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The Elie Wiesel Prize for Humanity
The Elie Wiesel Prize for Humanity
Description: Elie Wiesel and his wife, Marion established The Elie Wiesel Prize for Humanity, shortly after he was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize for Peace. The Foundation's mission, rooted in the memory of the Holocaust, is to advance the cause of human rights by creating forums for the discussion and resolution of urgent ethical issues. The annual essay competition is designed to challenge college students to analyze urgent ethical issues confronting them in today's complex world.
Dollar Value: $5000 First Prize, $2500 Second Prize, $1500 Third Prize, and two Honorable Mentions of $500 each.
Number of Scholarships: Five prizes are awarded.
Eligibility:
The contest is open to undergraduate juniors and seniors who are enrolled full-time at accredited, four-year colleges or universities in the United States. Students must have registered junior or senior status during Autumn quarter.
Application Procedures: Students must apply directly to The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity. However, as a part of the application process, the student is required to have a professor review his or her essay and fill out a Faculty Sponsor Form. Any interested professor may act as a Faculty Sponsor and a maximum of two entries from any one professor per contest year will be accepted.
The essay must be the original, unpublished work of the student, and 3000-4000 words in length. It may be developed from any point of view and can be written in the form of a case study, a personal experience or an analysis that is literary, philosophical, historical, biographical, theological, or psychological.
Deadline: January 8, 2010
Contact:
The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics, The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity,
529 Fifth Avenue Suite 1802, New York NY 10017.
Phone: 212-490-7777
Elie Wiesel Prize for Humanity website: www.eliewiesel foundation.org/
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Eligible to apply for the Elie Wiesel Prize for Humanity?
The guidelines state that "Registered undergraduate full-time juniors or seniors at accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States during the fall 2006 semester" are eligible to enter the 2007 contest. Students must fill this requirement in order to have their essay and application accepted for The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest - no exceptions will be made.
Why would someone not eligible?
In designing the Contest, the Foundation felt that limiting entries to juniors and seniors would allow students two years to take classes and develop their views and understanding of ethics before competing in the Contest. Again, please remember that this is an annual contest and students are welcome to apply in the future.
What should applicants write about in their Essay?
The Foundation receives many inquiries regarding what students may write about in their essays. The topics provided by the Foundation each year are merely suggested topics - students may feel free to write about any topic as long as it pertains to ethics.
Who can be a Faculty Sponsor?
Any interested professor at the student's school may act as a Faculty Sponsor. Students entering the contest are required to have a Faculty Sponsor review their essay and sign the Entry Form. Faculty members should only endorse thought-provoking, well-written essays that fall within the contest guidelines. Students studying abroad may have professors at their home or abroad institution serve as their Faculty Sponsor.
Where can one find past winning Essays?
The names and essays for the current year's winners can be found on the website titled "This Year's Winners." All First, Second and Third Place winning essays from 1990 to the present are also available on our website, these essays are located under Past Winners. All essays are available in both html and PDF format.