Miss Earth is an annual international environmental-themed beauty pageant promoting environmental awareness. Along with Miss World, Miss Universe, and Miss International, this pageant is one of the Big Four international beauty pageants- the most coveted beauty titles when it comes to international pageant competitions.The reigning titleholders dedicate their year to promote specific projects and often address issues concerning the environment and other global issues through school tours, tree planting activities, street campaigns, coastal clean ups, speaking engagements, shopping mall tours, media guesting, environmental fairs, storytelling programs to children, eco-fashion shows, and other environmental activities. The Miss Earth winner is the spokesperson for the Miss Earth Foundation, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other environmental organizations. The Miss Earth Foundation also works with the environmental departments and ministries of participating countries, various private sectors and corporations, as well as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF).
The current Miss Earth is Karen Ibasco of the Philippines who was crowned on 4 November 2017 in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Video Miss Earth
History
Inception
Carousel Productions organized and launched the first Miss Earth beauty pageant in 2001 as an international environmental event with the mission of channeling the beauty pageant entertainment industry as an effective tool to actively promote the preservation of the environment. The pageant has tie-ins with Philippine government agencies, such as the Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), as well as international environmental groups such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the American Global Release, to further its environmental advocacy.
Those who participate in the pageant are involved with humanitarian and environmental causes. The pageant winner is expected to be involved in international projects, which are also promoted during the pageant's broadcast. The delegates also take part in tree planting ceremonies, environmental and cultural immersion programs, sponsor visits and tours.
In October 2001, Miss Earth adopted the slogan "Beauties For a Cause", but it was in 2003 that the first "beauty for a cause" prize was awarded. In 2004, the Miss Earth Foundation was created to further the pageant's causes and to work with local and international groups and non-governmental organizations that are actively involved in conservation and improvement of the environment. The Miss Earth Foundation campaign focuses on educating young people in environmental awareness. Its major project, "I Love Planet Earth School Tour", teaches and distributes educational aids for school children.
The Miss Earth pageant has grown over the years, with more countries participating each year. The number of national Miss Earth pageants has grown on every continent as well.
In 2006 the Miss Earth pageant started to co-host the United Nations Environment Programme's Champions of the Earth, annual international environment awards established in 2005 by the United Nations to recognize outstanding environmental achievers and leaders at a policy level.
In 2006, the host country Chile failed to meet the requirements of the host committee; the pageant was moved back to the Philippines.
Since it began, the pageant has mostly been held in the Philippines, either in October or November, and televised nationwide via ABS-CBN and Studio 23 with international delayed telecasts in more than 80 countries via Star World and The Filipino Channel.
Eco-fashion design competition
On November 4, 2008, the first Miss Earth Eco-Fashion Design Competition was launched by the Miss Earth Foundation as an annual event for professional and non-professional fashion designers to come up with designs that are eco-friendly. The outfit designs are made from recyclable, natural materials, organic materials, and eco-chic designs or patterns that can be worn in everyday life or are runway worthy.
Delegates
In 2003, Vida Samadzai, an Afghan woman, now residing in the United States, received press attention after she competed in a red bikini. Samadzai was the first Afghan woman to compete in an international beauty pageant in almost three decades, but the fact that she wore a bikini caused an uproar in her native country.
A Pakistani beauty queen, Naomi Zaman, was the first Miss Pakistan World winner to participate in Miss Earth, and is the first delegate from Pakistan to compete in any major international pageant. Beauty pageants are frowned upon in Pakistan.
Likewise, Miss Tibet Earth 2006, Tsering Chungtak, the first Tibetan to represent Tibet in any major international beauty pageant, made headlines when she drew international attention towards the Tibetan struggle for freedom. She also advocated for the boundaries of acceptable social etiquette towards modernity, in a traditionally conservative Tibetan culture, where most grown women wear ankle-length dresses. Nevertheless, her participation in the pageant received approval from the Dalai Lama.
In 2007, Carousel Productions licensed the Miss Cuba organization to select the first Cuban representative at Miss Earth. Ariana Barouk won; she became the first Miss Cuba in several decades, and competed at the Miss Earth Pageant. Also in 2007, Miss Earth made history when delegates from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and Tibet all competed together for the first time in an international pageant in spite of political sensitivities.
