Office for Disarmament Affairs Launches Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge

NEW YORK, 24 May (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — On 24 May 2018, the United Nations Secretary-General published his Agenda for Disarmament, aiming to set our world on a path towards sustainable peace and security.  To mark the fourth anniversary of Securing Our Common Future, the Office for Disarmament Affairs will launch the Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge to invite young people to share what disarmament means to them and their local communities through music.

The Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge has been inspired by the uniting and healing power of music.  Entrants are invited to compose and record their own musical pieces to express their passion for peace, reflecting on one of the four pillars of the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament:  disarmament to save humanity, disarmament to save lives, disarmament for future generations, strengthening partnerships for disarmament.

Submissions must be original and can be from any genre of music.  There are no restrictions to how many performers can enter a submission together.

Entries will be accepted in three age groups:  13 to 18 years (middle and high school), 19 to 24 years (college and graduate school) and 25 to 29 years (early career professionals).  A panel of judges will select three winners from each group.

The contest will be launched on 24 May, the fourth anniversary of the Secretary-General’s Agenda for Disarmament, and will close on 12 August, International Youth Day.  Winners will receive token grants, ranging from $100 to $500, and will perform their winning entries live at a special congratulatory event during the seventy-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).  Nine winners will be chosen in total by a panel of judges, who will select a first-place, second-place and third-place winner from each age group.

The Pitching Peace Youth Music Challenge is funded through generous financial support from the Government of the Republic of Korea.

For more information please visit www.youth4disarmament.org, or contact the #Youth4Disarmament initiative team at email:  youth4disarmament@un.org.