A ground-up movement training the next generation in Prosperity Development

Introduction

PCI Prosperity Analysis Writing Competition 2022

Prosperity of the Commons International (PCI) takes a human-focused,  data-driven approach to regional development and economic activity that is focused on the optimization of human prosperity. Our mission is to transform capitalism and the management and utilization of common natural resources to maximize individual and community prosperity while ensuring long-term ecological sustainability, successful economic expansion, and just and equitable wealth creation. "Prosperity" is a human-centric concept that refers to the holistic value of the collective human and natural commons, of which sustainably managed natural resources are a fundamental component. We are working toward a world in which human and capital systems generate moral outcomes that optimize prosperity and security in harmony with socio-ecological sustainability for current and future generations.

To accomplish our mission, we are creating a global movement to make this prosperity-centric highest order goal of any development effort a consideration in all finance, economic, and conservation activity. To support this movement, we are launching PCI Prosperity Prize writing competitions around the world for students, stakeholders, community members, and professionals to generate case studies that analyze the impacts of recent and ongoing regional development efforts.  We are especially interested in outcomes related to public goods and services or the use, management, and ownership of the natural commons. These competitions seek to create an enabling and productive discourse amongst youth, scholars, and civil society about the challenges towards achieving equitable and sustainable development.

Through this competition, we are asking a respondent or team of respondents to critically review the impact and effectiveness of local, regional, or global development projects completed in the last 10 years or that are currently ongoing. For example, the project may be focused on blue, green, ESG, DE&I, UNSDG, Circular Economy, or other investment or development approaches in relation to infrastructure or common goods. This includes private, public, and public-private investments and projects. Each respondent should address the impact of the project.  You may consider, among other things: What are the impacts on labor? Do development projects truly increase or decrease the economic equity and prosperity of the people affected? Are there appropriate governance systems in place to ensure development projects are managed to maximize human prosperity over the long term? What is the economic and environmental sustainability of the effort and does it generate a dynamic and scalable socio-ecological sustainability?  Essentially, what has been achieved, at what cost, and for the benefit of whom?

Analyses will be submitted to Prosperity of the Commons International. PCI will have the exclusive right to publish the analyses with credit to the authors and to showcase the analyses received in PCI outreach and education materials. PCI will use the analyses to educate our partner organizations on the impacts of the current development paradigm and in our marketing efforts for the global movement toward prosperity-centric development.

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Regions

PCI is launching the first Prosperity Prize writing competition across two regions:

1. Global South

2. Global North

These regions have unique development histories yet are similar in that economic and regional development has often led to the extraction of wealth from local communities. The PCI Prosperity Prize encourages individuals and teams to reflect critically on the results of development in their regions.

Guidelines

Eligibility

There are three age groups of eligible entrants: 18 years old and under, 19-24 years old, and 25 years old and older. For each age group, both individuals and teams may apply to the competition.

Essay Requirements

• Submissions in English are preferred, but Spanish, French, and Portuguese are accepted.

• Essays must be completely original. Plagiarism or the use of previously published material will result in disqualification.

• Between 2500 – 3000 words for the 18 and under and 19-24 groups and between 3500 - 4000 words for the 25 and older group.

• Minimum of 20 references for the 18 and under and 19-24 groups and a minimum of 40 references for the 25 and older group.

• Times New Roman, 12 points; 1.5 line spacing

• Harvard style formatting

• Please include a cover page on your submission with your full name(s), location, institution/employment organization if you are working, role, course of study if you are a student, level of education, contact details, any outside parties you received crucial advice from in writing your essay (please give their names and affiliations as well), and the level of the competition to which you are applying.

Prosperity Analysis

Individuals and teams should address all aspects of the following guidelines to the best of their ability.

1. Describe a development effort that was completed in the last 10 years or that is happening now.

   • Describe the region in which the development project is/was active, including geography and demographics.

   • Describe the project’s intended purpose and whether its impact focus is human, environment, infrastructure, other, or some combination.

   • Identify the main individuals or groups of people involved. This could be people, companies, cities, regional governments, non-profit organizations, and more.

2. Describe the actual impact of the development effort, whether it achieved/is achieving its intended goals or not, and whether it had a positive or negative impact on the following:

   • labor conditions in the area

   • Individuals’ and families’ financial and physical health and their access to basic resources

   • the quality of basic community infrastructure and public goods (e.g. water treatment, energy production, waste disposal, etc.)

   • the natural environment, including the environment beyond the intended primary impact, if data is available

   • the community's capacity for self-determination and governance

3. Describe whether the project increased or decreased the productive output of the human and natural commons.

4. Describe the wealth generated by the development and who owns that wealth.

   • Where did the wealth that was generated go?

   • Specifically address whether ownership of natural resources, basic infrastructure, and major wealth-generating assets were privatized and/or extracted.

   • Who has legal ownership of the project?

5. Describe whether the project increased or decreased the community’s access to common goods and resources.

6. Summarize the above findings and review their impact on the prosperity of the impacted community at the individual as well as long term community level.

Review Criteria

Essays will be reviewed on the following considerations:

• Clarity of the description and analysis of the development effort

• Critical and fact-based analysis of the development effort and its ongoing effects, including intended and unintended impacts, both positive and negative

• Clarity of the description of the wealth created by the development effort and the ownership of that wealth

• Effective use of multiple sources and types of data and related research

• Quality of the writing (including in-text citations and complete reference list)

All submissions will be reviewed based on the above criteria. The five top essays will be chosen as finalists in each competition age group. The finalists will receive feedback on their essays from the competition examiners and have an opportunity to improve and resubmit their essays. The examiners will then select the winners in each age group. All evaluation decisions are final and based on the opinions of the examiners.

Deadline – October 15, 2022

No late or incomplete submissions will be considered.

Prizes

In each competition category prizes will be awarded to the winning individuals or teams by age group at the time of submission.

Winners will also have their essays showcased on the PCI website, in our partner education material, and in our marketing efforts for the global movement toward prosperity-centric development.

Partners

PCI is partnering with organizations to distribute the Prosperity Prize. Our partners include:

Public Presentations

We publish all of our public talks on the Prosperity Prize so that everyone making a submission has the important guidance they need to submit an excellent essay. If you would like us to give a public presentation on the Prize to your community, please contact us.
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Past Presentations

1. Partners of the Americas Presentation - April 8, 2022

2. IMUNA Presentation - May 18, 2022

Sign Up

Fill out the form below to join the Prize Competition. You will receive an email on more detailed instructions for submitting your essay as well as regular updates on the Competition.

When you are ready to submit your essay, please email your submission to pciprize@prosperityofthecommons.org.
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Future Competitions

Future PCI Prize competitions will go beyond encouraging critical analyses of development to encouraging proposals for prosperity-centric development that maximizes individual and community prosperity while ensuring long-term ecological sustainability, successful economic expansion, and just and equitable wealth creation. Future Prizes will lead to the opportunity for investment and support for high potential development proposals.

Contact

If you have questions about the Prosperity Prize or would like to partner to distribute the Prize, please email us at pciprize@prosperityofthecommons.org. To ensure fairness, all questions about the Prosperity Analysis guidelines, the Evaluation criteria, or any questions seeking advice on writing an excellent essay will be shared with everyone who joins the competition. Only ask questions the answers to which you are willing to have shared with all applicants.