Competition: A chance to Shape the Future

An exciting competition which has been developed by a number of organisations, including the Geographical Association, in association with DFID has been set up, and details were released earlier today.
You can find out all the details at the GLOBAL DIMENSION website, which also has a link to a useful 4 page PDF document which provides all the necessary information.

The theme of the competition is connected to the UN's MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS.

Here is a description of the background to the competition:

Since their creation in September 2000, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) have encouraged the many countries committed to them to work towards meeting the needs of the world’s poorest people. The target date for the MDGs is 2015 so beyond that, a new set of goals will be needed. The MDGs were debated and agreed in the late 1990s when the world looked quite different, so a new global strategy for development in 2015 will have to build on their successes and confront different challenges with new solutions.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron, is Co-Chair of the United Nations High Level Panel that has been tasked with making recommendations on these new development goals. He believes that we need a new, transformative agenda for development to really tackle the root causes of poverty, not just the symptoms, and would like to hear what young people in the UK think needs to be included. To enable this, the Department for International Development (DFID) is running a competition, the Shape the Future Challenge,that will invite schools to discuss, formulate and submit their own proposals for post-2015 development goals in the form of a presentation.

Why your school should enter 'Shape the Future'

Shape the Future gives students in all UK secondary schools a ‘voice’ to share their own views on the most effective way of ensuring development for all. The competition will enable them to develop their understanding of development and the MDGs and to express their vision for the future of the world, at the same time as developing their presentation and analytical skills. Winning schools will be invited to work with development experts to formulate their initial ideas and will then present their proposals to an Expert Panel that will include Ministers, MPs, representatives from DFID and other experts.

There is a deadline of March 28th for the first stage of the competition, so download the information about the competition promptly if you'd like your school to take part.