Human Rights Day 2006 Writing Contest

HUMAN RIGHTS AND POVERTY
Writing Contest for International Human Rights Day 2006
for Children and Youth (8-18 years old)

Guidelines and Contest Rules

Background

More than one in six people in the world live in poverty – that is, on less than $1 per day. But poverty is not only about having no money. It is also about not having the materials and resources to fulfill a person’s basic needs – it is about human rights.

Human Rights Day 2006 will focus on fighting poverty as a matter of obligation, not of charity.

Poverty is frequently a consequence as well as a cause of human rights abuses. Without access to such things as employment, basic healthcare, education and essentials like food, clothing and water, many poor people lack the means to change their lives for the better and are condemned to live a life of poverty.

Discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender or other reasons can prevent people from gaining adequate access to services and to participate in the political process in their country.

Although standards of living vary greatly among nations and within nations, the effects of poverty and denial of basic human rights remain constant: hunger, homelessness, little or no education and lack of basic resources.

Whenever men and women are condemned to live in poverty, human rights are violated.

-- Joseph Wrensinski

Eligibility

To enter the Human Rights and Poverty writing competition you must:

1) be between the ages of 8 – 18;
2) send your entry by email (see instructions below).

Topics

Poverty is frequently a consequence as well as a cause of human rights abuses. Choose one of the following two topics to write about:

1. Pick one article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and use an example from real-life to illustrate how the violation of this right is a consequence of living in poverty. Include any suggestions you may have on how poverty can be reduced so that this right is not violated; Or,

2.Pick one article from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and use an example from real-life to illustrate how the violation of this right can cause poverty. Include any suggestions you may have on what can be done to protect this right so that it does not lead to poverty.

Entries should be one page only (maximum 800 words).

Entries can be written in English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese or Arabic. Articles not written in one of these languages will not be judged.

Evaluation of Entries

Entries will be judged on:

• writing style
• originality
• how well you answered the question listed above

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 Commonwealth of Independent States,
6) Africa.

One winning entry will be chosen in each of the following age groups in each region:

1) 8-12 year olds
2) 13-15 year olds
3) 16-18 year olds

Prize

Each winner will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, together with a prize pack. All winning entries will be published on the UN Cyberschoolbus website.

Deadline

Entries for the Human Rights and Poverty Writing Contest 2006 must be received by email no later than International Human Rights Day, 10 December 2006.
Winners will be required to provide proof of their date of birth.

How to submit your entry

The following items must be submitted to enter the contest:

1. Full Name, Home Address (in case we need to mail something to you), email address, and date of birth.
2. One essay (not more than 800 words) on one of the two topics described above.

Please note that the essay you submit for this contest becomes the property of the UN Cyberschoolbus and cannot be returned.

EMAIL your submission to: cyberschoolbus@un.org
(Please put “Human Rights Day 2006” in the subject header.)