1. Theme of the Essay

There seems to be a considerable lack of leadership in the world. Leadership that is both inspiring and uniting rather than pushing and dividing. Leadership that is visionary and can guide us in the healing of the planet. Leadership that can make a real contribution towards solving the great problems of our time: poverty, war, terrorism and exhaustion.

You are invited to write an essay addressing the following questions:

How can leadership contribute to the needs of the world, what is the kind of leadership that is needed and how can that leadership be developed?

Essays should have a minimum of 1000 words and a maximum of 1500 words.  

The closing date of the entry is 1 May 2004.

2. Award

The award consists of one year studying at The Edge, International School for Leadership and Spirituality, mentioned hereafter as The Edge. The award becomes available after graduation FROM ( college or university has occurred and after successful completion of the assessment week in advance of the school year. Should the recipient of the award not meet these requirements, there will be a substitute Award of € 2.500,-. The award will be granted annually and is available for the first campus year at The Edge.

Announcement of the award-winner is scheduled for June 2004, the winning essay will be published in “Het Financieele Dagblad” (in Dutch) within two months of the announcement of the jury’s decision. Essays receiving honourable mentions may also be published. This decision rests with The Edge and Het Financieele Dagblad.

The award is granted to the best essay; as judged by an independent jury.

The jury has the ) right not to grant the award in the event of poor quality entries; in which case the jury will award a scholarship to a student from an economically disadvantaged country.

3. Selecting and Judging

The jury consists of the following people:

Yolanda Eijgenstein, entrepreneur, business woman of the year 1997, chair Fair Trade, teacher.

 Wessel Ganzevoort, Professor at the University of Amsterdam, management consultant.

 Albert Heijn, former CEO of Ahold.

Twan van de Kerkhof, director of the European Leadership Platform and chairman of the Foundation for European Leadership. 

If necessary, the jury may be assisted by members of The Edge staff in creating a shortlist from which the judges will make their final decision.

The jury will decide the winner of the Award, and retains the option to give honourable mentions. Recipients of these awards will have the right, in any publication, to mention that they are ‘Winner of The Edge Leadership Awareness Essay Award 2004’ or have received an ‘Honourable Mention for The Edge Leadership Awareness Essay Award 2004’.

The jury will choose the winner and/or honourable mentions from the essays presented in one or more jury-rounds. The jury’s decision is final and cannot be contested and/or changed.

4. Selection criteria

The jury will apply the following criteria in the selection procedure:

Clarity of the idea/line of thought presented

Originality

 Personal involvement of the author

Practical potential of the idea/line of thought

5. Entry

The competition is open for individuals up to the maximum age of 30. The Edge is especially interested in hearing from University or College students.

Persons not allowed to enter are:

- Members (and their relatives) of the jury and anyone having any kind of working relationship with any member ofthis committee

- Employees (and their relatives) of the Edge and associated companies or organisations

Up until the final choice of the winner is made, all entrants will remain anonymous to the jury. Any entrants who disclose their identity to the jury will be excluded from further participation.

Essays should not in any way identify the entrant. The name and the address of the entrant should be indicated separately on a cover page that can be removed before essays are presented to the jury.

By entering, the entrant states that the essay is his or her own work, that it is new and has never been published before.

Entries can be send to:

Officemanager@theedge.nu or to

The Jury of the Leadership Awareness Essay Award 2004

c/o Altena 6, 2641 LB Pijnacker, The Netherlands

By entering, the entrant states that he or she agrees to these rules and regulations.

6. Copyright

None of the participants can claim any rights on the publishing of their entry by The Edge.

During the period in time that the jury or The Edge has the essays in their possession, entrants may not grant third parties any rights on those essays.

After the jury announces the winner, The Edge has the right to publish the essay without having to pay the entrant for this and without having to receive permission from the entrant. Entrants who have not been awarded a prize or honourable mention can request that their essays are not published.

7. Presenting and Publishing

The Edge reserves the right to choose the way the award is presented. The program will indicate how, when and where; the decision of the jury will be announced at the presentation ceremony.

The Edge will publish the results in the appropriate media, and for that purpose has the right to use any material created for the award.