The global pandemic of COVID-19 has compelled governments all over the world to close educational institutions, and UNESCO estimates that about 1.5 billion students must currently remain at home.
This critical, complex, and the unprecedented situation is having major impacts on our societies. Young people, just like everyone else, will face the economic and social consequences of this crisis for many years to come and have no doubt begun to develop their own thoughts about the future they want after the coronavirus fades away.
To engage in a constructive reflection on current and forthcoming challenges during and after this lockdown period, UNESCO and Takhte are therefore organizing an essay contest for children (aged 11–14 years) and youth (aged 15–24 years) entitled ‘Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus): Pan India Online Essay Contest 2020’, with the belief that the power of writing can be leveraged to combat isolation, expand horizons while stimulating creativity.
This is the second edition of the essay contest but it has been adapted to the circumstances. Unlike last year, the competition is launched with immediate effect and will remain open as the on-going crisis unfolds. Entries are welcome on a rolling basis, and the best essays received under each category (children and youth) will be highlighted regularly on the website and social media handles of UNESCO New Delhi and Takhte.
We hope this essay contest will provide Indian children and youth with a platform where they can present their opinions, and share experiences and inspiring stories. The topics and questions we have selected should encourage them to come up with novel ways of addressing the various issues that we will all face post COVID-19.
With this competition, we invite the GenZ Indians who are the future-makers to make the best possible use of the lockdown period and reflect constructively on their thoughts and ideas.
This World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April, let's celebrate the importance of reading and writing, that will foster children's growth as readers and promote a lifelong love of literature and integration into the world of work.
Later in the year, the winning essays will be published in a book entitled Year 1 AC (After Coronavirus): Essays by 100 Young Indians. All the young writers of the 100 winning essays will receive certificates of recognition by the organizers.
So hurry up and send your submissions as soon as possible! The contest is open NOW.
Be Creative! Stay Safe!
About UNESCO
UNESCO is a specialized UN agency with a mandate to build peace through international cooperation in the fields of education, the sciences, culture, and communication and information. UNESCO's programmes contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals defined in Agenda 2030, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. The UNESCO New Delhi Cluster Office is mandated to cover six South Asian countries -- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.
About Takhte
Takhte offers professional writing services. In the last four years, Takhte has successfully set a series of benchmarks in relation to book writing, among the most recent being its production of the book Artists of India: Modern and Contemporary Art, which has been acknowledged by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Takhte promotes creativity in a range of art forms. In 2019, the organization aims to build an innovative platform for young Indian writers to express their views about key contemporary subjects.