Queen Sofia Children's Art Museum of the Gabarron Foundation

“Celebrate the Forests,” is a wonderful opportunity to promote the first ever International Year of Forests 2011 and its message, "Forests for People." I can think of no better way to communicate a message of hope for forests, than seeing forests and trees through a child’s eyes. The International Year has captured the public imagination by promoting awareness of the rich multifaceted values of forests and the diverse interactions of people with forests that take place around the world, everyday.

Forests play a crucial role in the social, economic and spiritual well-being of all 7 billion people living on earth. Art, and especially children’s art, is a wonderful medium to reflect this vision. The artwork from this contest will undoubtedly help to inspire children and adults alike to conserve forests for present and future generations.

It is indeed a great pleasure for the United Nations Forum on Forests to collaborate with the Gabarron Foundation and Queen Sofia's Children’s Art Museum in Spain for the 2011 International Children’s Art Contest.

The QUEEN SOFIA CHILDREN’S ART MUSEUM -QSCAM (PINACOTECA INFANTIL REINA SOFÍA de la Fundación Gabarrón -PIRS/FG), in collaboration with the United Nations Organization – Secretariat for Forests, is organizing its 2011 International Art Contest, with the theme “Celebrate the Forests”, in support of the resolution of the United Nations General Assembly that declared 2011 as the INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE FORESTS in order to increase awareness of sustainable measures, conservation and the development of all types of forests.

This initiative plays an important role in promoting the conscientiousness of the importance of the forests, and of raising awareness from childhood, on the benefits and safeguarding of these valuable natural resources for the present and future generations. Art and in particular CHILDREN’S ART, is a marvelous means of transmitting this message: a message that raises a society’s awareness and helps to inspire children and adults through the appreciation of the importance of forests, including the management, conservation, development and impact on the world in which we live. Let’s CELEBRATE THE FORESTS and value our direct dependency on them, such as:

- Refuge for People and Animals.
- The Habitat for the Biodiversity.
- Source of our Foods and Medicines.
- “Key” to the balance between the Climate and our Global Environment.
- “Lungs” of the Air we Breathe.
- Generator of the Water we Drink.