Transforming
Violence Essay Competition - $2,000 in cash prizes.
Topic of Essay You are invited to apply for this award by writing
an essay that increases public awareness of innovative approaches
to international violence, whether the violence is caused
by national governments, ethnic conflict, territorial disputes,
or terrorist groups. The essays will describe new thinking,
practices and strategies that deal with violence and promote
coexistence in international relations. The winning essays
will be inspiring as well as informative, and will make the
topic accessible to a wide audience.
The organizations listed in Resources give information
about a wide range of approaches. Choose one (or more) of
these projects and write a 1,500-2,500 word essay that describes
their approach, clarifies what is ‘transformative’
about it, and explains how/why this strategy would have better
outcomes than strategies that use violence.
Cash Awards
There will be $2,000 in cash prizes. The prize
money will be divided between winners in two categories:
1) high school/undergraduate students
2) all other applicants
A cash award of $1,000 will be presented
to the individual or group submitting the best essay in each
category. There will be a panel of judges reflecting
a diversity of cultures and perspectives.
Sample Essays The following are examples of the kind of essays the
competition wishes to encourage:
500 Year Peace
Plan in Sri Lanka
This is an essay by Joanna Macy about the work being
carried out by the Sarvodaya movement to end the civil
war in Sri Lanka.
Radio Ijambo Bridges the Ethnic Divide in Burundi
This essay describes the way radio is being used to
foster ethnic reconciliation between Hutus and Tutsis
in Burundi, as described in the video documentary Dangerous
Silence by Dutch film maker Rob Hof.
Resources
Transformative
Approaches to War Prevention/Citizen Diplomacy
American Friends Service Committee
Baptist Peace Fellowship
of North America
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Fellowship of Reconciliation
and
Global Children’s organization
INCORE (International Conflict Research)
Institute for Multi-Track Diplomacy
International Alert
International People’s College
Muslim Peace Fellowship
Nonviolent Peace force
Peaceful Tomorrows
Peaceworkers UK
Project on Negotiation
Sarvodaya
SOAWatch
Third Side
Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Veterans for Peace
Voices in the Wilderness
or
Witness for Peace
Women in Black
Nuclear
Weapons: Transformative Approaches to Reducing the Threat
Canadian Weapons Inspection Team
Interchurch Peace Council
Nevada Desert Experience
Oxford Research Group
War Resisters League
Western States Legal Foundation
Promoting
Coexistence and Justice in Palestine and Israel
Abraham Fund
Compassionate Listening Project
Eye to Eye
Givat Haviva/Jewish-Arab Center for Peace
International Solidarity Movement
Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information
Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogues
Jewish Peace Fellowship
Jewish Voice for Peace
New Profile-Movement for the Civil-ization of Israeli
Society
Parents Circle
Rabbis for Human Rights
Right to a Home and a Homeland
Tikkun
Media
Crossing Borders
Internews
Mainstream Media
Palestine Media Watch
Search for Common Ground
Tikkun Rapid Response Team
Truthout
ZNET
You may also write an essay about a transformative
project or strategy not included in this list. Please include
information about the project, including the web site address
(if there is one) and other references and source material.
The Social Inventions Database
will include a one-paragraph description of each of these
resources. It will be available on our web site on March 1,
2003. Inclusion or non-inclusion of a program or organization
in the list below or in our database does not imply any judgment
as regards quality. The Resource list and Database simply
provide a sampling of initiatives and is by no means exhaustive.
Transforming Violence welcomes suggestions with regard to
possible additions to the site.
Tell Us about web
sites for organizations and projects that can be added to
the list above.
Other Databases
Coexistence Initiative
European Platform for Conflict Prevention and
Transformation
Tolerance Network
How to Enter There are 3 steps to entering the Essay
Competition:
PLEASE NOTE: Essays
may be written in any language but they must be accompanied
by an English translation to be eligible for the Award.
Transforming Violence reserves the right to
publish or display essays or extracts from essays submitted
to this competition. Winning essays and honorable mentions
will be published on the Transforming Violence web site. We
will also seek national and international publication for
selected essays.
1,500-2,500 word essay (you may submit more
than one essay)
We also welcome supporting photos, newspaper
articles, videos, brochures or other visual materials about
the project which may also be used as part of the exhibition
and added to the ‘Social Inventions’ database.
Format – We prefer to receive the
essay by disc or e-mail. If these formats are not possible,
please send a typed copy of the essay to the address below.
No submissions will be returned.
Please send all essays and supporting documents
to:
Transforming Violence
ATTN: Karen Payne
2600 Tenth Street, Suite 417
Berkeley, CA 94710
e-mail: exhibit@transformingviolence.org
Deadlines and Announcement
of winners
July 1, 2003
Deadline for entries to be
postmarked or Emailed
October 1, 2003
Announcement of winners
November, 2003
Winning posters to be displayed on Transforming
Violence web site
