Deadline: 28-Feb-23
The Secretariat of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 SADC Tertiary Institution Essay competition to all active tertiary institution-going learners.
The topic of this year’s competition is “Describe the roles that the founding fathers might have played in developing the vision for the regional integration” The Council Ministers, during its meeting in August 2020, directed the SADC Secretariat to operationalise the initiative to recognise and honour the Founders of SADC.
The initiative, as approved by the SADC Council, is aimed at providing due recognition to the Founders of SADC for their contribution to the establishment of SADC and subsequent pursuance of a regional integration agenda. To this end, the SADC Secretariat is calling for submissions of essay entries from active tertiary institution going learners. The wordings of the think piece and content should aim at promoting the role played by the Founders of SADC taking into account the prevailing peace and security which contributes to the SADC’s Objectives and Common Agenda.
Objectives
- Overall Objective
- To enhance awareness of SADC citizens, through evidence-based research, of the historical genesis and process of regional integration and the pivotal role played by Founders of SADC.
- The aim of the essay is to honour SADC Founders, and increase SADC citizens’ awareness of the history of the liberation of Southern Africa, regional cooperation and regional integration, as well as to recognize the pioneering contribution of the Founders of SADC. The Founders of the SADC are; Presidents Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, King Sobhuza II of Eswatini, Seretse Khama of Botswana, António Agostinho Neto of Angola, Robert Gabriel Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Samora Machel of Mozambique, Dr Kamuzu Banda of Malawi and King Moshoeshoe II of Lesotho.
- Specific Objectives
- Conduct a research on the history of the Founders and the roles they played in the liberation of Southern Africa, and the establishment of SADC;
- Outline their achievements as individuals, their roles, watershed speeches and quotes;
- Outline the SADC Founding fathers’ heritage; and
- Produce a write-up which will be used to raise awareness among SADC citizen, in particular the youth regarding the history and Founders of the SADC, and doing so preserve their legacy.
Benefits
- The winning entry will receive a once off prize money which will cover the outright payment of the Intellectual Property Rights of the essay. The monetary prize will be accompanied by a certificate signed by the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security. The prize will be paid directly to the winner in his/her home country through the Secretariat.
- The prizes are as follows;
- 1st prize = USD2000
- 2nd Prize = USD1500
- 3rd Prize = USD1000
- The top 10 winners will all receive certificates signed by the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security.
Eligibility Criteria
- All active tertiary institution-going learners from all 16 Southern African Development Community (SADC) Member States are welcome to participate in the competition.
For more information, visit SADC.