Vietnam's 44th UPU International Letter Writing Competition in Nghe An

In order to help students gain more knowledge to write a correct and good contest entry, Thieu Nien Tien Phong Newspaper offers some suggestions on the topic and techniques of expressing the letter. You are the author of the letter, so you must be proactive in presenting your thoughts and feelings and try to express the issue in the most convincing way. Therefore, the following suggestions are for your reference only, and you should avoid mechanical copying.

A. TECHNICALLY:

• The letter is written in prose, the more genuine and emotional the better. In that letter, you can discuss or express your wishes about the beautiful world model for you to live and develop in.

• Since it is a letter, of course it must have a recipient. You can choose the recipient (parents, siblings, friends, idols, leaders, etc.), as long as that recipient creates real emotions when you write the letter.

• You must pay close attention to your writing style, it needs to be clear, coherent and emotional. If the letter has many vivid images or reasonable comparisons, it will be more attractive and appealing.

• You should avoid cliché writing, dry presentation of material, or general slogans that do not come from real emotions.

• Don't write more than 800 words, or you'll be eliminated and it's a waste of time.

• You should carefully read the award-winning letters at home and abroad (which will be printed in the Young Pioneer Newspaper) to learn and gain experience.

B. IN TERMS OF CONTENT:

• The theme of the UPU – 44 competition requires students to write a letter to talk about the world they wish they could live in and grow up in. This is a good topic with a lot of openness, but if you want to have a valuable letter, you need to pay attention to research and think carefully before writing.

1. What is the world?"World"is a noun used to refer to the entire surface of the earth - where all human beings live, work, and study. Thus, it can be understood that the world includes all material things (cities, mountains, rivers, seas, houses, etc.) and economy, culture, morality, and spirit (ethnic customs, cultural level, behavioral style, etc.). The world includes everything that has been, is, and will be on the earth we live on.

1. Why talk about the world you want?Like billions of children of all ethnicities and skin colors in the world, I am fortunate to be born and will grow up, study and mature in this world. And to be able to develop in the best and most sustainable way, children need the most favorable conditions in all aspects: economy, culture, environment, peace and friendship. In the song“World Children's Festival”, musician Luu Huu Phuoc wrote: “Yellow, black, white – skin color does not divide our hearts. War does not prevent us from sharing our love. Shackles or chains do not prevent us from wishing for a bright day to celebrate peace together…”.
   Surely, every child dreams of having a better world so that they can grow up peacefully, happily and mature in the right direction.
2. What kind of world do you want?

• ​Starting from a small world is the family, with grandparents, parents and siblings. Surely every child dreams of having a happy family, everyone loves and respects each other. In terms of economy, there also needs to be relatively adequate preparation, so that everyone has food to eat, clothes to wear, can work and study.

• A little bit broader, the world I want is spacious, clean schools with friendly teachers and friends. There, I can learn knowledge, learn how to be a human so that in the future I can become an engineer, doctor, researcher...

• My school will be located in a province, a city and a country. If those are places with a clean, green environment, modern infrastructure, and a civilized lifestyle, that would be wonderful.

• All countries will be combined into a world of humanity. A good world must have all the elements: modern, civilized, clean environment, people always know how to love - share and help each other, no war - hatred. In the song "I am like a white dove", musician Tran Ngoc wrote very well: "I wish that on earth fragrant flowers bloom all four seasons. I wish that on earth every person, like me here, is a white bird, a bird of peace. Live to love and keep the green earth beautiful".

Nowadays, in many places around the world, there are still many children who cannot go to school, have to work hard, and even die or are injured because of war. Therefore, people still have to strive a lot to have a truly beautiful world. Of course, to have that dream world, everyone must join hands to build it. Even children, with the spirit of "young people do small things", they also contribute to building a better world by studying hard, working hard, practicing good ethics and health, and actively participating in environmental protection activities...

A. ORGANIZING UNIT:

Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Education and Training, Vietnam Post Corporation, Young Pioneer Newspaper.

B. PURPOSE - MEANING:

Every year, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) organizes an international letter-writing competition for children, aiming to:

- Contribute to developing children's writing skills and creative thinking.

