“Ideas for the Future” Essay Contest Registration Now Open

CAF -development bank of Latin America-, along with the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago, launched the third edition of the Ideas for the Future university essay contest, which promotes the debate on sustainable development, and aims to highlight the young talents in the region.

In this year's edition, young university students can focus their essays on the development challenges of Latin America and the Caribbean. The guidelines they may follow are:

• Challenges of reconstruction in terms of environmental sustainability;
• Challenges to reactivate economies ensuring macroeconomic sustainability;
• Construction of social protection systems for resilient and inclusive societies;
• Creation of more robust health systems;
• Challenges in terms of integration and cooperation to face future pandemics;
• Digital innovation to boost employment, education, and the provision of social services.
• Role of infrastructure investment in post-COVID recovery and financing alternatives.

Awards

The best essay at the national level and the three best essays at the Ibero-American level will receive awards. The Ibero-American winners will have the opportunity to present their essays at the CAF Conference, which will take place in November 2021, and receive the following prizes:

• Guillermo Perry Award: USD 3,000 (Three Thousand United States Dollars).
• Second place: USD 2,000 (Two Thousand United States Dollars).
• Third place: USD 1,000 (Thousand United States Dollars).

Important dates and participation criteria

The deadline for submitting essays is May 31. Students between 18 and 29 years old (strictly born between December 31, 1991, and January 1, 2003) are eligible to participate in the contest. Applicants must be undergraduate or graduate university students of any discipline, enrolled in a university in one of the 19 CAF countries, with a certificate of studies (regular student certificate or its equivalent).

For more information on the categories, formal requirements, participation and evaluation criteria, data acceptance, prizes and data protection, go to the contest page:

www.ideasparaelfuturo.caf.com/en