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1. Introduction 

At The 50 Percent, we believe young people are already shaping the communities, institutions and systems around them. On our website, we have a section called Latest News — a space to share stories, reflections and ideas that help us better understand and transform the world we live in. 

Whether you’re writing from personal experience, research or reflection, your voice has a place here. This guide will walk you through everything you need to turn your ideas into a post ready to submit to our platform. 

Once you submit your piece, our editorial team will review it carefully. Not every submission will be published, but every one will be read. If your piece is a good fit, we’ll be in touch, and we may suggest edits or share feedback to help strengthen your work before it goes live. 

2. Find your angle: 

A. What can you write about? You can approach your blog in different ways: 

B. Opinions: your perspective on current events, key topics or emerging debates 

C. On-the-ground stories: real-life experiences, events, community work or insights from practice 

D. Interviews: conversations with partners, experts or changemakers, presented in Q&A or narrative format 

E. Personal reflections: stories, journeys or moments that shaped how you see the world 

3. Before you start writing: Take a moment to reflect 

• What is the main idea of my blog? 

• Why does this matter? 

• What do I want the reader to take away? 

• Who am I writing for? 

Being clear on these questions will help you structure your thoughts and keep your writing focused.  

4. How to structure your blog

A. TitleKeep it short,clear and engaging. It should invite the reader in without giving everything away.

B. Opening paragraphYour first paragraph is the most important — it captures attention and sets the context. Try to answer the 5Ws early on:

• What is this about? 

• Who is involved? 

• Where is it happening? 

• When is it relevant? 

• Why does it matter? 

You don’t need to answer them mechanically, but the reader should quickly understand the context and importance of your story.

C. DevelopmentThis is where you build your argument or narrative. Start with your main idea, then expand it through:

• Personal experiences 

• Examples from real life 

• Reflections and insights 

• Data or references (if relevant) 

D. Conclusion Bring your ideas together — it doesn’t need to be long. You can: 

• Reflect on what this means 

• Ask a question 

• Invite the reader to think or act differently 

5. Style and length 

A. Length

• Aim for around 800 words. 

• Blogs are capped at 1,000 words — keep it focused and don’t feel the need to fill space. 

Voice and tone

• Write in the first person — use “I” and “we.” 

• Don’t be afraid to include your opinions and feelings. 

• Be human, be direct and be yourself. 

C. Clarity

• Avoid jargon. If you need to use technical or academic terms, explain them. 

• Keep sentences and paragraphs short. 

• Use subheadings to break up longer pieces. 

• Always judge clarity from the reader’s standpoint — if in doubt, simplify. 

D. Links and references

• Include hyperlinks to relevant studies, articles or initiatives rather than footnotes. 

• If you mention organisations, partners or researchers, name them — it adds credibility and helps readers find out more. 

A note on AI use:  

We understand that generative AI tools such as ChatGPT may be useful in helping organise your ideas. However, if using such tools, please ensure that the final product reflects your voice and style rather than generic text. If AI is used in the formulation of the article, please include a statement about which AI tools were used and for what purpose when you send your submission. 

Important: Opinion pieces do not represent the official views of The 50 Percent will always be accompanied by a disclaimer. 

 6. Submission

Please, send an on-line doc to our Communications Officer Ana Sofía Villa at asvilla@the50percent.org including the following information: 

• Your name and affiliation 

• Your social media handle (if applicable) 

• Headline (max 50 characters) 

• Your blog (800–1,000 words) 

• A brief bio (2–3 sentences) 

• Relevant keywords 

• Any images you’d like to include, with copyright or credit information 

When sending a Google Doc, please make sure it is set to “anyone with the link can comment” before submitting. 

Once we receive your submission, our editorial team will review it and may suggest edits directly in the document where needed. 

Thank you for your interest in contributing to the 50 Percent. We look forward to reading your work.