The Tana Forum Secretariat would like to congratulate the three winners of the 2019 Tana Forum University Essay Competition. This year, the competition was open to Africans enrolled in higher education institutions based in Africa and, for the first, to Africans based in the diaspora. A team of experts reviewed over 50 submitted essays on the theme “Political Dynamics in the Horn of Africa: Nurturing the Emerging Peace Trends”.
In no particular order, the winners are:
- Zac Chiliswa, PhD in Media Studies, Leeds Trinity University & the University of Leeds, UK (Kenya): Doing politics and peacebuilding in the digital age: Situating Kenya’s Peacebuilding Practices
- Osei Godfred Amankwah, MPhil in Peace and Development Studies, University of Cape Coast, Ghana (Ghana): Political Dynamics in the Horn of Africa: Nurturing the Emerging Peace Trends
- Muhammed Seid Ahmed, MA, Department of Political Science and International Studies, Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia).: Market and Military competition of superpowers as a danger for peace in the Horn of Africa
The three winners will have the opportunity to present their essays to participants at the Tana Forum 2019. The students will also receive mentorship and training in presentation skills from a pool of experts based at the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS).
Youth inclusion is an essential component of decision-making in Africa. The Tana Forum strives to provide a platform for young Africans to engage with African Heads of State and Government, practitioners and experts in peace and security in Africa. This is implemented through a series of opportunities for youth participation before, during and after the Forum including youth debates, multi-stakeholder dialogues, civil society and media involvement, and different competitions.