In 2008, the Buddhist Kingdom of Bhutan, one of the world's most isolated nations, sent its first Miss Bhutan, Tsokye Tsomo Karchun. Rwanda also sent its first ever Miss Rwanda national winner, Cynthia Akazuba; both of them competed at the Miss Earth 2008 pageant.
In 2009, Beauties of Africa, Inc., the franchise holder of Miss Earth South Sudan sent Aheu Kidum Deng, Miss South Sudan 2009, who stands 196 cm (6 feet and 5 inches), and is the tallest documented beauty queen ever to take part in any international beauty pageants.
Palestine made a debut in one of the Big Four pageants in 2016 via Miss Earth when Nathalie Rantissi represented Palestine with the approval of Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the State of Palestine and Palestinian National Authority, where she made a courtesy call at the Moukata Palace prior to her departure to participate in the pageant. However, Miss Palestine refused to wear a bikini at Miss Earth 2016.
In the 2017 pageant, Miss Rwanda Honorine Hirwa Uwase appeared in the swimsuit competition wearing a gown, maintaining a long-held Rwanda tradition of not wearing bikinis in public.
Location
The pageant had been held in the Philippines every year from 2001 to 2009. Miss Earth 2006 was scheduled to be held in Santiago, Chile on November 15, but organizational problems forced the pageant to move back to the Philippines.
In 2008, the pageant was held for the first time outside Metropolitan Manila. It was held at the Clark Expo Amphitheater in Angeles City, Pampanga on November 9, 2008.
In 2009, the pageant took place for the first time outside Luzon Island. The coronation night venue for Miss Earth 2009 was held at the Boracay Ecovillage Resort and Convention Center in the Island of Boracay, Philippines.
In 2010, the pageant finally took place for the first time outside the Philippines. The coronation night venue for Miss Earth 2010 was held at the Vinpearl Land Amphitheater at Nha Trang, Vietnam.
In 2011, the pageant was scheduled to be held on December 3, 2011 at the Impact, Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok, Thailand but due to flood situation in Thailand, Carousel Productions decided to move the Miss Earth 2011 pageant venue to Manila, Philippines.
In 2012, the pageant was supposed to be held in Bali, Indonesia but the organizers did not meet the minimum requirements on time, so it was moved back to the Philippines. Miss Earth 2012 was held on November 24, 2012 at the Palace in Muntinlupa City, Philippines.
In 2015, the pageant was held for the first time in Europe at Marx Halle in Vienna, Austria.
Host countries and venues
Maps Miss Earth
Titles and semi-finalists
In the early years of the pageant, from 2001 to 2003, ten semi-finalists were chosen at Miss Earth. From 2004 and onwards, sixteen semi-finalists are chosen with the exception of the 2010 (10th) edition where only 14 semi-finalists were selected. Semi-finalists are cut to eight (8) finalists, then to the final four from which the runners-up and winner are announced.
The winner of the pageant is bestowed the title Miss Earth; her runners-up are also given titles named after the other classical elements: Miss Fire (equivalent to third runner-up), Miss Water (second runner-up), and Miss Air (first runner-up), however, starting 2010 the runners up or the "elemental titles" (Air, Water, and Fire) are of equal importance and thus have the same ranking. Miss Earth is the only one of the "Big Four" pageants which has individual titles for the runners-up.
Recent titleholders
Gallery of Miss Earth
Crown and jewelry
The Miss Earth crown used in 2001 and the swarovski crown in 2002-2008 were designed and created by a multi-awarded Filipino designer named Arnel Papa.
On November 16, 2009, Miss Earth unveiled a new crown designed by environmentalist jewelry designer Ramona Haar with the frame made of 100% recycled 14K gold and argentums sterling silver and the stones composed of black diamonds, sardonyx, calcite, ruby, jade quartz crystal, garnet, peridot, and pearls gathered from over 80 of the participating countries in 2009. In the 13th edition of the Miss Earth, new tiaras were introduced for the elemental titleholders called elemental crowns which represent air, water and fire with colorful stones in yellow, blue and red.
See also
- List of beauty contests
References
Further reading
- Feminism, Beauty Pageants And The Environment: Fernando, Emmanuel Q. (15 December 2007). "Feminism, Beauty Pageants And The Environment". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 14 September 2016.
- An old chestnut recycled: Miss Earth: Lakhani, Nina (August 23, 2009). "An old chestnut recycled: Miss Earth". The Independent. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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