02/05/08 - The 2008 edition invites young people (18-25) to address the following theme "What can you do to shape the city of your dreams?".
Life in the city is often associated with more opportunities, better access to employment, education, health and other services. Cities are often called engines of economic growth, contributing disproportionately to the national gross domestic product. They are also centers of innovation, entrepreneurship and investment. But many cities also have a large part of their population living in slums, without essential services such as water, sanitation and energy, and threatened by environmental hazards, violence and social exclusion. As more and more people move from the countryside to the city, and as city populations grow, there is a growing need for solutions to the issues of urban poverty, environment, and urban infrastructure, etc.
This is a great opportunity to hear from young people on how they imagine the city of their dreams and what they do to make this dream come true. Prizes offered range $5,000 & $1,000. This year submissions will be accepted in English, French, Spanish, Potuguese and Arabic until March 23, 2008.
Details are available at [url]http://www.essaycompetition.org, or
Moldova - World Bank Country Office in Moldova - Choose language.