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Peace Essay Winners
Briefed
on Foreign Policy
Fifty state winners of the Institute's National Peace Essay Contest came to Washington in June for an
inside look at issues on the Korean Peninsula.
Right: National Winners (l-r) Richard Lee, Ileana Ciobanu, and Johnathan Winer.
The drama of last year's U.S.-North Korean negotiations
to end that country's nuclear program provided some Washington policymakers enough cliff-hanging
suspense to last a lifetime. Thus, when the winners of the U.S. Institute of Peace's National Peace
Essay Contest came to Washington June 22-27--eager to learn the intricacies of foreign policy,
international negotiation, and conflict resolution--it was especially appropriate that many of
their educational activities focused on the Korean Peninsula. Throughout the five-day visit, the
students also participated in an extensive simulation and role play exercise of the U.S. negotiations
with North Korea.
Nearly 5,000 students from 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and high schools
overseas participated in this year's contest. The event was organized by Heather Kerr-Stewart,
education specialist, with the help of Juanita Chenault, project assistant. All first place
state-level winners received a $750 scholarship and a trip to Washington.
In addition to the ongoing simulation exercise, the students attended a series of briefings with
policymakers and diplomats engaged with the issues, including South Korean Ambassador Kun Woo
Park, Robert Carlin, an analyst for the State Department on Near East and South Asia issues, and
Ambassador Paul Cleveland, U.S. representative of the Korean Peninsula Energy Development
Organization (KEDO). Robert Gallucci, dean of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and
former ambassador at large, who negotiated the framework agreement with North Korea, discussed his
experiences during a keynote address at the awards banquet, where the top three national winners were
announced.
This year's national winners were Richard Lee of South Carolina, who won first place and a
$5,000 scholarship; Jonathan Winer of Arizona, second place and a $2,500 scholarship; and
Ileana Ciobanu of Colorado, third place and a $1,000 scholarship.
[Click here] to read a parents' view of the week in Washington.
Above: Vice President Al Gore greets essay winners.
Left: (l-r) Juanita Chenault, James Hare (GA), and House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
The national winning essays can be found on our
web page or on the Institute's Gopher at: gopher.usip.org.
© 1996 United States Institute of Peace
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