100 Projects for Peace

The Davis United World College program has announced another "100 Projects for Peace" competition. Each successful application will be funded at $10,000!

Undergraduates at approximately 90 colleges and universities, including Tufts, are being asked to design a "grassroots project for peace," and to submit the application to a local review committee. Each participating university will nominate its first choice which, subject to confirmation at the national level, will receive full funding. The Tufts selection committee will also forward an alternate proposal that will compete for one of the remaining awards.

The proposals must be short: no more than two pages of narrative plus a one-page budget. They are due on Monday, January 22, 2013, at noon, and should be submitted electronically to pjs@tufts.edu. Projects may be submitted by an individual, or they may come from a group. They may be conducted with or without a community partner. They may be carried out in the United States or abroad. The project is to be carried out during the summer of 2013 with a final report due on September 17, 2013.

The selection criteria are as follows:

a clear description (who, what, where, how) of the project;
an explanation of how the project contributes to peace;
an explanation and evidence of how the project meets a clearly specified need;
the qualifications and resources of the individual/group submitting the project;
a clear description of expected outcomes and means of self-assessment as the project proceeds.
Any project involving an outside party or organization(s) should attach a letter of commitment from that organization.
A justification for expenses. Please note that while Davis limits their funding to $10,000, projects with larger budgets are welcome, as is co-funding from other sources (other philanthropists, a college or university, foundations, NGOs, or students' own fundraising).

This can be challenging to do in two pages (in addition to a one page budget). To help with this, students may take advantage of the Proposal Development Committee, comprised of Dale Bryan, Assistant Director of the Peace and Justice Studies Program, and Anne Moore, Program Specialist in Scholar Development.

The first information/advisory session will take place Wednesday, November 28, from noon to 1:00pm, in East 015. A second session will be held on Thursday, December 6, from 4:00 to 5:00pm, in Eaton 123. Attendance at one of these sessions is not mandatory but is strongly recommended. A short letter of intent to submit a proposal is due, by email to pjs@tufts.edu, on Friday, January 11, 2013 at noon (the week before classes begin).

The first stage of the proposal review will be conducted anonymously. Proposals should be submitted with a cover sheet which will be detached from the three page proposals (plus supporting documents) before review. Also, please do not include a header with names on any of the pages.

The Davis Program and the Tufts committees are deliberately taking a broad approach to the meaning of peace. Additional information and resources will be available at the information sessions and on the Peace and Justice Studies website: pjs.tufts.edu. A listing and the final reports of all of the successful projects can be found at www.davisprojectsforpeace.org.

This is a wonderful opportunity to participate in a productive process and to use your education to further positive outcomes. It also fits the university's commitment to support active citizenship. We encourage you to develop and submit a Project for Peace proposal.

Good luck,

R. Bruce Hitchner
Professor of Classics and International Relations
Director, Peace and Justice Studies

What constitutes a peace project?

For Tufts' winning project, download the Sharaka Mobile Garden Proposal, and read the Final Report.
Additional information and inspiration can be found in the 2013 Competition Resources document.

Guidelines for Applicant Letter of Intent and Letter of Commitment >