I am pleased to announce the 2026 inaugural Reimagining Peace Award essay contest. This award is an initiative of a group of scholars and practitioners working in the areas of peace and social justice.
There are many pressing conflicts around the world in Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, and unfortunately many other places. There is an urgent need to end those conflicts and to provide care and support to those who have been harmed by them. Individuals, governments, and other actors have too often chosen violence. But we know that peaceful alternatives always exist.
With that in mind, we seek original pieces of writing from young people on the theme of peacemaking. We want to know what can be done to make the world a more peaceful place. We welcome submissions that offer new approaches to nonviolence and peace, elaborate personal experiences with anti-war activism, describe successful examples of nonviolent action, and offer theoretical approaches to peacemaking. We welcome utopian visions grounded in justice and liberation. With this award, we hope to highlight the perspectives of young people (25 and under), which are too often left out of public discourses on the important issues that shape our world.
Essays should be approximately 1,000 words. Each piece should be original, written solely by the author(s) without the use of AI tools, and not published elsewhere. The top three essays, judged by a panel of experts, will be awarded an honorary cash prize along with public recognition in multiple fora. Each submitted essay will be eligible for inclusion in an edited volume to be published after the contest.
Full submissions are due on July 31, 2026. Please include a copy of you resume/CV with your submission.
Essays and questions can be sent to: PeaceAwardSubmissions@gmail.com
Jake Keyel 