Youth to explain what peace means to them in Nobel Peace Prize contest
To mark the occasion of the European Union winning this year's Nobel Peace Prize, a thought-provoking contest has been launched, aimed at 8- to 24-year-olds. The prize for the four winners will be an invitation to the 2012 Nobel Peace prize ceremony in Oslo. The contest is based on the question; 'Peace, Europe, Future: What does Peace in Europe mean to you?' Children between the ages of 8 and 12 can express their answer in a drawing, while young people aged 13 to 24 can relay their thoughts in a short text (maximum 120 characters), in any of the 23 EU official languages. The four winners will be invited by the presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament, to form part of the official delegation of the EU that will travel to Oslo, Norway to receive this year's Peace Prize. The contest is also organised in partnership with the European Youth Forum. Launching the contest, President Van Rompuy, President Barroso and President Schulz said: 'The 2012 Nobel Peace Prize is not only a recognition of the European Union's past achievements: it also looks to the future. Our task is always to inspire the next generation of Europeans. That is why we want Europe's youth, who are inheriting a continent of peace and who will be responsible for Europe's future, with us in Oslo.' Peter Matjaic, President of the European Youth Forum continued: 'The Nobel Peace Prize is an opportunity to remember the importance of the engagement of civil society and EU citizens, especially young people, in bringing about peace on the continent. Active young people were driving forces in a Europe growing together and a strong European youth is a prerequisite for a continuation of peaceful developments towards a united Europe.' The EU is the recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize after being acknowledged for transforming most of Europe from a continent of war to a continent of peace. What began as purely an economic union has evolved into an organisation spanning six decades and covering policy areas from development aid to environment and research. The contest will be open until 25 November, midnight Central European Time (CET). The European Youth Forum will preselect the 16 best entries for each age group (8 to 12, 13 to 17, and 18 to 24). A jury will then select three of the final winners (one per age group) who will win a trip to Oslo. The 16 pre-selected entries from category 18 to 24 will also be posted on Facebook, to be voted by public. The candidate with the most votes will also be invited to Oslo. The names of the winners will be announced during the week of the 3 December. Winners will attend the official ceremony on 10 December as well as the Nobel Peace Prize concert on 11 December.For more information, please visit: Love the Future: http://www.peaceuropefuture.eu