ISLAMABAD: As many as 17 oil paintings reflecting the beauty of Margalla Hills National Park were put on display at an exhibition at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Tuesday. The exhibition is the outcome of a ‘live-painting’ competition for art teachers organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) with the support of the UNDP Pakistan Environment wing in connection with the 7th Pakistan Mountain Festival, an annual flagship event of Devcom-Pakistan to mark the International Mountain Day. Five best paintings were awarded cash prizes, certificates and shields by the UNDP Pakistan. Top five winners of the competition included Maryum Rasul, Saima Ashraf, Abeera Habib, Muhammad Adnan Hafeez and Riffat Ara Baig, respectively. Members of the jury included well-known artist Nahida Raza, Dr Surriya Chaudhary, the head of Fine Arts Department Fatima Jinnah University, and Devcom-Pakistan Director Munir Ahmed. Neil Buhne, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Pakistan, and Agostino Da Polenza, a globally known Italian mountaineer and president of the INGO EvK2CNR, gave away prizes to the winners. While briefing about the painting competition, Devcom-Pakistan Director and Founding Director Pakistan Mountain Festival Munir Ahmed said, “The objective of the activity was to capture the beauty and the biological diversity of mountain environment as well as to reflect the challenges confronting the Margalla Hills National Park. The competition was a rare opportunity for the very busy female art teachers who hardly find time to continue exploring their own creative passion. Most of the time, they are teaching and grooming their students and taking care of their families. On-the-spot painting for art teachers was a creative retreat and continuity of their expression for the projection and mainstreaming of the mountains ecosystems. I believe that art can be used in multiple ways to enhance aesthetics in society leading to conservation and protection of nature to cleansing of the social environment.” He added, “Environmentally sensitised teachers, especially those teaching art, can give a push to the environmental conservation efforts through aesthetically enriched visuals. There is a need to engage and sensitise teachers to their active role in the conservation efforts. A sensitised teacher is more effective than anyone else in the society because of the social status that a teacher enjoys in the society.” Riffat Ara Baig, the coordinator of the competition, said: “It was quite unusual for art teachers to take part in the competition when they organise such events for their students. Competing to explore and recognised for their creativity as experienced teachers and practicing artists, the response has been very exciting and encouraging. The enthusiasm of art teachers showed their passion to be competitive even at this phase of life.” Baig said several art teachers have asked to expand the scope of the initiative to make it a permanent programme to develop and groom a devoted group of art activists to engage youth and their families in awareness raising and outreach on communicating climate change and other relevant subjects. Saima Ashraf, one of the prize winners, termed the competition a highly appreciable step taken by DEVCOM -Pakistan to encourage artist teachers. “I would like to thanks again for your support and efforts in this regard and I will be a regular part of it in future.” Beanish Ali, one of the participants, said: “I would like to say thanks for organising and arranging such a competition to appreciate nature, especially in this time when life is going on so speedily that we don’t have time to stand and stare and appreciate the beautiful nature. It was a wonderful platform for nature lovers. The beauty of nature can have a profound effect on our senses. Everything was positive and well organised; the feedback on what was happening all the way was an awesome experience.” Published in Daily Times, December 13th 2017.