We recently caught up with Estelle Baroung Hughes, a peace educator and PeaceTalks speaker from 2020. In additon to her daily work as a Secondary School Principal in Dakar, she is also the engine behind the Peace You Have My Word project. We are pleased to share more about this important work here:
In its third year, the writing competition ‘Peace you Have My Word’ continues to inspire students from Africa and the world to express their vision of Peace, writing from Africa and the world. The Peace Talk guest Estelle Baroung Hughes is committed to amplifying young African voices and to encourage the youth worldwide to engage with peace making. The texts produced this year by our young writers covered 3 themes: ‘No Sustainability, No Peace’, ‘I Am a Powerful African Peace Maker’ and ‘Peace is a Palaver Tree’. Students, once more wrote with inspiration.
It takes a village of educators and peace builders to move the needle of awareness, sustainability and action for peace. Africa Learning International, the organization that created this competition, launched ‘Peace You Have My Word’ 3 years ago. Then the International School of Dakar supported the creation of an online Youth Peace Summit to promote the competition and a reflection on Peace. This year, on Friday 20th Septemnber the online summit participants will discover listen to the laureates’ texts and take part in interactive workshops on peace making.
From inner peace to world peace, one student, one teacher and one school at a time, Peace You Have My Word aims to create a space for learners, who are the leaders of today and tomorrow,to celebrate peace and make it happen.
Below you will find the names, schools and countries of the 2024 Laureates of ‘Peace You Have My Word’. Ghana, Burkina Faso and Switzerland are honored this time around. Let’s salute and amplify the voices of our young writers. Click on their texts! Take the time to read and reflect, asking yourself: how should I respond to this message today and every day? Am I honoring Peace the way our youth and the planet needs me to?
A huge thank you goes to our jury members also acknowledged below. Gratitude for their time and passion. They are at the heart of this project, true allies of youth for peace.
Estelle Hughes
Secondary Principal at the International School of Dakar
President of Africa Learning International & Initiator of Peace You Have My Word
Peace You Have My Word 2024: the Laureates’ Texts
| Category | No Sustainability, No Peace | Adisso Yochebed Senami I am a Powerful African Peace-Maker | Peace is a Palaver tree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Medal | Sarah Zoungrana Enko Ouaga (Burkina Faso) | Adisso Yochebed Senami Enko Ouaga (Burkina Faso) | Kekeli Agbozo SOS Hermann Gmeiner (Ghana) |
| Silver Medal | Emile Millimouno Saa Enko Schools (Burkina) | Nuria Traudi Adam Al Rayan International School (Ghana) | Nevin Dabrah SOS-Hermann Gmeiner International College (Ghana) |
| Bronze Medal | Anyssa Sherova International School of Geneva (Switzerland) | Talissa Tamaklo SOS Hermann Gmeiner International College (Ghana) | Kourouma Matta Enko Ouaga (Burkina Faso) |
| Special Mentions | For vision Lili Matillon International School of Geneva (Switzerland) | For personal Engagement Mika Mensah Tema International School (Ghana) | For creativity: Kimberly Soussoudis SOS Hermann Gmeiner (Ghana) |
Peace You Have My Word 2024: Jury Members
| No Sustainability, No Peace | I am a Powerful African Peace-Maker | Peace is a Palaver tree |
|---|---|---|
| Nancy Lhoest-Squicciarini (ECIS) | Yaya Dama (Enko Schools) | LeeAnne Lavender (AISA) |
| Sarah Plews (ELMLE) | Mark Tetteh IS Dakar) | Proserpina Dhlamini Fisher (IB) |
| Preeti Rajendran (Innustame) | Sarah Noble (Peace talks) | Mickaelle Pra (author) |
| Shwetangna Chakrabarty (TIE) | Alain Ekwoge (IS Dakar) |
Congratulations to the Laureates’ schools, Particularly Enko Ouaga with 4 laureates!
Find below some of the students who participated (permission granted by parents)