- Create conditions to strengthen friendship between ethnic groups among the young generation.

- Help children understand more about the role of the Postal industry in life and social development.

C. RULES:

1. Subject:

All Vietnamese children and students aged 15 and under (grades 5 to 10, school year 2014-2015) are eligible to participate.

2. Exam regulations:

- The test is a letter written in prose form (not yet published in a newspaper or book), no longer than 800 words.

- Articles in English or French (must have a Vietnamese translation) must be submitted. The Jury will evaluate the Vietnamese version.

- The essay must be clear, clean, and handwritten on one side of the paper (computer-typed or photocopied essays are not valid). In the upper left corner, write in full: Full name, date of birth, ethnicity, school address, class, district (town), province (city) or home address.

*Entries must be put in a stamped envelope, clearly stating the sender's address/receiver's address with the postal code (112815) and sent individually (regular mail) via the Post Office. In addition, it must be clearly stated: Contest UPU 44-2015.

3. Place to receive the exam: Thieu Nien Tien Phong Newspaper, No. 5, Hoa Ma, Hanoi - 112815

4. Time: From October 9, 2014 to March 8, 2015 (according to the postmark).

5. Note:

- Copyright of winning entries belongs to the Organizing Committee.

- Number: 112815 is the postal code of Thieu Nien Tien Phong Newspaper.

- Entries that do not include all of the above information will be disqualified.

D. PRIZES:

1. National Award:

- Candidates who win official prizes will be recognized as National Excellent Students in the corresponding Literature subject and will receive extra points when considering transferring to another level.

- The first and second prize winners were awarded the "Creative Youth" badge by the Central Youth Union.

- The Organizing Committee will support travel and accommodation expenses for the First, Second and Third prize winners (with two relatives: parents and school) to Hanoi to attend the Closing Ceremony and Award Ceremony.

Individual award:

- 1 First prize: 5,000,000 VND; 3 Second prizes, each: 3,000,000 VND; 5 Third prizes, each: 2,000,000 VND; 30 Consolation prizes, each: 1,000,000 VND.

In addition, there are additional prizes for the finalists: Prize for the youngest contestant: 1,000,000 VND; Prize for contestants from ethnic minorities: 1,000,000 VND; Prize for contestants with disabilities: 1,000,000 VND.

Collective solution:

The Minister of Information and Communications awarded Certificates of Merit to schools with students winning First, Second, Third prizes and units with good movements.2. International Awards:

The winning letter of the First Prize in Vietnam will be sent by the Organizing Committee in its entirety along with an English or French translation to participate in the International competition. If winning, the following prizes will be awarded:

- First Prize: 30 million VND; Second Prize: 20 million VND; Third Prize: 15 million VND; Encouragement Prize: 10 million VND.

The Ministry of Education and Training will award Certificates of Merit to the winners of the First, Second and Third International Prizes. The Organizing Committee will propose to the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union to propose appropriate forms of rewards. The UPU will organize the awarding of the First International Prize to the winners at its Headquarters in Bern (Switzerland).

E. ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:

Head of the Committee: Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hung - Deputy Minister of Information and Communications.

Deputy Head:

- Mr. Vu Quang Vinh, Editor-in-Chief of Young Pioneer Newspaper.

- Mr. Trieu Minh Long, Deputy Director of International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Information and Communications.

- Mr. Nguyen Quoc Vinh, Deputy General Director - Vietnam Post Corporation.

- Mr. Duong Van Ba, Deputy Director of Student Affairs Department - Ministry of Education and Training.

And 7 members.

F. JURY:

Head of the Committee: Writer Nguyen Tri Huan, Vice President of Vietnam Writers Association.

Deputy Head: Screenwriter Vu Quang Vinh, Editor-in-Chief of TNTP newspaper.

Members:

Journalist Pham Thanh Long, writer Le Phuong Lien, poet Nguyen Duc Quang, poet Phan Thi Thanh Nhan, writer Ta Duy Anh, journalist Nguyen Doan, writer Phong Diep, teacher Tran Thi Kim Dung.

The Organizing Committee requests that all levels and sectors coordinate, direct and guide units, schools and students to participate in the contest with the highest quality and quantity.