by Christina MacCulloch

In Argentina last March, 18 young writers experienced the thrill of recognition, receiving diplomas and medals for short stories that were selected from among 534 entries in a national competition.

But these prizes had a special meaning, because all the entries came from young people with physical or learning disabilities. The competition, entitled "Stories for a Future with Hope," was organized by the Instituto Psicopedagógico de Nivelación Aranguren, a foundation in Buenos Aires that serves disabled adolescents. The project received financial support from the IDB Cultural Center's Cultural Promotion in the Field Program.

According to Jorge Goldman, president of the Institute, the competition gave young people with disabilities an opportunity to set personal goals and demonstrate their potential as writers. The competition also provided a chance for the "outside world" to experience and value the special perspectives and skills of people with disabilities.

"My Friend," "The Sneakers," "Hope Must Convince Sadness," "A Magic World," "The Ship that Thrilled the World," "Investigating a Love Story" and "The Traveling Lion," were among the titles of stories receiving awards.

"We tried to solicit entries from young people from all over the country," said Goldman. "We thought we would get about 50 submissions, but we ended up receiving more than 500. It was thrilling to open envelopes postmarked from locations all over Argentina. We had hoped to make it a national project, and we really met our goal."