STAND UP Writing Contest

STAND UP
Writing Contest 2006
for Children and Youth (8-18 years old)

Guidelines and Entry Form

STAND UP and be counted in the fight against poverty! Do you enjoy writing or organizing campaigns in your school/community? You may eligible to enter a contest sponsored by the UN Cyberschoolbus and the Millennium Campaign. Prizes include packs of white bands you can distribute at a STAND UP event in your school or community, a STAND UP poster and the chance to see your work on the UN Cyberschoolbus web site. See eligibility requirements below.

Background

What is STAND UP Against Poverty?

Over 24 hours, from 10AM October 15th through 10AM October 16th (GMT), the United Nations Millennium Campaign and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty are asking people to physically STAND UP, around the world, and mobilize against poverty -- to remind governments of their promise to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). People all over the globe, from villagers in Pakistan to students in Latin America and office workers in New Zealand, will be part of this global movement. Guinness Book of World Records is partnering to make the STAND UP challenge an official World Record for the greatest number of people to stand up for a given cause. For more information, visit http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/standup

What are the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?

At the United Nations Millennium Summit in 2000, 189 Heads of State and Governments pledged to work together to make a better world for all by 2015. On behalf of their people, they signed the Millennium Declaration which promises to free men, women and children from the dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty and make the right to development a reality for everyone! Eight Millennium Development Goals were adopted, committing rich and poor countries to work together in a global partnership to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, ensure that all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve the health of mothers and children, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, and protect the environment -- all by 2015.

		Eligibility
		To enter into the Youth writing competition you must: 1) be between the ages of 8 – 18; 2) send your entry by email (see instructions below).
		Rules
		To enter the contest you must do one of the following choices: 1. Write 2 paragraphs (250-800 words) on how you could get people to STAND UP against poverty, in your school. OR 2. Pick one Millennium Development Goal and write a short story, poem, or essay (not more than 1000 words) that focuses on why it is important to young people's lives. Entries must be written in one of the six official languages of the UN: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, or Spanish. Articles not written in these languages will not be judged. Visit these websites to learn more about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): MDG Youth Site Young People's Stories Millennium Campaign MDG Fact Sheet United Nations MDG site
		Evaluation of Entries
		Entries will be judged on: • writing style • originality
		Prize
		Three winning entries will be chosen from each of the following regions: 1) Latin America and the Caribbean, 2) Arab States, 3) Asia and the Pacific, 4) North America, 5) Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and 6)Africa. One winning entry will be chosen in each of the following age groups: 1) 8-11 year olds, 2) 12-14 year olds and 3) 15-18 year olds in each region. Winners will be required to provide proof of their date of birth. Each winner will receive STAND UP Prize Pack including 25 white bands, a stand up poster, a youth kit with tips on how to start a campaign in your school or community. Winning entries will be published on the UN Cyberschoolbus.
		Deadline
		Entries for the STAND UP Writing Contest 2006 must be received by email no later than 8 October, 2006.
		How to submit your entry
		Please include the following items when you submit your entry: 1. Full Name, Home Address (in case we need to mail something to you), email address (if you have one), and date of birth. 2. Two paragraphs on how you could get people to STAND UP against poverty OR a poem, short story, or essay on one of the MDGs. Please note that the work you submit for this contest will become the property of the UN Cyberschoolbus and cannot be returned. EMAIL your submission to: cyberschoolbus@un.org (Please put “STAND UP Writing Contest” in the subject header.)