It was a great experience to have a chance to read entries from all over the world on such thought provoking topics. We are delighted to announce the winning entries as follows:
Young Writers Category: "Love is like an apple tree" by Janneke Vos (UK)
We found this story to be touching, creative, and memorable. We love how the writer uses simple yet powerful illustrations to support her arguments. The dialogue was used to convey elements important to the story without sounding contrived. Drawing inferences from a seemingly real story to make a very strong case for apple trees is really captivating. The author's thought process and creativity in arguing her case are commendable. The piece itself is well organized, and many ideas are shared in concise and compelling way.
Youth Category: "Save the planet or face the consequences", by Emmanuel Ogamodey (Nigeria)
The writer makes a very strong case for climate change. Though the topic of climate change is predominant in the public discourse, the writer offers a very personalized view of climate change perils and eminent dangers if we don't act at all. All in all, we found this to be an Inspiring essay, nicely written and conveying powerful messages. Well structured and balanced, educational yet not patronizing.
Adult Category - Second Prize: "How schools can be better potters", Baleng Wutor Mahama (Ghana)
A well researched, argued and written piece. It stimulates the discussion about the role and responsibility of schools and universities. We found that the author made a persuasive case for an integrated approach to education, while also considering other opinions from the opposing viewpoint. We loved the pro-active approach of using constructive criticism and giving solutions to the education challenges and especially from the writer's country of origin.
Adult Category - First Prize: "Are co-ed schools the best environment for students", by Maria Del Pilar Ruiz (Paraguay)
This article stands out from the rest in this category - we found it to be exceptionally well argued and thought provoking. We also want to highlight the clarity and conciseness of her argument. The writer objectively considers both sides of the debate before ultimately concluding on their argument. The article also does consider facts and valuable information regarding the various points being addressed and deftly weaves academic research into her piece in a very readable way.
12 December 2016
