Deadline: 15-Jun-23
Applications are now open for the 2023 International Essay Contest for Young People to harness the energy, creativity and initiative of the world’s youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development.
It also aims to inspire society to learn from the young minds and to think about how each of them can make a difference in the world. This program is an activity within the framework of UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs (ESD for 2030).
The Contest is Organized by The Goi Peace Foundation Under the auspices of The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, Japan Private High School Federation Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Nikkei Inc. Supported by Seiko Group Corporation, Plus Corporation.
Theme: “Youth Creating a Peaceful Future” What does a peaceful world look like to you? How can young people work together, using creative ideas and approaches to realize a peaceful future? Please share your specific ideas.
Award Details
- The following awards will be given in the Children’s category and Youth category respectively:
- 1st Prize: Certificate, prize of 100,000 Yen (approx. US$740 as of Feb. 2023) and gift – 1 entrant
- 2nd Prize: Certificate, prize of 50,000 Yen (approx. US$370 as of Feb. 2023) and gift – 3 entrants
- 3rd Prize: Certificate and gift – 5 entrants
- Honorable Mention: Certificate and gift – 25 entrants
- Notes:
- 1st to 3rd prize winners will be invited to the Winners Gathering to be held online.
- Additional awards (Best School Award, School Incentive Award) will be given if applicable.
- All prize winners will be announced on October 31, 2023 on the Goi Peace Foundation website.
- Certificates and gifts will be mailed to the winners in December 2023.
- They are unable to answer individual inquiries concerning contest results.
Eligibility Criteria
- Essays may be submitted by anyone up to 25 years old (as of June 15, 2023) in one of the following age categories:
- Children (ages up to 14)
- Youth (ages 15 – 25)
- Essays must be 700 words or less in English or French, or 1600 characters or less in Japanese. Essays must be typed, with your name and essay title included at the top of the first page.
- There are no particular rules regarding formatting (font style, size, line space, etc.). However, essays must be submitted in either MS Word (DOC/DOCX) or PDF format.
- *Your name and essay title are not included in the word count limit.
- Entries must be submitted online.
- Teachers and youth directors may submit a collection of essays from their class or group by creating an ‘account for school/organization entrant’.
- *Only one entry per person is accepted.
- *They are unable to confirm receipt of essays
- Essays must be original and unpublished. Plagiarized entries will be rejected.
- Essays must be written by one person. Co-authored essays are not accepted.
- By submitting your essay, you give permission to the organizer to publish it in any medium. Ownership of the essay remains with the entrant.
For more information, visit Goi Peace Foundation.