Up to US$5 000 (±R37 000) is up for grabs in a student essay competition open till 17 September. So get writing.

If you are a student at UCT or the University of the Western Cape and are keen to try your hand at writing a 2 500 word essay on Why has South Africa Succeeded in Averting a Clash of Civilisations? Are there lessons which other countries can learn from South Africa? you could stand the chance to walk away US$4 000 (± R30 000) richer. A second award of $1 000 (±R7 400) will go to the best undergraduate essay. Should the open winner be an undergraduate, the full $5 000 will be awarded as the prize.

Submit your entries to the Alliance of Civilisations Essay Competition c/o Department of Political Studies, Robert Leslie Social Sciences Building, UCT, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701. Entries can also be addressed to the Alliance of Civilisations Essay Competition, Centre for Humanities Research, UWC, Private Bag x17, Belville, 7535. For more information and conditions on the competition phone the Department of Political Studies (UCT) on (021) 650 3916 or the Centre for Humanities Research (UWC) on (021) 959 3162.

The Alliance of Civilisations is an initiative of the President of Spain, and the Prime Minister of Turkey. The essay competition is the collaborative effort of the Embassy of Spain, in partnership with UCT and UWC. DANIELLA POLLOCK