This annual essay contest is organized in an effort 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 us can make a difference in the world.
This program is an activity of the UNESCO Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).
In 1999, the Goi Peace Foundation was established in Tokyo, with the approval of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, to engage in a broader range of more concrete peace-building initiatives.
Theme: “Learning from Nature”
Modern civilization has developed through controlling nature and exploiting its resources. At the same time, we human beings are part of the natural world, and nature has many things to teach us. Scientists, philosophers, poets, and artists have all found inspiration in nature. What can we learn from nature, and how can we make use of that learning for the future? Please describe your ideas, including your own observations and experiences.
Location:
JapanBenefits
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$880 as of Feb 2017) and gift … 1 entrant
2nd Prize: Certificate, prize of 50,000 Yen (approx. US$440 as of Feb 2017) and gift … 2 entrants
3rd Prize: Certificate and gift … 5 entrants
Honorable Mention: Certificate and gift … 25 entrants
* 1st prize winners will be invited to the award ceremony to be held in Tokyo, Japan on November 25, 2017 and will receive the Minister of Education Award. (Travel expenses will be covered by the organizer.)
* Additional awards (Recognition for Effort, Best School Award, School Incentive Award) will be given if applicable.
* All prize winners will be announced on October 31, 2017 on this website. Certificates and gifts will be mailed to the winners in December 2017.
Eligibilities
Essays may be submitted by anyone up to 25 years old (as of June 15, 2017) in one of the following age categories: a) Children (ages up to 14) b) Youth (ages 15 – 25)
Essays must be 700 words or less in English, French, Spanish or German, or 1600 characters or less in Japanese, excluding essay title and cover page. Essays may be typed or printed.
Essays must have a cover page indicating (1) category (Children or Youth) (2) your essay title (3) your name (4) address (5) phone number (6) e-mail (7) nationality (8) age as of June 15, 2017 (9) gender (10) school name (if applicable) (11) word count.
Teachers and youth directors may submit a collection of essays from their class or group. Please enclose a list of participants’ names, ages and the name and contact information of the submitting teacher or director.
* Entries missing any of the above information will not be considered.
* Please note that the organizer is unable to confirm receipt of essays or answer individual inquiries concerning contest results.
Eligible Regions: Open for All
Application Process
Entries may be submitted by postal mail or online. To send your essay online, you must go to the online registration page and follow the required steps.
Application Deadline: June 15, 2017
Application ClosedOfficial link
