Many Languages, One World^®

Share your ideas and be heard in the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations!

ELS Educational Services is pleased to announce that 60 students have been selected as winners of the 2017 Many Languages, One World® international essay contest. 

The 60 winners represent 27 different countries and 57 universities.  6,000 people from 170 countries took part in the initial phase of the contest.  We received over 2,000 essays from 1950 universities globally in the official languages of the United Nations: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.   

Thank you to all who participated in the contest!  

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ELS and the United Nations Academic Impact are pleased to sponsor the fourth Many Languages, One World^® Student Essay Contest and Global Youth Forum. This year welcomes Northeastern University as the host of the Many Languages, One World Global Youth Forum and the sponsor and organizer of the Northeastern University Global Youth Conference.

Sixty winners will be selected as delegates to the 2017 Many Languages, One World Global Youth Forum, where they will create action plans related to the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

ELS Educational Services, Inc. will award each winner with an all-expense paid trip to Boston and New York City between 15-26, July 2017.  At the Global Youth Forum, the students will create action plans addressing selected topics from the Sustainable Development Agenda, and will present their views at United Nations Headquarters in New York City. These international delegates will also have the opportunity to interact with invited international scholars and tour Boston and New York City. The deadline for essay submissions is 11:59 p.m. EDT Friday, 31 March, 2017.

Airfare, accommodations and meals will be provided by ELS Educational Services, Inc.

To Participate:
Write an original essay (2,000 words or fewer) discussing global citizenship and cultural understanding, and the role that multilingual ability can play in fostering these.  The essay should reflect your personal, academic, cultural and national context. 

Many Languages, One World promotes the continued learning of the six official languages of the United Nations-Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.  To qualify, essays must be written in an official language of the United Nations that is neither your first language (language(s) spoken at home) nor the medium of instruction in either your primary or secondary education (or a medium of instruction if attending a bilingual school). You will need to demonstrate both written and verbal competency in the language of the essay.  You must be a full-time university student, referred and endorsed by a faculty member or university representative, and must be 18 years of age or older by the contest deadline.

Essay Submission Deadline:
Friday, 31 March, 2017 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT)