Eighty years after the UN Charter was ratified, the problems that cross borders have outrun the system built to handle them. We want to hear how a new generation would fix it.The 2026 New Voices 4 Global Solutions Essay Contest is now open. We are inviting students across the United States, ages 18 to 30, to make the case for what a reformed United Nations could actually look like.
This year’s theme is From Charter to Change: Reimagining Global Governance through Article 109. Article 109 is the rarely used provision that lets member states convene a general conference to review and update the Charter. The prompt asks two things: where the current UN system falls short, and what specific reform you would put on the table if that conference were called.
The grand prize is a trip to Italy. The winner receives an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2026 Ventotene International Seminar, held August 30 to September 4 on the island where the modern federalist movement began. CGS covers travel from the US, transport to the island, and all board and lodging. The winning essay is published in our flagship journal, Mondial, in front of the global World Federalist Movement network.Last year’s winner, Isabella Grace Smith, put it this way after the seminar: it showed her how much weight young voices can carry in shaping what comes next. Her essay runs in the Summer 2026 issue of Mondial.
The details
Essays run up to 2,000 words, follow APA style, and stay non-partisan. Work you wrote for a class is eligible if you flag it. Generative AI is not permitted and means disqualification. Submit by email to outreach@globalsolutions.org using the exact subject line provided in the guidelines.
Deadline: July 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT.
Not sure where to start? Join our free online workshop on Friday, June 19 at 12 PM EST for topic inspiration and submission guidance.
HRE USA is a project of the Center for Transformative Action.
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