The Goi Peace Foundation wishes to announce that we are hereby ending the International Essay Contest for Young People, with 2024 being the final year of the program.

The Essay Contest began in 2000 and was held for 25 consecutive years. Approximately 290,000 participants from 192 countries around the world took part in the Essay Contest, writing on various topics that have helped them to become responsible, peace-minded global citizens.

The project enabled many young people to take concrete steps toward contributing to society and manifesting their own visions for a better future. It has also been highly acclaimed by educators around the world.

At the same time, we have reconsidered this project in light of the changing times, such as the evolution of AI technology and the contest format, which ranks certain essays as superior to others.

We believe that this project has played a meaningful role in fostering peace awareness among the youth of the world. We are now preparing to build on this achievement by further developing the network of peace-minded young people who will play leading roles in the future, and by developing and offering new peace education programs.

Further updates on the development of these programs will be announced on our website and in our newsletter. We hope you will join us in these and other upcoming endeavors.

Finally, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to all the individuals and schools who submitted essays over the years, as well as to all those who have cooperated with us in our efforts to create a peaceful world.