United Nations Essay Contest (Many Languages, One World) - Sponsored Trip to Boston and New York -- DEADLINE EXTENDED!

MANY LANGUAGES ONE WORLD
United Nations Academic Impact Student Essay Contest

Program(s) Offered: Essay writing
Program Level: Undergraduate (college, university)
Provider: United Nations
Country to Write in: USA

Scholarship Description
The United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and ELS Educational Services Inc. (ELS) organizes an international essay-writing contest for college and university students on the role of multilingualism in a globalized world.

Under the overall theme of “Many languages — One world”, students are asked to write an essay in which they are to discuss and debate the value of multilingualism in the broader context of global citizenship — one of the core principles of the United Nations Academic Impact.

The UNAI, in collaboration with ELS, invites students who are enrolled in a course anywhere in the world to participate in its 2017 essay contest on the theme “Many Languages, One World.”

Eligibility
The contest is open to students 18 years or older by contest deadline, and enrolled in a college or university anywhere in the world.

Each submission must be accompanied by a certification from a competent institutional authority (Faculty Member or University Representative) attesting that the conditions of the contest have been met and that the entry is the original, unaided work of the participant.

Only one submission per student will be accepted.

Eligible groups
Citizens of ALL countries worldwide

Participating Institutions
United Nations (UN), New York; USA
ELS Educational Services, Inc.

Essay topic
An original essay discussing global citizenship and cultural understanding and the role that multilingual ability can play in fostering these. The essay should reflect the student’s personal, academic, cultural and national context.

ESSAY REQUIREMENTS:

• You will need to demonstrate both written and verbal competency in the language of the essay.
• Essays must be written in an official language of the UN that is not your first language or primary language of instruction during your primary or secondary education. The official UN languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
• Essays must be under 2000 words, excluding citations and bibliography, if any.
• Essays must present, in a clear and concise form, arguments for — or against — the importance of multilingualism. In today’s globalized world, there is growing emphasis on learning multiple languages. The UN, as the world’s premier universal organization, promotes the use of six official languages, and issues all official documents simultaneously in these. Students should examine why the emphasis on linguistic diversity contributes — or does not — to creating a more harmonious world.
• Students are encouraged to research the topic using web and non-web materials. When quoting directly, original sources must be cited.

Number of awards
Sixty (60) essays will be selected - ten in each of the six languages

Sponsorship duration
Winners participate in a 6-7 day International Youth Forum in New York

Scholarship benefits
Winners will be invited to an all-expense paid trip to Boston and New York to participate in a series of events during the week of July 15-26, 2017. These events will include a Global Youth Forum, at which the students will create action plans addressing selected topics from the Sustainable Development Agenda, and will present their views at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. These international delegates will also have the opportunity to interact with invited international scholars and tour Boston and New York City.

ELS will pay for roundtrip economy class airfares in carriers of its choosing between the airport nearest to the Winners’ home city and New York, and be responsible for the Winners’ travel, room and meals for the duration of the conference (6-7 days).

Sightseeing and tourism opportunities will be arranged by ELS. No extensions of stay or early arrivals will be possible.

Winners are responsible for all documentation relating to their journey, including passports and visas and the costs related to these, as well as appropriate medical insurance for their journey and temporary stay in the United States. ELS will provide each winning student with a basic travel and accident insurance policy, for which the premium will be paid by ELS.

All Winners attending the conference will be given certificates of participation by ELS

Method of Application
Write your essay according to the contest rules and eligibility guidelines. Share your essay with the University Faculty Member or Authorized Representative who recommended you so that s/he can attest to the fact that you have followed the contest rules; and have him/her complete and submit the "Faculty Member/University Administrator Reference Form" in support of your participation in the contest. Thereafter, s/he will receive an email from Many Languages, One World requesting confirmation of the reference. Once the "Reference Form" has been received and confirmed by Many Languages, One World, you (the student) will receive an email with further information, and a link where you can complete your Student Entry Form and upload your essay to the contest website.

The essay must be submitted/uploaded in MS WORD format. Please title your essay as follows: LastName_FirstName-LanguageofEssay (ie, Smith_Jane-Arabic). Do not include a cover page with personal information, as the essays will be evaluated anonymously.

It is important to visit the official website (link to it is below) for complete information.

DEADLINES:
Essays must be received by 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time on Thursday 16 March, 2017 in order to qualify. Now extended until 11:59 p.m. EDT on 31, March 2017

PLEASE NOTE:
Do not wait until the deadline date to submit your essay. Give yourself time to ensure that your essay will be received successfully.

The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organisation created in 1945 to promote international cooperation. A replacement for the ineffective League of Nations, the organisation was created following World War II to prevent another such conflict. At its founding, the UN had 51 member states; there are now 193. The UN Headquarters resides in international territory in New York City, with further main offices in Geneva, Nairobi, and Vienna.

Application Deadline: 31 March 2017
Open to International Applicants: Yes

More Scholarship Information and Application

Related: List of Essay Writing Contests for International Students