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Deep Questions,
Bold Work,
Real Change
Join Now!
The Beyonds Challenge is your opportunity to help shape the world of tomorrow. No matter who you are or what you do, this challenge invites you to give your own meaning to key global questions using your own tools and expertise. Whether you're an artist, a poet, an academic, a student, a designer, a chef, or simply someone who holds part of the answer to building a better future, join the Beyond Challenges. Don’t miss the chance to influence the future of the United Nations and our world.

What's the Buzz?
In nature, the shared edges of two or more distinct habitats and ecosystems, such as land and water, or forest and grasslands, host the widest and richest variety of living species and biodiversity.
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This phenomenon is called the Edge Effect.
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We believe that when it comes to solving and reflecting on global issues, real change, true creativity, and innovation lay at the intersection of disciplines and human experiences. This reasoning is at the core of the Beyonds Challenge, an ambitious opportunity designed to inspire and mobilize innovative ideas to address and tackle unexplored critical global questions.
Join the Movement and
Craft the Beyonds
Within our work at the United Nations, years of conversations, workshops, talks, and collaborations have led us to identify four key themes, four shifts we believe are essential to truly build a better world for people and planet: Regeneration; Constructive Hope; Debt to the Future; and The Great Unknows. We call them the Beyonds. These Beyonds point to what lies beyond the status quo. They sketch out the outlines of a future not yet written, beyond crisis narratives, beyond resignation, beyond short-term thinking. They are about imagining and building a world that works not just for those alive today, but for generations to come. They are our compass of hope.
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We want to know: what do these Beyonds mean to you?
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We’re calling on thinkers, creators, doers, and dreamers from all walks of life to respond to one (or more) of the four Beyonds through a concrete piece of work. It could be a concept, a design, a prototype, a manifesto, a method, a recipe, a short film, a sculpture, a poem, a business plan, whatever your medium is, show us how your mind and craft can bring a Beyond to life.​​
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For example, how would an architect design spaces that exude hope? How would a chef express regeneration through food? How would a data analyst calculate our debt to the future? How would a writer tell stories that help us navigate uncertainty?
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Do not miss out on the opportunity of shaping the next sustainability agenda!
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Here's What You
Need to Know to Apply
Open for Submissions
4th May 2025
Submission Deadline
31st August 2025
Winners Announcement
September 2025
Submission Format
Submit your original interpretation of one or more of the four beyonds under one of the five categories:
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1. Video content (i.e. short movies; recorded performances)
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2. Written content (i.e. essays; project proposals; scripts)
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3. Audio content (i.e. songs; narrated stories)
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4. Physical Objects and Artifacts (i.e. paintings, sculptures, 3D models)
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5. Other (in case of other formats, participants are invited to contact beyondlab@un.org)
Submission Guidelines Checklist​
You are kindly requested to submit your ideas according to the below requirements:
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1) Video content
· Duration Limit: 30 minutes, including credits
· Format: MP4, MOV, or a secure link (i.e. YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive) with download permissions
· Size limit: 1 GB
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2) Written content
· Length Limit: 2000 word
· Format: PDF
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​3) Audio content
· Duration Limit: 10 minutes
· Size limit: 100 MB​​
​4) For Physical Objects and Artifacts
· Submit high-resolution picture with a 1-page maximum explanation
· Written explanation format: PDF
· Picture format: JPEG, PNG, or PDF
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5) Others
For any additional category or submission requirements, kindly reach out to our team at beyondlab@un.org, including as email subject "Beyonds Challenge - Other Format Inquiry" .
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A UN Beyond Lab Project
in partnership with