IHL YAC Art and Essay Competition

With more than 100 armed conflicts currently raging around the world in places like Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, Yemen, and beyond, the role of IHL in helping to reduce suffering during wartime remains center stage in the global conscience.

For more than a century, IHL has played a central role in helping preserve humanity during our darkest hours. Public awareness, appreciation, and support for these laws is equally vital. It is in this spirit that we annually host our IHL Youth Essay and Art Competition.

This competition is a key part of our youth outreach efforts, empowering young professionals from inside and outside the American Red Cross to help highlight the importance of these laws in protecting humanity.

2025 IHL YAC Art & Essay Competition

Submissions will be accepted from Wednesday, October 1, 2025 through Monday, December 1, 2025.

The competition is open U.S. citizens and foreign nationals residing in the U.S., overseas U.S. military bases or U.S. territories. Art and Essay entries will be accepted from student categories including Junior High, High School, Undergraduate and Law/Graduate School.

read the 2025 competition flyer

read the 2025 competition guidelines

2024 IHL Youth Action Campaign Art & Essay Magazine

This year, entrants were asked to shape their work around the theme of “Nuclear Weapons and Armed Conflict,” which has been the centerpiece of our global IHL Youth Action Campaign (YAC).

The entries in this magazine reflect the talent and dedication of young professionals in educating others about the importance of IHL today and in the future. We are excited to share their work widely and celebrate the hard work that went into each entry

See the 2024 Top Entries

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2023 IHL Youth Action Campaign Art & Essay Magazine

This year, applicants were asked to reflect upon the theme of “Protection of the Environment During Armed Conflict, ” a topic that has an impact with ripple effects across the globe.

When armed conflict erupts, the environment is all too often a victim of the violence, with devastating effects on food and water supplies, animal species, and the climate.

See the 2023 Top Entries

2022 IHL Youth Action Campaign Art & Essay Magazine

This year, applicants were asked to reflect upon the theme of “Protection of Cultural Property,” a topic that has a profound impact on peoples of all cultures and backgrounds. When armed conflict erupts, cultural property is all too often caught in the crosshairs, endangering the very fabric a peoples’ cultural identity.

We received more than 100 entries from applicants who stepped up and answered the call to make their voices heard on this critical issue.

See the 2022 Top Entries