Manga for Peace

When we first heard about the “Manga for Peace” competition, our inner foodie was over the moon and we started salivating at the idea of eating mangoes as activism. Clicking on their Facebook event we were surprised to find that it in fact has nothing to do with the delicious fruit but rather the widely popular Japanese comics. While our inner foodie was somewhat disappointed, our inner geek was absolutely overjoyed.

For those of you not familiar with Manga, it is an art form deeply rooted in Japanese culture. While modern Manga originated in the 1940s, the unique art form has played a big role in Japanese art history, dating back to the 12^th century. The once exclusively Japanese art is now widely popular in countries all over the world.

The Japan Foundation is known for hosting events to promote awareness and understanding between the Japanese culture and other cultures around the world. In an attempt to promote peace and to support local Egyptian artists, the JFO has teamed up with MasterPeace in Egypt and the EgyManga Group for a competition, looking for the best a four-frame Manga for the second year running.

The competition is an opportunity for artists ages 14 and up to display their talents while encouraging peace. The Japan Foundation will be accepting applications starting until August 17^th. Applicants must hand in a unique four-frame Manga in either Arabic or English addressing one of three different topics: tolerance, the culture of peace or inner peace to any of the locations mentioned on their Facebook page.