first step to becoming an internationally-recognised artist.

She won the Hamilton Lions Club's Peace Poster Contest for children in the ten-to-13 age range.

And Alice's poster is among more than 325,000 entries submitted worldwide in the 12th annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest.

Out of all the posters created by her peers, the 11-year-old student best portrayed the contest's theme, `A New Beginning for Peace'.

Hamilton Lions Club peace poster organiser, Nicky Gurret, said she was impressed with the amount of effort exhibited by the Mount St. Agnes students.

"It's obvious that these students have strong ideas of what peace means to them,'' Ms Gurret said. "I'm so proud that we were able to provide them with an opportunity to share their visions with us all.'' Alice's poster will advance to round two district competition in the New York area where her entry will compete against entries from many other Peace Poster contests.

Bermuda has won the New York district, in which the Island falls, twice -- the most recently was two years ago.

However, Alice's poster is expected to face stiff competition through the district round and in three more rounds of international competition if she is to be declared the international grand prize winner.

Sandy Mitchell, the Hamilton Lions president, said: "Lions Club International is sponsoring the contest to emphasise the importance of world peace to young people everywhere.'' Ultimately one grand prize winner will be selected from 24 international finalists. The grand prize includes a cash award of $2,500 plus an all-expenses-paid trip for the winner and two family members to Honolulu, Hawaii for the awards ceremony at the Lions Club International Convention in June 2000.

As a merit award, the 23 finalists will each receive certificates and a cash award of $500.

"We are cheering for Alice as her poster advances in the competition and we hope that her vision will ultimately be shared with others around the world,'' said Ms Gurret.

World peace: Pictured above is 11-year-old Alice Blizman's vision of world peace. The Mount St. Agnes Academy student's poster beat out others from her local peers and will be entered in the Lions Club's New York State district Peace Poster Contest.