Date posted: January 27, 2015

Indialogue Foundation organizes an annual essay contest for high school students in two categories:
1) Junior Category (9th and 10th grades)
2) Senior Category (11th and 12th grades)

Indialogue Foundation (IF) grew out of the need to address the question, “How can citizens of the world live in peace and harmony?” Indialogue is an action-oriented dialogue and peace foundation, was founded in 2005, the imagination and fortune of a group of Turkish and Indian people inspired by sensible and spiritual thoughts of the eminent scholars and spiritual leaders of the world, to promote and to encourage inter-civilizational, international, intercultural, interfaith, inter-communal and interracial dialogue; understanding and tolerance, harmony, co-existence, cooperation and peace; proactive studies. Indialogue contributes to information exchange and networking on current issues of dialogue and peace policy through its analyses and reports as well as meetings and conferences.

Program Objective: The purpose of this program is to contribute to the understanding and the promotion of culture of living together among the diverse members of our society, from peers, to strangers, to adults, to figures of authority. The diversity of cultures and ethnicities of our city and our schools provide a unique opportunity for participants to demonstrate their visual expression of how best to achieve positive results in this area. It allows our young people the chance to deal with real community and world issues and work towards global peace and intercultural understanding.

Program Focus: To recognize and create ways for young people to think about helping their community locally and to think globally to create more opportunities for dialogue and friendship, i.e. intercultural understanding and respect.

Rules of Essay Contest
1. The participants have to send their essays in MS Word or PDF as an attachment to email: essaycontest@indialogue.in
2. Essays must be original, unpublished, and written by only one student.
3. Each student may submit only one (1) essay.
4. We ask the schoolteachers to mentor students and guide them.
5. Each essay should be no more than 1500 words.
6. Each essay should be written in Times New Roman font, size 12, and should not have any images in the document.
7. Essays may be one of the following types:
– Informative Essay
– Narrative Story
– True Story
8. Award winners in each category will be announced on 22 February 2015 at www.indialogue.in and will receive their prizes at the award ceremony on 1 March 2015
9. Each submission will be judged on the basis of following criteria: Grammar, uniqueness of the story, understanding of the topic and its implementation in the essay, the style of writing and the flow, and how the essay addresses the theme and approaches to solving the problems of the world and community related to theme.
10. Each submission must include:
– Name
– Grade
– School
– Student’s phone number and E-mail
– Mentor Teacher’s Name
– Mentor Teacher’s phone number and E-mail
11. By submitting their work, it is understood that participants consent to their work being used and copied by Indialogue Foundation for promotional and/or informational purposes.

SUGGESTED QUESTIONS
Students may reflect on the following questions as a starting point for their own work:
• How can I as a person or we as a society improve understanding and cooperation among members of my community (school or home)?
• India is a land of diverse cultures, traditions and faiths. What can I do to promote the success of people coming together in my community? In the state? The nation? The international community?
• What can be done by the media services to further promote the voices of concern, moderation, calls for reconciliation and better communication among peoples everywhere?
• What can be done by the individual, groups of individuals, societal and government leaders to better understand cultural and religious differences between peoples and nations?
• How can we better apply the lessons of our cultures and religions in promoting more understanding among communities and peoples?
• What can I do to make a difference in my own sphere of life and among the lives of my friends, my family, and my community?

AWARDS:
• 1st place winner of each category will be awarded Apple iPad Mini
• 2nd place winners of each category will be awarded Apple iPod Touch
• 3rd place winners of each category will be awarded Apple iPod Nano
• 5 Honorable Mentions in each category will be awarded 2000 Rs
• Mentor Teachers of top three award winning students will be awarded
•A school with the highest attendance will be awarded
NOTE: To get prizes attendance in Award Ceremony is compulsory. The winner will not receive prize if he/she does not attend to Award Ceremony

Important Date
Deadline of submitting essays: 31 January 2015
Announcement of winners: 22 February 2015
Award ceremony: 1 March 2015
Venue: Fountain International Coaching Institute 7/C, Taimor Nagar, Near Guruduwara, New Friends Colony, New Delhi

HOW TO CONTACT US
Abduvakhid Azizov, contest coordinator
Address: M-207 Greater Kailash Part II, New Delhi, 110048
Email: essaycontest@indialogue.in

Source: Indialogue Foundation

Tags: Dialogue | India | Peacebuilding |