The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2017

The Royal Commonwealth Society is pleased to announce that the theme for The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2017 is A Commonwealth for Peace.

Building upon the 2016 theme of an Inclusive Commonwealth, this year’s topics ask for a more active understanding of the role of the Commonwealth as a network of and for democracy, Human Rights and peace. We are asking young writers to explore peace at every level, from the personal to the political to the Pan-Commonwealth.

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 Topics

JUNIOR CATEGORY	SENIOR CATEGORY
What is in your Toolbox for Peace?  My peaceful place. How can children and young people come together to build a peaceful society? ‘Peace cannot be learnt from a book or from religion. You have to reach out and touch the nations.’ How does this relate to the Commonwealth?	Peace. Should you fight for peace? Kofi Annan said ‘Education is, quite simply, peace-building by another name.’ Do you agree? Answer with reference to your country and/or the Commonwealth. What is the cost of peace?

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The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under and is open from 21 September until 1 May 2017. All entrants receive a Certificate of Participation and one Winner and Runner-up from the Senior and Junior categories will win a trip to London for a week-long series of educational and cultural events. For more information about the competition, download the flyer and please visit Terms and Conditions and Frequently Asked Questions.

History of the Essay Competition

The RCS has a rich history of nurturing the creative talents of young people around the Commonwealth. They endeavour to promote literacy, expression and creativity among young people by celebrating excellence and imagination. Run by the RCS since 1883, this international schools’ writing contest – the world's oldest – is a highly regarded and popular international education project which we run in partnership with Cambridge University Press.

In 2015, the contest was renamed ‘The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition’, in honour of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s role as both Head of the Commonwealth and Patron of the Royal Commonwealth Society.     

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