I’m honored and excited to announce there will be a ceremony in Gaza today honoring students who won Mondo Awards. An amazing series of essays were originally published here as part of a Two Years Later series to commemorate the anniversary of the Gaza massacre. We were so impressed by the quality of these essays we decided to incorporate them into our 2010 Mondo Awards competition as the Gaza series. One of the reasons we created a separate category for these essays is because the nature of the series didn’t necessarily lend itself to the inspirational criteria for the original call to entry. In addition to the Two Years Later entries some of the students from Gaza entered our Mondo Awards separately.
It was amazingly difficult pitting these entries up against each other because of the integrity presented not to mention the emotionally charged and politicized subject matter. Speaking personally, all the essays from Gaza took my breath away. Each and every one of them left an indelible impressions on me. I am intimately familiar with them as I have read them all several times and some of them many more times than that. Each and every student deserves recognition for the quality of writing produced.
It is an honor and a pleasure to congratulate our Mondo Award Winners from Gaza.
Mondo Award Winner Rawan Yaghi earned the Top Prize Score* in the Gaza Series for her entry From Beneath.
Mondo Award Winner Mohammed Rabah Suliman won Runner Up Prize in the Gaza Series for his entry The Earth woke peacefully
Mondo Award Winner Sameeha Elwan won the Judges Lyrical Award for her entry The Land, the Gun, the Olive Tree in the Mondo Inspiration Series. Sameeha’s entry also won 5th place in the Mondo Inspiration Series.
This invitation touches me so very emotionally. I wish I could attend. If any of you have friends or relatives in Gaza who would like to attend please pass along this invitation. We would like to thank the people of Gaza who are generously hosting this event.
“It’s our pleasure to invite you or anyone on behalf of you to attend Mondo Award Winners Honoring Ceremony.”
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the students of Gaza who shared their lives with us thru their essays. Not only do they represented a stunning display of talent but it is through their voices we see Palestine’s heart, strength and future. No words can really express the gravity of what you have shared with us. Along with Rawan, Sameeha and Mohammed a huge shout out to:
Sarah Ali, Fidaa Abu Assi, Jehan Al-Farra, Lina Al-Sharif, and Mohammed Said AlNadi.
Commenters, there is a possibility your comments may be incorporated into the ceremony taking place just hours from now in Gaza.
;)
*Rawan’s score in the Gaza Series matched the Top Prize Score of Rebecca Vilkomerson in our Inspiration Series.
