The Royal Commonwealth Society has launched The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition 2017, focusing on the theme of A Commonwealth for Peace. The launch coincides with the United Nations' International Day of Peace. Building upon the 2016 theme of An Inclusive Commonwealth, this year's topics will ask young people to explore a deeper understanding of the meaning of peace and the role of the Commonwealth as a network of and for democracy, human rights and peace. Sponsored by Cambridge University Press, this competition aims to challenge young people's thinking and the means by which they can express their views, using creative forms of writing such as essays, poems, stories or scripts. Judges described entries to the 2016 competition as imaginative, inspirational, ambitious and profound. The competition is open to all citizens and residents of the Commonwealth aged 18 and under and opens today until May 1, 2017. A winner and runner-up from both the senior and junior categories will win a trip to london for a week-long series of educational and cultural events.