Following the success of last year’s inaugural Columban Schools Journalism competition, the Far East magazine will once again host the competition in 2019.
Students aged 15-18 inclusive are invited to write an article or make a video report that informs and raises important issues on the topic: ‘The Challenge of Climate Change’.
Two separate competitions will be held, one for students in Ireland and one in Britain (England, Scotland, Wales); each has two categories, writing and video.
Closing date for entries: 8th February 2019
The objective of the competition is to encourage students to use their journalistic writing and mobile skills to look at a topical issue which is relevant to society today and resonates with Catholic Social Teaching.
We have secured some high-profile judges from the world of journalism for the competition.
In Ireland, the judges are:
Paul Melia – Environment Editor of the Irish Independent.
Patsy McGarry – Religious Affairs correspondent with the Irish Times.
Michael Kelly – Editor of the Irish Catholic.
Fr Seán McDonagh – Columban priest, eco-theologian and writer.
The winning articles and videos will be announced in Columban media on 15 March 2019.
Columban Missionaries believe the crisis of human-induced climate change, which threatens all life on Earth, is a key moral issue for the Churches. Climate Change raises serious moral and ethical concerns about the distribution and use of our planet’s finite resources and the destruction of biodiversity and the web of life.
Irish Columban Fr Sean McDonagh is known around the world as an eco-theologian who works to raise awareness on the connections between justice and peace issues, environmental sustainability and faith.
He is an outspoken critic of policies that allow for the systematic degradation of the environment, linking them to global poverty and the increased suffering of the poor.
Fr Sean is the author of numerous articles and nine books including Climate Change: The Challenge to All of Us, Greening the Christian Millennium, Care for the Earth and Dying for Water. He will be involved judging the Irish entries to the competition.
For more information about the schools journalism competition: www.columbancompetition.com