ICU Global Youth Essay Competition 2024| Your Chance to Win a Free Trip to Japan!

International Christian University (ICU) and the Japan ICU Foundation are inviting students of all nationalities to participate in an online Global Youth Essay Competition. This competition encourages students to share their ideas on improving society by writing a 650-word essay on one of two selected topics, focusing on current affairs or human rights. The goal is to inspire young people to become advocates for global peace.

ICU, a renowned private university in Tokyo, Japan, is celebrated for its bilingual liberal arts program in Japanese and English. Since its establishment in 1953, ICU has been committed to preparing students to be global ambassadors for justice and peace through international education. The Japan ICU Foundation, based in New York City, is an independent educational organization with the mission of training global citizens dedicated to promoting human welfare. Together, these organizations are hosting this international essay competition, open to young people from around the world, without discrimination.

The concept of “peace” can vary greatly depending on the context, as local and global issues are deeply interconnected. The first essay prompt for this competition asks students to “Describe a global issue that affects your community, explain why it matters to you, and propose how you would contribute to peace in that situation.” Participants are encouraged to present their own creative ideas and solutions.

ICU’s name reflects its commitment to being an international and multicultural institution. The university upholds the principles of Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which emphasizes the right of everyone to freely participate in the cultural life of their community and enjoy the benefits of scientific advancement. The second essay question asks, “Are there people in your community who are unable to participate in its cultural life? Why do you think this is, and what steps would you take to ensure cultural life is accessible to everyone?” By submitting their essays, students have a chance to win a free trip to Japan or a prize of 100,000 Yen.

Essay Writing Competition Date:

• 9th August to 9th October, 2024

Check: African Democracy Essay Award 2024 (up to R10,000 in prizes)

Benefits of ICU Global Youth Essay Competition 2024:

• There is no participation fee.
• Top Prize which include Two round-trio airline tickets to Tokyo in summer 2025 will be given to 1st winner and a guardian.
• A visit to ICU will be included into the trip.
• Instead of the airline tickets, the top prize 1st winner has the option of receiving an amount of 100,000 yen.
• Second Prize winner will get a gift card of 50,000 Yen.
• Third Prize 10 winners will get a copy of the “illustrated
• Universal Declaration of
• Human Rights in French, English, and Japanese” which is translated by the students of ICU.
• A Special Prize to 1 winner will be given who has not been educated in English for more than 1 year. The prize will be same as 3rd prize.
• All winners will get a certificate of winning the prize.

Also Check: Shireen Abu Akleh Prize 2024 (up to €5,000)

Eligibility Criteria for ICU Global Youth Essay Competition 2024:

• ICU will not accept essays that suggest the “correct” solutions that are already available.
• It is your responsibility to share your own unique concepts and solutions.
• The ICU Policy on Academic Integrity and ICU’s Perspective on the Use of Generative Al by students should be strictly observed in this essay competition.
• Applicants must be between 14-18 years old till October 9, 2024.
• Applicants must currently live outside of Japan.
• University or college students as of October 9, 2024 are not eligible to apply for this essay competition.
• The language of the essay should be English.
• Your essay must have a title that best describes the theme of your essay.
• The limit of essay writing is 650 words maximum.
• Non original essays will be disqualified.

Documents Required for Youth Essay Contest 2024:

• Original essay.
• Passport for traveling to Japan in case you win the competition.

Submission Deadline:

• The last date to submit the essay is 9^th October, 2024.

Click here to Apply 

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