The Pollicy essay writing competition as part of the Youth and Elections in Africa Dialogue Series is an opportunity for you to reflect, delve deeper, bringing fresh insights and perspectives on the real issues surrounding African elections in 2024 and beyond. It aims to encourage critical thinking and empower young voices to share perspectives on the role of social media, combating misinformation, and promoting female representation in elections. Below are the detailed guidelines for participants to follow when crafting their essays.
Application Deadline: November 25, 2024
Competition focus/ themes
Participants are required to choose from one of the following themes, and be creative with the title and content of their Essays:
- Internet Culture in Shaping Digital Social Halls for Youth Engagement in Elections in Africa
- Social Media in Shaping Youth Engagement in Elections
- Combating Mis/Disinformation
- On Intersectional Representation in African Elections
Evaluation Criteria
Entries will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Originality and Creativity: Uniqueness of ideas and the creative approach to presenting them. Essays must be original works and should not have been previously published. Plagiarism and AI generated essays will automatically result in disqualification.
- Relevance: The extent to which the blog addresses the outlined themes.
- Potential Impact: The anticipated impact of the content on the audience and wider community.
Prizes
First three winners of the essay competition will receive the following:
- Cash prize (1st – $300, 2nd – $200, 3rd – $100)
- Certificate of recognition
- Publication of essays on Pollicy’s Medium with credit given to the author.
Submission Guidelines
- Word Count: Essays should be between 800 – 1,000 words
- Language: The essay must be written in English or Swahili.
- Title Page: Include a title page with the following information:
- Title of the essay
- Your full name
- Age
- Country of residence
- Contact information (email and phone number)
How to Submit
- Submissions should be sent strictly via email to info@pollicy.org by Monday, 25th November 2024, 11:59 pm EAT with the subject line: “Youth and Elections In Africa Essay Submission – (Your Name)”
- Ensure that your essay and all required information are included in both the body of the email and your essay document.
