The winners are Bianca Brijnath (Australia), Rebecca Lacroix (Sweden), Annia Martínez Massip (Cuba), Aina Palou Serra (Spain), Aakanksha Pande (India), Christian F. Rueda-Clausen (Colombia), Okezie Uba-Mgbenena (Nigeria) and Rafael Van den Bergh (Belgium).

Forty-one essays were shortlisted and will be published in an anthology to be launched at Forum 2009, the Global Forum's meeting on the same theme that will take place in Havana, Cuba, from 16 to 20 November.

For their prize, the winners will take part in Forum 2009 so as to put forward the opinions and experience of young researchers to the gathering. Between 800 and 1000 participants from all parts of the world are expected in Havana, representing policy-makers, academia, multinational organizations, civil society, the private sector and the media. The number of essays entered for the competition continues to grow: about 25% more entries were received this year than in 2008, almost equally from men and women. Out of the 415 entries, 14 were in French, 78 in Spanish and 323 in English. The essays came from young people of 75 nationalities.