Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition opens

ISLAMABAD: The Royal Commonwealth Society has announced the opening of entries for the prestigious Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition until 30 June 2023.

Every year, thousands of young people take part in the competition, the world’s oldest international writing competition aimed to recognise achievement, elevate youth voices and develop key skills through creative writing, said a news release on Tuesday.

This year, the essay competition asked entrants to explore the power young people hold within the global community and consider how this power can be harnessed to make a meaningful impact in the world.

This focus coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, and the Commonwealth Heads of Government declaring 2023 a year dedicated to youth-led action for sustainable and inclusive development.

Essays are submitted in two categories — a 'senior category' born between 1 July 2004 and 30 June 2009 and a ‘junior category’ born on or after 1 July 2009.

All successful entries will receive a certificate of participation. Whereas, the top two winners from each category will be awarded a trip to London for a week of educational and cultural events, culminating in a special awards ceremony at a royal palace.

Pakistani youth have done extremely well in recent years with Zahra Hussain, a student of Lahore Grammar School International, coming first in the senior category in 2018 and Zainab Nawaz, an eighth grade student, achieving a bronze award in the junior category in 2022.

"The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay is a fantastic opportunity for young Pakistanis to engage with the Commonwealth and sharpen their writing skills to become the future leaders of tomorrow," said Zoë Ware, the acting deputy head of mission at the British High Commission.

“Sixty per cent of the Commonwealth’s 2.5 billion people are under the age of 30. This young demographic represents a dynamic ‘youth force for change’, made up of exceptional young people who are increasingly involved in advocacy, decision-making and action. I hope to see some winning essays from young Pakistanis in this year’s competition,” she added.