The World Bank Blog4Dev 2021 Competition
Earlier this year, the entire world came to a standstill as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) quickly spread across the globe. In an attempt to combat the pandemic, the world went into lockdown; schools closed, production chains ground to a halt, social life was disrupted, and people retreated into their homes. Everything changed.
Blog4Dev Competition
Launched in 2014 by the World Bank Kenya office, the Blog4Dev competition is an annual writing contest, inviting young people to weigh in on a topic critical to their country’s economic development. The competition is a way to engage Africa’s youth and provide a platform for them to share their view and solutions about development topics that are important to them. In 2018, it became a regional competition, open to young citizens from all 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Blog4Dev winners contribute to the blogging community through original content posted on the Youth Transforming Africa blog platform.
Youth Transforming Africa (YTA) is a World Bank-supported youth engagement initiative that aims to engage more African youth in the thinking and discussions on development in Africa.
In an effort to find a common solution to a common challenge, the World Bank would also like to hear the views of African youth on the COVID-19 response. Based on the situation in your country, answer the following question:
How can young people work with their governments and civil society organizations to respond to the impact of COVID-19 and build a stronger post-pandemic economic and social system?
Benefits
Winning authors are eligible for several prizes, including an invitation to attend a dedicated program during the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings 2021 (if the health situation improves), opportunities to represent Africa’s youth at high-level events, a chance to intern at a World Bank country office, or an opportunity to have their blog published on the World Bank blog Youth Transforming Africa.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the Blog4Dev competition, you must:
- Be a citizen of one of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa;
- Be between the ages of 18 and 28 on November 30, 2020;
- Not have been a winner of previous editions.
Selection Criteria
The winning submissions will be selected based on the following criteria:
- originality;
- the clarity in writing and presentation;
- practicality and relevance;
- the potential impact on development.
How to Apply
Using the links below, submit your original blog entry, written in English, French, or Portuguese, detailing your ideas about addressing the impact of COVID-19 and building a stronger post-pandemic economic and social system.
Submissions through email or post will not be accepted.
Deadline: 30th November 2020