USIP Announces National Peace Essay Contest Winners

For Immediate Release: June 26, 2009
Contact: Lauren Sucher, 202/429-3822

(Washington) – Three high school students—one each from Missouri, Arkansas and Mississippi—have won scholarships of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500 respectively as national, first and second place prizes in the National Peace Essay Contest (NPEC) conducted each year by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). Sophia Sanchez from Missouri, Erin Morbek from Arkansas and Sean Ray from Mississippi, the three national winners, were awarded their prizes last night at a banquet honoring all 50 state winners, of whom 45 have been in Washington, D.C. for a week of meetings and educational experiences.

The National Peace Essay Contest challenges American high school students living in the U.S. and abroad to research and submit an analytical essay on a theme related to war and peace. This year’s topic was “Confronting Crimes Against Humanity.”

Each state winner was invited to Washington, D.C. for an all-expense paid week of conflict resolution simulations, group projects and meetings with members of Congress, other U.S. government officials, journalists and representatives of nongovernmental organizations. In addition to touring the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, which the group does every year, they heard from Ann-Louise Colgan, director of the Museum’s Academy for Genocide Prevention, and John Heffernan, director of the Museum’s Genocide Prevention Initiative.   

Famed CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer was the keynote speaker at a banquet where the national first, second and third prize winners were announced.

Richard H. Solomon, president of USIP, said, “This year, the Institute turns 25, and this is the 22^nd year we have sponsored the National Peace Essay Contest. All of this year’s winners are to be congratulated as they join a line of students who may be using the lessons they have learned about conflict and peacebuilding in college and beyond.”

For more information about the National Peace Essay Contest, please visit http://www.usip.org/programs/initiatives/national-peace-essay-contest [1].