ESSAY CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT (June 26, 2015)
YOUTH ESSAY COMPETITIONS ON THE PRINCIPLES OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM,
TOLERANCE, AND LOVE FOR ALL HUMANITY (FIRST PRIZE U.S. $1000, SECOND PRIZE
U.S. $500)
We are pleased to announce a new essay competition for young people ages 12 to 21 to support the
principles of religious freedom, tolerance, and love for all humanity without exception regardless of belief. A
non-profit public charity founded in 2001 in Cleveland, Ohio, and currently based in New York, the Institute
increases its worldwide outreach (www.unlimitedloveinstitute.org) to youth.
An international panel of Institute advisors will choose the winning essays, which will be published on the
Institute’s website and included in a forthcoming book. Essays can vary in length but should be no longer
than 1500 words, double-spaced, and written in English. Three competition cycles are planned with up to
two prizes in each cycle (first prize US $1,000, second prize US $500). The due date for the first cycle is
October 30, 2015.
We define love as follows: “When the happiness, well-being and security of another is as meaningful to you
as your own, you love that person. Unlimited Love, often associated with spirituality and religions at their
best, extends this love beyond our nearest and dearest, and beyond those who believe as we do, to all
humanity based on our shared dignity and interdependence.”
Human progress requires a peaceful co-existence between religions, freedom of religion, and a respectful
tolerance of individuals and groups with widely different beliefs, but recent world events demonstrate that
these values cannot be taken for granted. Unfortunately, in some places around the world religious hatred is
found in children as young as four years of age, and intolerance leading to religious persecution and violence
is on the rise. We want to encourage youth to help us find a path to a future where Unlimited Love for all
humanity replaces religious hatred, brutality, and violence.
The essay competition draws from one of the Guiding Questions which drive the Institute’s research strategy
and collaborations, namely, “How can the major religions of the world come to abide in their various
concepts of universal love, and practice love for all humanity rather than merely for those who adhere to a
particular set of beliefs?”
The Institute invites youth to write essays that encourage all people and religions to abide by the principles
of religious freedom, tolerance, and love for all humanity. Stories and reflections from personal experience
can be a valuable part of the essay, including the motivations for speaking out through essay writing. The
Institute offers a series of questions to spark imaginations, including:

If you were able to speak to a fellow young person in your own religion who advocated religious hatred,
how would you engage him or her? What would motivate you to do so? What would you say, and how
would you steer him or her to Unlimited Love?

If you were confronted with religious hatred from a fellow young person in a different religion how
would you respond, and why?

Can religious arrogance and hatred be replaced by a spirituality of tolerance, equal respect, freedom,
mutual appreciation, and love?

How might the spiritual principle of Unlimited Love be lived out and achieved in practice? Can it be
shared and promoted within religious communities or even between different religious communities?

Could a religious toleration youth movement be developed across all religions worldwide? What tools
might make this possible that were not available in the past?

What beliefs and practices in your own religious tradition (if you have one) can point youth in the
direction of freedom, tolerance, and Unlimited Love? What positive role models exemplify the power of
love in your tradition today, and what can we learn from them?
Directions for Essay Submission
Essays or inquiries should be submitted by October 30, 2015 as email attachments to
unlimitedloveinstitute2035@gmail.com.
At the top of your essay indicate the following:
Name ____________________________
Date of Birth/Age __________________
Nationality ________________________
Religion __________________________
Gender ___________________
Email Address (required) _________________________________________
Mailing Address: This is not required if you prefer to keep it private. However, if you are selected as a prize
winner, we will email you notification and we will need your mailing address for purposes of sending an award
letter and check.
At the end of your essay, please include the following RELEASE:
I, _____________________________, the author of this work, grant permission to The Institute for
Research on Unlimited Love to use my original entry as described in the competition announcement. I
understand that the winning articles become the sole property of the Institute. I represent and warrant that I
am the sole creator of the work and have full power and authority to grant permission and to make this
agreement. I warrant that the work does not infringe on any copyright or violate any property rights. I release
any and all intellectual property rights to this entry. I understand that I will not receive compensation for my
work, but for the winning entries, as described in the competition announcement. Note: If you are younger
than 15 years of age, please ask your parent(s) or guardian to indicate their permission for your
participation in this contest by signing here: ________________.
(Plagiarism disqualifies candidates from consideration.)