Youth from the Caribbean, Africa and the Pacific can qualify to win up to Euros 1,500 by sharing ideas in an essay competition writing on the topic Youth and ICTs in Agriculture and Rural Development. The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), in collaboration with several agricultural agencies and institutions from Africa, Caribbean and Pacific, is organizing an essay writing contest on Youth and ICTs in Agriculture and Rural Development, aimed at identifying innovative solutions on challenges faced by youth in agriculture and rural areas using Information and Communication Technologies. The Caribbean partner is the Caribbean Farmers Network (CaFAN).
Who can enter?
The essay contest is open to young people, aged 18 – 25 years old, from urban or rural areas of Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific countries. Young women, young agricultural producers and students in agricultural training courses are particularly encouraged to participate. Applicants can submit their entry in French or English.
How to participate?
Participants will write an essay (between 1,200 and 1,500 words) responding to any of the following questions or issues:
a) Choose two challenges which you experience in your country or region related to agriculture or rural development, and explain how you could use ICTs to address them;
b) How can ICTs be used for effective advocacy and lobbying to promote agriculture in your country or region?
c) How can ICTs be used to improve access to market for agricultural products from your country or region?
d) Tell the story of a young producer or a youth leaving in rural area, in your country/region, who uses ICT successfully or in an innovative way (even if the experience was not a full success) for his/her work. Describe lessons learnt and alternatives envisaged, especially if the experience was not successful.
Each candidate will address only one issue and submit only one essay.
Selection of Winners: In the first instance, the best two (2) essays from each of the six ACP regions (West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, Pacific and Caribbean) will be pre-selected. Afterwards, the 12 finalists will participate in an international meeting on rural development where, apart from attending the sessions, they will make an oral presentation of their submission before an international jury.
Deadlines and further details:
- Applications should be sent to CTA by 31 July 2010
- Finalists (the 12 authors pre-selected) will be announced in mid-October 15 October 2010.
- Oral presentation and final selection of winners will be made in November 2010.
This essay competition is one activity which forms part of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Youth in the Information Society (ARDYIS) project designed to raise youth awareness and improve their capacity on agricultural and rural development issues in ACP countries through ICTs. Other activities include web 2.0 training, animation of an information portal, facilitation of networking among project participants, participation in conferences for best participants. ARDYIS activities will contribute to the promotion of opportunities for youth in ACP countries in the agricultural, rural development and ICT sectors.
For further information please contact (Enable Javascript to see the email address) ; View at the following link http://www.cta.int/en/content/view/full/4478 or follow CTA ARDYIS project on Facebook here