Competition presentation
In order to facilitate the expression of members of the Cameroonian and Afro-Caribbean community in Canada, as well as Canadian society on what was our common history, the Association des Étudiants(es) camerounais de l’Université de Sherbrooke (AECUS) has decided to initiate in this month of February 2021 (month dedicated to black history) a poem or story contest entitled “Mon Récit”,entirely dedicated to black history.
The last few years have been marked by multiple identity and recognition troubles around the world. We still remember the anti-racism protests such as “Black Lives Matter”, which led us to question our humanity.
The aim of the “My Story” competition is to
# To the black populations of Canada, and to the black students of the Université de Sherbrooke (UdeS) in particular, to express their stories in the form of narratives; to share with us what they intrinsically feel.
#To the non-black populations of Canada, and of UdeS in particular, to tell us, in the form of poems or stories, what they think of black history, and what they feel and understand about the experience of blacks in Canada.
Contest duration
The competition runs from February 10 to 27, 2021
The results will be announced on Sunday, March 21, 2021.
The awards will be presented on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at 1pm during RESCO (networking day organized by the AECUS) via the Zoom platform.
Eligibility
This contest is open to anyone (black or not) who would like to share their thoughts on black history, their feelings or their experiences with black communities in Canada, in the form of poems or stories.
Accepted format
Text files in Times New Roman font, size 12, 1.5 line spacing, 2.5 cm margins and no more than 2 Letter-size pages.
Language
Submissions will be accepted in English or French.
Submission
Criteria
Each participant is asked to write a poem or story about black history. This text should help to: better understand the history of black people, understand the feelings of younger generations, highlight the beautiful stories of cultural mixing and communities, facilitate understanding and acceptance of our differences or stimulate the spirit of motivation, initiative and self-confidence.
Only one text will be accepted per participant.
The text should be written in French or English.
Each participant is responsible for ensuring the originality of the text he or she submits.
Broadcast
Candidates whose texts are selected accept, without reservation, that these texts may be published on the various communication platforms of the Université de Sherbrooke and the Inspire Foundation.
Property
Entries become the property of the competition organizers (AECUS and Fondation INSPIRE) and will not be returned, regardless of the final decision.
Price
There are three (03) prizes to be won, with a total value of ($300) Canadian. This amount will be divided among the winners:
1- first prize = $150
2- second prize = $100
3- third prize = $50
Jury and Selection Criteria
The Jury will be made up of 2 writers, 2 members of the AECUS association and 2 members of the INSPIRE Foundation.
The jury will meet during the first week of March 2021 to evaluate and score the texts according to a scoring grid based on the following elements:
1. The originality and authenticity of the text.
2. Compliance with criteria: text theme, length and layout.
3. Grammatical and spelling quality.
Results and Awards Ceremony
Winners will be contacted no later than Sunday, March 21, 2021 to announce the results.
The awards will be presented on Saturday, April 3, 2021 at 1pm during RESCO (networking day organized by the AECUS) via the zoom platform for awards.
