Contests

Tana Forum University Essay Competition 2016 (Win a complimentary trip to the Tana High-Level Forum in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia(

February 5, 2016

Submission Deadline: 29 February 2016

Are you an African youth concerned about peace and security on the continent?
Do you believe your future is, in any way, affected by current peace and security challenges on the African continent?
Would you want your voice to be heard on this issue?
Do you have a passion for writing?

Then you should participate in the 2016 Tana Forum Essay Competition, organised annually by the Tana Forum Secretariat, which is based at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS). The Secretariat also convenes the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, an annual forum that brings together leadership from all sectors to work towards an African-led security agenda. The Forum’s objective is to provide both a platform and room to work towards establishing effective African-led solutions to the continent’s most pressing security challenges.

Theme: Africa in the Global Security Agenda

Africa is the arena for some of the modern world’s most intractable security challenges. 80 years ago, when powerful nations boldly breached multilateral decision-making and international law, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia stood before the League of Nations and declared the imminent catastrophe facing the world, should the principles of common security be abandoned. Since then, Africa has not only been the testing ground of international peace and security, but its governments and institutions have been the champion and custodian of common security.

The theme of the 5th Forum, “Africa in the Global Security Agenda”, is intended to stimulate debate on why Africa’s security challenges attract substantial global attention whereas the continent’s own experience and articulation of its issues has yet to obtain commensurate global recognition, acceptance and significance. It is evident today – more so than any time in the past – that Africa needs to rally a unified and amplified voice and agency if it is to assert its own interests in international security debates and agendas.

The 2016 Essay Competition forms part of this consultative debate that is envisioned to contribute to policy building and development.

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be an African residing in an African country;
Applicants must be MA or PhD students in the fields of Social Sciences, Humanities,
Political Science, or International Relations at one of the participating universities (see below).

2016 Participating Universities

Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
Alexandria University, Egypt
Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia
Cairo University, Egypt
Cheikh Anta Diop University, Senegal
Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique
Makerere University, Uganda
Manouba University, Tunisia
Université de Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
Université Omar Bongo, Gabon
University of Cape, South Africa
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
University of Ghana, Ghana
University of Lagos, Nigeria
University of Nairobi, Kenya
University of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe

Guidelines

1. Entries must be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman or an equivalent

font with a one-inch margin on all sides of the page.

2.Essays must be 5-10 pages in length.

3.Submissions must be the original work of applicants with a comprehensive list of sources consulted. Essays on other topics will not be accepted. Please use the topic as the title of your essay.

4. Submissions should be either in English or French.

5. A bibliography must be included. AT LEAST three of the sources you cite must be

primary sources, i.e. books, periodicals or newspapers that you have researched. (A primary source is a document, speech, or other sort of evidence written, created or

otherwise produced during the time under study. Primary sources offer an inside view

of a particular event. They may be accessed online.) Other sources may be online, provided they are cited correctly as such. Any submissions lacking three primary sources will be disqualified.

6. Any essay using crowd-sourced and publicly editable sources such as Wikipedia

will be disqualified! Please make sure to also separate your primary source list from your Internet source list.

7. Essays MUST be submitted in a Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx). Any essay

submitted in any other format will not be considered.

8. Your essay will be disqualified if it does not meet the requirements or is submitted after

the submission date of 11:59 pm EST on 29 February 2016.

9. Applicants must be willing and able to travel

Award/Benefits

The authors of the top three essays will win a complimentary trip to the Tana High-Level Forum in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia on 16-17 April 2016.
The highest-scoring student will be invited to make an oral presentation of his/her essay to the Forum’s participants, including African heads of state and other high-level dignitaries and officials.

Entry Submission

Email your essay together with your full name, age, university, country of origin, and contact information (email address and telephone number) to Lettie Longwe ([email protected])

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Tana Forum University Essay Competition 2016