By RABECCA CHIPANTA –

THE Zambian High Commission in London has urged Zambian youths under the age of 18 to take part in this year’s prestigious Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Schools Competition.
According to a statement released by first secretary for Press and public relations Abigail Chaponda, the annual essay competition is open to all Commonwealth citizens and offer young people from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to air their views and express  aspirations that affect their future.
Ms Chaponda said participants should demonstrate their ability to stimulate and provoke discussions about important Commonwealth and global issues from a young person’s perspective.
She said the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) has a rich history of nurturing the creative talents of young people around the Commonwealth and endeavours to promote literacy, expression and creativity among the youth by celebrating excellence and imagination.
This year’s theme is ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’, which is also the 2016 Commonwealth Year theme and a topical theme for today’s youth.
The topics offered a chance to develop critical thinking and to express views in a creative manner.
Ms Chaponda said there were two categories for the competition — junior and senior — and that for the junior category, the participant should have been born after May 1, 2002.
In the senior category, participants should have been born between May 2, 1997 and May 1, 2002, and these would be aged between 14 and 18 years.
“Participants are encouraged to be creative in their responses. Answers can be submitted in a number of formats.
“Both senior and junior topics give young people the opportunity to think about aspects of the theme such as the significance of community, the importance of diversity and difference,” reads the statement.
To enter the competition, one should be living in a Commonwealth country or territory.
All entries should be written in English and submitted online by May 1, this year.
As part of the prizes for each category, the winners and runners-up would be flown to London for a week of cultural and educational visits, culminating in a special award event.
All the four top entries will be published by the RCS.