetry Space-UK, he is being published widely in books, Literary Journals, Anthologies and newspapers in the UK, Canada, India, Ghana, Kalahari review-Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Pakistan, Hungary, Greece, Cyprus, USA and other web hosting literary Magazines.
He writes: “In winning the award, I seek to provide mentoring for talents, unearth creativity, improve reading and writing, entertain, devote self to country and the people and promote arts through individual talents in children and the youth in Ghana and globally.
1. To promote education through art forms, (poetry, music and dance, entertainment, fashion, drama, etc), by unearthing creativity and talents in Children to further enhance and improve reading and writing in our Schools and Communities
2. To eradicate educational deficiencies in our schools and communities to help solve social issues in society such as streetism, etc
3. To provide mentoring for identified talents in Children/youth and sell their creativity of worth to the world through a structured and systematized procedure.
4. To register a pool of talents and creativity unto one platform for communication and networking amongst well doers.
5. To support schools in the mobilization of their resources in areas of creativity for development
6. To partner with creative, art, government, donor agencies, corporate bodies, embassies, Institutions, Churches, in providing direct educational services to communities and Schools in short and medium term plans. http://worldpoetry.ca/?p=7435
World Poetry Cultural Ambassador: Mutiu Olawuyi, Gambia. He is an international award-winning poet – 2012 International Who’s Who in Poetry Awardee, USA; 2013 World Poetry Empowered Poet Awardee, Canada, Honorary Professor – International Art Academy, Greece, and 2014 Marqui’s Who’s Who in the World Listee, USA. He has authored four books of poetry (i.e. American Literary Legends and Other Poems [2010], Thoughts from the Jungle [2012], 9/11 Poetry [2012], and The Journey to the Archangels [2013]) and has edited numerous international anthologies, journals and magazines. http://versesofthejunglepoet.blogspot.com for more information about him. He will be launching a new book and will use his award promoting African and world culture around the word. A great teacher, he shares his work, knowledge and help with his students. http://worldpoetry.ca/?p=7607
World Poetry Theatre Ambassador: Oswald Okaitei. Ghana. Oswald is a Ghanaian poet/playwright/author. He has almost a ten poetry collections to his credit, has contributed in international and national anthologies and written, directed produced a number of stage plays in Ghana. As the World Poetry Theatre Ambassador from Ghana (2014, he aims at supporting the cause toward the revival of poetry in Ghana and to help to give more relevance to it among Ghanaians. Again, he hopes to expand the poetry clubs he is setting up in Junior High Schools in Accra, the Capital of Ghana and partnering organisations to revive the centres for theatre in Accra .Partnering with his colleague, as World Poetry Empowered Poets from Ghana 2013, Oswald and Michael Kwaku Somuah will be launching the first ever Junior High Students Poetry Anthology funded by themselves. He will promote the creative art of theatre and also his piety as well as launching a new book. http://worldpoetry.ca/?p=7607
World Poetry Youth Peace Ambassador: Timileyin Olajuwon, Nigeria Serves as an advocate of peace in his society, as the world poetry ambassador to Nigeria, initiated a volunteer group for world peace. He works on a poetry anthology on world peace and world poetry award night. Timileyin Gabriel Olajuwon is the World Poetry Ambassador to Nigeria and an esteemed youth member of the organization. He is an inspirational poet, author and a literary critic. He had his debut book “Call for Retreat” released, with his work published in series of international Anthologies such as ‘The Art of being Human; volume IV and several ones included international journals. Gabriel won the ‘Write Share Be Read’ international poetry competition as one of the top five poets in category A. Timileyin Gabriel Olajuwon is one of the founders of ‘The Winning Pen’, a creative writers organization. He will be promoting peace for World Poetry in Nigeria and around the world.
Sainabou Baldeh, the Gambia. World Poetry Empowered Graphic Artist: Sainabou. N. Baldeh is an 18 year old and a Science student of WAIS. She lives in the Gambia with her family. Since the age of 14 Miss Baldeh has been developing her skills as a young artist in her school and community.
Currently she is writing two novels “REDOX” AND “THE SUPPOSED SLUT’S MATE” which is available on an online app called WATPPAD. She has a part time job as a radio presenter on paradise fm , the show is about teaching the youth what they know and experienced with the aid of some teachers and principals in the nation hence the name of the show “ Jangal Ma Lo Ham” which in English means “ Teach me what you know”. She is also the Captain of the Gambia Basket Ball cheerleading organization and she got a certificate for volunteering as a guardian counselor for “The Bright Stars summer camp” last year.
Sainabou Baldeh is one of the young people in the Gambia that wants to make a difference in the World. She is young but determined and for that she is respected, loved and admired.
Koketso Marishane, South Africa. Participant. Koketso is an arts lover and poet from GaMarishane in South Africa. He has been published in all seven continents on earth. He is a servant leader of choice with various Arts & ICT in Education initiatives around the world. He is a Consultant from Ga-Marishane in Limpopo Province, South Africa. He’s presently Researcher at the National Digital Repository of South Africa, Treasurer for Organisation of African Youth, Consultant at the Es’kia Mphahlele Trust, Adjudicator at the National Eisteddfod Academy. He’s been voted as the Mail & Guardian Top 200 Young South Africans 2014, Tomorrow’s Leaders Convention Fellow, Global Youth Talent Fellow (Norway) and Activate Leadership Fellow. He’s the Co-founder of Limpopo Reads Foundation and Licensee for TEDxGaMarishane and a TOYP JCI nominee as well as Drivers of Change. http://worldpoetry.ca/?p=7820
Kwame Yirenkyi, Ghana. Empowered Graphic Artist and World Poetry Director. He is one of World Poetry’s success stories that show that with talent, and support, he can make a big difference in the world. Kwame lives in Ghana and is going to school in Canada. Kwame is an Artist/Graphic Designer. Youth Director/ Youth Ambassador for World Poetry Canada and a distinguished member of the International Society of Poets Maryland U.S.A. He finds art a tool of promoting peace and conquering the opponent with love. He has been awarded the World Poetry Empowered Youth Artist and Graphic Designer at the World Poetry Canada International Peace Festival, 2013 (www.worldpoetry.ca/?p=5490). He is the illustrator for the upcoming book is “The Big Bessie Stories” by Sharon Rowe, which will be published in Canada.
by Ariadne Sawyer, MA.