2013 International Essay Contest for Young People - Call for Essays

Young women and men from across the world are invited to participate in the 2013 International Essay Contest for Young People. The theme for this year's contest is "The power of culture to create a better future." It is open to anyone up to 25 years old. Deadline for entries: 30 June 2013.

The contest is organized by The Goi Peace Foundation, endorsed by the Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, Japan Private High School Federation, Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education, Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Nikkei Inc., and supported by Felissimo Corporation.

Every part of the world has its own culture. Culture includes the arts, traditions and customs of a country or region, as well as the wisdom, values, lifestyles and trends of the people living there. In order to build a peaceful world, we need to acknowledge and respect each other's cultures. What aspects of the culture in your country or region do you take pride in? How can young people make the most of them to create a better future?

This annual essay contest is organized in an effort to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world's youth in promoting a culture of peace and sustainable development. It also aims to inspire society to learn from young minds and to think about how each of us can make a difference in the world.

• More information and guidelines

Contact
Goi Peace Foundation, essay(at)goipeace.or.jp

Farming Matters Call for articles - Education for change

Deadline: June 1st, 2013

Family farmers face climate change, limited water availability, rising fuel costs and unknown market opportunities, while their lands are coming under increasing pressure. They require access to information, and the knowledge that can help them deal with the complexity of the context in which they live. Most rural areas nowadays have access to some form of education.

Nonetheless, the agricultural education system often has many shortcomings. Many get frustrated because the education available does not provide them with the answers they are looking for. Education rarely prepares youth for a future in agriculture and often encourages them to migrate to urban centres. Girls and women often don’t have the same educational opportunities.

Many experiences are showing that agricultural education can do much more: it can be a powerful tool in strengthening the social value attached to farming. It can make people aware that there are low-cost and sustainable alternatives to “modern agriculture” which, for many small scale farmers, can be a route into debt and misery.

Clearly changes are needed at different levels – at vocational schools and agricultural universities, but also in informal and adult education initiatives and even at primary schools – so that education makes a positive contribution to agriculture. Agricultural educators – whether extension agents from public or private sector, university professors, school teachers or farmers themselves – need to become agents of change. They need to support farmers in the task of reconnecting to the agro-ecosystems that they manage, rather than becoming increasingly disconnected from them.

Issue 29.3 of Farming Matters will focus on the role of education in changing the mindsets of rural communities. We seek contributions that describe innovative education in rural areas. Who are involved? What is being taught? What teaching methods are used? What lessons are learned? And what makes these experiences valuable?

We will also look at how educators prepare themselves for their job in a fast changing world, what their aspirations are, how the education system supports and how they connect with different stakeholders in the agricultural system, such as farmers and other value chain actors, fellow educators, researchers and policy makers.

Please send us your contributions! Articles for the September issue of Farming Matters should be sent to Jorge Chavez-Tafur, editor, before June 1st, 2013. E-mail: j.chavez-tafur@ileia.org