On May 4, The Little Zograff Foundation participated in the celebration of World Press Freedom Day at the Vienna International Center of the United Nations in Vienna. The event was organized by the United Nations Correspondents Association Vienna (UNCAV) under the presidency of Abdallah Sharif and brought together diplomats, journalists, and international guests to discuss the importance of freedom of expression and press freedom in today’s world.
The Foundation was represented by a delegation including the manager of the Foundation Ivana Konstantinova, board member Katya Hristova, and the young artists Aleyna Garip and Gabriela Stoyanova, who are winners of the World Competition for Children’s Drawings.
As part of the official program, The Little Zograff Foundation presented an exhibition of award-winning artworks from the World Competition for Children’s Drawings. The two young artists attended the event in person, delivered speeches, and were awarded certificates by UNCAV in recognition of their participation.
The program included opening remarks by the president of UNCAV, Abdallah Sharif, speeches by Sonja Wintersberger, a video message from UNESCO and Mrs. Mariya Gabriel, a keynote presentation by Mr. Gerhard Reiweger, and a piano performance by Tefik Suleimanov.
During the event, Ivana Kostadinova spoke about the connection between freedom of expression and children’s creativity, emphasizing that children often express ideas through art long before they can fully articulate them in words. The speech highlighted children’s art as one of the earliest forms of freedom of expression and described the exhibited artworks as voices reflecting children’s hopes, imagination, and unique perspectives on the world.
The participation of The Little Zograff Foundation in this international event once again demonstrated the power of children’s art to create dialogue, understanding, and connection between cultures and generations.
The distinguished guests of the World Press Freedom Day celebration at the United Nations in Vienna together with the President of United Nations Correspondents Association Vienna. On the left, you can see the manager of The Little Zograff Foundation, Ivana Kostadinova, together with the young artists Aleyna Garip and Gabriela Stoyanova, winners of the World Competition for Children’s Drawings, who took part in the exhibition and program of the event.