Conferences, Competitions, Festivals In Europe And America

2017 Worldwide UNESCO Center for Peace – Youth Multimedia Competition

The UNESCO Center for Peace invites youth from all around the world to take part in this year’s Multimedia Competition. UNESCO’s mission is to mobilize the optimism of youth to respond to an acute world problem by serving others, now. Last year, motivated participants from over 65 countries submitted over 600 projects in this highly rewarding contest.

The Topic of this year’s competition is “The international refugee crisis: effects and solutions”. Candidates should respond in English by submitting a 3-5 minute video, a 500-700 word essay, art work, or other means that channel a specific passion in responding to the challenge. The deadline for submitting your work is March 1, 2017 EST.

All candidates will receive a digital thank-you letter from the UNESCO Center for Peace for participating. A certificate from the UNESCO Center for Peace will be awarded to 10 semi-finalists from each age group. The winners in each age group will receive a certificate, an invitation, and a full scholarship to UNESCO’s Builders-of-the-Universe Camp, to be held during the summer of 2017 in Maryland, USA that covers camp fees, food, and accommodation.

The winners will be recognized and showcased at global events during the year. Also, the finalists will get a chance to attend a United Nations session, meet UN members, and tour the White House/ Congressional Building.

Main criteria:

• Candidates must fit into one of the following age groups: juniors – ages 10-14; youth – ages 15-19; young adult – ages 20-24;
• Your work must be original, with no professional assistance;
• Images of 3-dimensional art will be accepted by including with your submission a 150-175 word explanation, in English, of how your work responds to the prompt.

Submit the application on the official website.

World Festival of Youth and Students

This year, Sochi once again will welcome guests from all over the world for a grand international event. This time Russia will host the 2017 World Festival of Youth and Students. It will take place on the Black Sea coast on October 14-22, 2017.

The history of the World Festival of Youth and Students started back in 1947. In 1957 and 1985, the Festival was held in Moscow. The World Festival of Youth and Students will be the largest event in the field of international youth cooperation and will bring together more than 20,000 young people from 150 countries around the world. The aim of the XIX Festival is to unite future generations around the ideas of peace and friendship, in keeping with the history of the festival movement. Finalists will receive all meals and accommodation without cost while international participants will also receive visa-free entry to Russia.

Main criteria

• Candidates must be 18-35 years old;
• Must fit into one of the following categories: leaders of youth NGOs; young journalists; creative, artistic young people (musicians, writers, artists, etc.); leaders of sports clubs; young engineers; leaders of youth organizations of political parties; young university teachers; leaders of student governments; young scientists (social, humanitarian and economic, natural and technical sciences); young entrepreneurs; compatriots; and international students who study the Russian language and are interested in Russian culture.

In order to apply, fill in the form on the website.

Win a trip to London: The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2017

The Royal Commonwealth Society has announced this year’s theme for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2017: A Commonwealth for Peace. Candidates are welcome to share their thoughts on the theme by writing an essay on one of the topics for each category.

Topics for the Junior Category:

1. What is in your Toolbox for Peace? 
2. My peaceful place.
3. How can children and young people come together to build a peaceful society?
4. ‘Peace cannot be learnt from a book or from religion. You have to reach out and touch the nations.’ How does this relate to the Commonwealth?

Topics for the Senior Category:

1. Should you fight for peace?
2. Kofi Annan said ‘Education is, quite simply, peace-building by another name.’ Do you agree? Answer with reference to your country and/or the Commonwealth.
3. What is the cost of peace?

In 2015, the contest was renamed ‘The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition’, in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s role as both Head of the Commonwealth and Patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society. All candidates will receive a Certificate of Participation, and one Winner and Runner-up from the Senior and Junior categories will win a trip to London for a week-long series of educational and cultural events. Deadline: April 1, 2017.

Main criteria

• Candidates must be 14-18 for the Senior Category and under 14 for the Junior Category;
• Your work should not contain any information about your age, name, or school;
• The maximum word counts are 1,500 words for Senior entries and 750 words for Junior entries. Please note that exceeding the word count will lead to automatic disqualification;
• Essays must be written in English, and only one piece is allowed per candidate;
• The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under;

For more information visit the official website.

South American Business Forum

This year Buenos Aires will host the South American Business Forum (SABF) for students from all around the world. The SABF is an annual event that takes place in the capital of Argentina. Each year the forum hosts 100 outstanding university students from around the world together with 40 leaders from the business, political, and academic sectors.

The mission of the conference is to bring together current and future leaders regardless of their nationalities and create a platform for dialogue and debate. The Forum’s main purpose is to promote the values which leaders must pursue in order to contribute to the world’s sustainable development. The event explores topics of global relevance that are particularly applicable to the reality of South America. This year’s Forum will be held on August 3-5.

In order to participate, complete the application before April 16th, 2017. The finalists will receive meals, accommodation, and transfer within Argentina free of cost. Airfare is not covered, although organizers are open to providing all necessary information regarding the available sources of funding.

Main criteria

• Candidates must be born after January 1, 1991 and must be a regular undergraduate or graduate student, or have graduated in 2016 or 2017;
• Sufficient knowledge of both English and Spanish is required in order to be able to participate in the working sessions.

For more information visit the official website.

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