Anti-Corruption Youth Essay Competition - for African Youth only !

[Jean Paul Brice Affana Affana]

Anti-Corruption Youth Essay Competition: “Fighting Corruption in Africa: a Youth Perspective”

Are you an African youth concerned about corruption on the continent?
Have you or anyone close to you been a victim of corruption?
Do you believe your future is in any way threatened by corrupt practices?
Would you want your voice to be heard on the issue of corruption?
And do you have a passion for writing?

Then you should seriously consider participating in this year’s ‘Anti-Corruption Youth Essay Competition,’ co-organized by the Governance and Public Administration Division (GPAD) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and the Secretariat of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AU-ABC). This is within the framework of annual festivities to mark the International Anti-corruption Week, which is a major item in the Regional Anti-corruption Programme for Africa, developed by the UNECA, in collaboration with the AU-ABC.

The Regional Anti-corruption Program for Africa aims at up scaling the fight against corruption on the continent with a view to ensuring a corruption free, better governed and economically prosperous African continent.

As you are well aware, corruption negatively affects all segments and groups in society, particularly the youth, who constitute the majority in many African countries. This essay competition is therefore intended to serve two main purposes: firstly, to establish the level of awareness, among African youths of the manifestations and impact of corruption; and secondly, provide a platform for African youths to present their perspectives on the causes, manifestations and impact of corruption and corrupt practices.

This year’s theme is “Fighting Corruption in Africa: A youth Perspective” If you have a story or an experience to share relating to this theme, this is a wonderful opening for you – make your submission and let your voice count.

The authors of the best three essays will be flown to the host city for the 2012 International Anti-corruption Week, to directly take part in the festivities. More significantly, the five leading authors will participate in a final competition, during which they will make oral presentations (of their essays) to a panel of judges, who will select the three top winners who will then receive special awards from African dignitaries and officials from the two convening institutions.

Eligibility Criteria:

- Applicants must reside in an African country
- Applicants must be currently attending secondary or high-school
- Essays must be between 4-7 pages long (single line spacing)
- Submissions must be the unaided work of applicants
- Submissions should be either in English or French
- Applicants must be willing and fit to travel

To submit an entry:

Email your essay with your name, age, school, country of origin, and contact information (email address, telephone number) to: John I Gbodi (e-mail: [e-mail]) and copy Francis Ikome (e-mail: [e-mail].

The deadline for submission is: 15th August 2012­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­