Win a scholarship and trip to Budapest!

Win a scholarship and trip to Budapest! We want to let you know that you can still participate in the Global Debate and Public Policy Challenge, win a free trip to Budapest and one of several scholarship and stipend awards available. We hope you’ll accept the Challenge! What is the GDPPC? The Global Debate and Public Policy Challenge is a new annual competition designed to engage undergraduates in on-going public debate and reflection on issues affecting the global community. This year’s theme explores the relationship between security and human rights. The Challenge offers undergraduates across disciplines and continents an opportunity to explore issues of global importance from different points of view. We hope to attract as wide a range of students into this competition as possible and you still have a very good chance to win. If you are an undergraduate student of any age, you are eligible for this Challenge! What Do I Need To Do To Enter The Challenge and Become Eligible to Win? Register for the competition. Then, prepare and submit your policy brief by 16 April. That’s it! What is the New Way to Participate and What Can You Win? Wehave established a new category of entry for students like you who would like to participate in this third and final round but haven’t been involved yet. If you participate in this new category by submitting a policy brief, you will become eligible to win a trip to Budapest, Hungary for the Global Debate and Public Policy Forum at Central European University in June 2012. Up to 50 finalists will be selected to go to Budapest with the cost of travel and accommodation paid by IDEA. Finalists will attend workshops to hone their public-speaking and advocacy skills as well as compete to determine up to top 10 finalists from both entry groups to compete for the scholarship / stipend prizes by presenting their policy briefs to the audience gathered at the Global Debate & Public Policy Forum. The top winners will be awarded the scholarship / stipend prizes. How Much Are the Scholarships & Stipends and What Can They Be Used For? We have established additional scholarship and stipend opportunities for students who still wish to participate but haven’t entered the previous rounds. From the participants who are chosen to participate at the Forum in Budapest, there will be up to three final winners in this category. Each winner will receive either a scholarship payable to a Graduate School of the winner’s choice for study in a field related to Public Policy or a grant payable to a non-profit institution of the winner’s choice for an internship or placement in a field related to Public Policy. The winners get to choose the option they prefer. The scholarship levels for new participants are (in US Dollars): First place: $2500, Second Place: $1500, Third place: $1000. Please see the Prizes page for more information. The rules of the competition are available here. Where and When Will the Forum Take Place? The inaugural Forum will take place at the School of Public Policy and International Affairs at Central European University and is a great opportunity to interact with your peers from around the world as well as gain valuable public policy and advocacy experience. The event brings together academics and policy experts on this year´s theme: ‘Securing Liberty: Balancing Security and Freedom’. It’s also a real world opportunity to contribute to the debate about important issues of our time and gain valuable feedback from those who work in this field! You can read more about the event details here. How Do I Write My Policy Brief? Your task is to write a policy brief of 1250-1500 words which is designed to bring ideas and contribute to the global debate and public policy Forum “Security, Terrorism and Human Rights: Towards a Global Picture” which will take place 15-16 June in Budapest, Hungary. A summary of the task is available on the Challenge website here: Overview of Policy Brief. Please also refer to these three documents (with links) to help you through the process: 1.      Guidelines for Writing Your Policy Brief. All of the details of the task are outlined in the guidelines. Please ready this thoroughly. 2.      Writing for Specific Target Audiences – An Introduction to Policy Advocacy. This is a resource guide to support the production of your policy brief and get you thinking about advocacy. We recommend you read it before beginning to prepare your brief. 3.      Worksheet for Planning your Policy Brief. This document is a space to organise your thinking and prepare an outline before writing. Before you prepare your policy brief, it may be helpful for you to refer to the previous tasks of the Challenge including the Policy Position Paper and the Alternate Position Paper.Listed here are links to background reading materials on the topic of Securing Liberty. Each registered participant will receive by 18 April 2012 information describing the next rounds of selection to take place at the pre-Forum and Forum in Budapest in June 2012. This information will also be posted by the same date on the Challenge website. When Is The Submission Deadline? Your policy brief must be submitted by 23:59 on 16 April 2012. Finalists will be announced on 4 May. Who Do I Contact For More Information? If you don’t find your answer on the Challenge website, please send an e-mail to Catherine Janson: cjanson@idebate.be. Don’t forget to also follow our Facebook, Twitter and discussion boards for updates and frequently asked questions about this task. We look forward to your participation! Good Luck!