For many Pakistani-Australians, especially those born or brought up here in Australia, Urdu is a language that is heard and spoken but not written and read. This is a tragedy. Familiarity with Urdu connects us to our roots and is a way of maintaining contact with our rich Urdu literature and the precious work of philosophers like Dr. Allama Iqbal.

It is a fact that writing an essay forces a writer to think clearly and deeply about the subject matter.
It requires the person to come up with convincing arguments for their position and to articulate them well on paper. So by writing for this contest, a young person would have to really think about and convince him or herself of the merits of keeping Urdu alive in Australia, where English is the lingua franca. By coming up with their own strong arguments, young writers could be encouraged to revive Urdu in their own lives.

This essay competition is one of the Pakistan Cultural Association's many initiatives.
Reward = $150.00 AUD & the possibility of getting it published in local newspaper.
Topic = "Why Pakistani-Australians must keep Urdu alive".
Age Limit: 14 - 24 years old. (One entry per person. Australian Residents only)
Entries Close: 24 September 2008
Word Limit: Maximum 1000 words.
Address: Pakistan Cultural Association, P.O. Box 7252 Canberra B.C. ACT 2610, Australia.

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