Humanity and Global Challenges:

How can we maintain international cooperation in the face of increasingly urgent global problems and decreasing dialogue between civilisations?

The world faces a two-fold danger. First, international cooperation is lacking during a time when pressing problems require global solutions. Second, dialogue between civilisations is increasingly difficult, just as mutual understanding between cultures is more necessary than ever. As globalisation brings us all closer together, international cooperation and a meaningful dialogue are needed more than ever before. Global challenges outlined by the United Nations 75^th Anniversary Global Conversation – particularly the impact of digital technologies, a new era of conflict and violence, rising inequality, the climate crisis, and shifting demographics – are affecting all of us. We are impacted at the local and global levels, as individuals and collectively.

Nevertheless, a culture based on shared values remains the key source for finding peaceful and adequate solutions to worldwide problems. The objective of the International Essay Competition is to seek the views of students and young people on how to address global challenges with concrete and actionable recommendations, answering in particular, the initial question of whether a global community based on shared human values is a solution capable of holding the world together and promoting peaceful coexistence.

In addition to the initial question mentioned above, a wide range of specific issues in this field can be addressed:

• What kind of mechanisms or approaches are capable of fostering global cohesion?
• Whilst the earth is in a climate crisis, is humanity facing a ‘values crisis’?
• Do the majority of societies share a common set of values?
• How do we create ‘global solidarity’ in response to shared challenges?
• Do we need to change our belief systems in order to solve global challenges?
• How can we maintain cultural and civilisational specificities while creating a global community capable of authentic dialogue?
• What would global policies look like and how could they be implemented in order to prevent the world from cross-cutting and persistent economic, political, cultural, etc. crises?

Please send your essay by until midnight (GMT) 15^th of April 2020, which will be the official closing date. All applications submitted after this deadline will not be considered.

Entries submitted must include a cover page indicating (1) your essay title; (2) your name; (3) address; (4) phone number; (5) email; (6) nationality; (7) age; (8) gender; (9) university/employer name; (10) degree/position (11) category: a) student or b) young professional; (12) word count.

To submit your essay please use submission form below.

1. The international essay competition is open to all young people from all over the world between 18 and 27 years of age as at midnight 15^th of April 2020, who can enter the competition in one of the two categories:

2. Only one entry per applicant is allowed.
3. Entrants are advised to retain a copy of their entries.

4. Authors should use 12pt font (any font), black, double-line spaced (i.e., a blank line space between each line), with pages numbered at the center of the bottom of each page.
5. Authors should use either the MLA or the Chicago citation style.

For more information, please read thought the terms and conditions.

• The competition will be judged by a panel of international academics, experts, and policymakers who will (at their sole discretion) apply the criteria of which entries demonstrate emerging talent and write with creativity and flair and select up to five winning essays.
• An expert panel will assist the jury in selecting shortlists. The jury’s decision is final and no individual correspondence can be entered into. The jury will be unable to comment on individual entries or on the competition.
• Only the shortlisted candidates will be contacted after the final evaluation by the jury. There will be no comments and/or feedback on individual results and entries.

The official award ceremony will take place in Greece at the Rhodes Forum in October 2020!

The prizes are including:

• All ‘Winning Essays’ will have the unique opportunity to present their essays and to speak at the 2020 Rhodes Forum in the presence of heads of state and government, other high-level guests and an global audience (DOC will cover the fee, accommodation and travel);
• ‘Best Essay’ prize – participation at the RISING Global Peace Forum 2020 on 11^th-13^th of November 2020 and a full scholarship for a summer or winter school of your CHOICE!

This prize is offered to the winner of the best essay from overall entries, at the end of the two selection rounds. The award is represented by funding the participation at a renowned academic summer or winter school programme of the participant’s choice. The programme should be no longer than 3 weeks and up to a 3000EUR value. The fee adjacent to the summer school, the accommodation and the travel will be covered by DOC. Should the recipient not be able to attend, the prize will be reported for the following year.

• Internship opportunities at international organisations and at the DOC;
• IPhones and Laptops;
• E-publication of the ‘Winning Essays’;
• Many other surprise awards!

Please be informed, that no monetary equivalent will be paid instead of the prices.

Midnight 1 May 2020 (GMT) (Due to the coronavirus pandemic it was decided to extend the deadline for submission from 15 April to 1 May 2020).

• Entrants will own and retain all copyright in their own entry;
• By submitting your essay, you grant to the organisers of the international essay competition the exclusive right to both reproduce and/or distribute your text throughout the world in electronic format, print, or any other medium. You agree that we may publish your essay, distribute it, either on its own or with other related material.
• We will ensure that your name is always clearly attached to the essay and, while we reserve the right to make necessary editorial changes, we will not make any substantial alterations to your text without consulting you. You will also retain the right to use your own work, as long as you do not promote it in ways that would conflict directly with the aim of the competition.

1. Have you written your essay yourself?
2. Have you copied any text in your essay? If you did copy text in your essay, is that text in quotation marks with proper citations?
3. Did you paraphrase anything in your essay? If you paraphrased an idea in your essay, did you properly cite it?
4. Did you cite all the sources that you used in your essay?
5. Did you include any photos, graphs, etc., and attribute their source?

For more info on how to cite, please refer to: https://style.mla.org/ and https://www.mendeley.com/guides/mla-citation-guide as well as https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html.

Publication series:

1. United Nations #UN75 Issue Briefs
2. G20 Insights
3. Global Solutions Papers

Articles and books:

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