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Purpose
and description:
Mr.
Irving
Sarnoff,
Founder,
Friends
of
the
United
Nations |
The first
Youth for
Human Rights
International
project
was done
in coordination
with Irving
Sarnoff,
Founder
and Director
of Friends
of the
United
Nations.
It was
held in
conjunction
with the
2001 European
Marathon
for Human
Rights,
which was
coordinated
by the Church
of Scientology and
the International
Foundation
for Human
Rights
and Tolerance.
A Youth
Essay Writing
Contest
was held
in support
of the
United
Nations
Decade
for Human
Rights
Education,
aimed at
youth aged
8-18.
The topic
was “What
do Human
Rights
mean to
me?” Mr.
Sarnoff
was the
final judge
of the
essays.
The winners
from each
country
were announced
at events
in the
8 countries
the 2001
European
Marathon
for Human
Rights
travelled
through.
The three
finalists
of the
contest
were awarded
a trip
to Geneva,
the European
home of
the United
Nations
and the
European
Office
of the
High Commissioner
for Human
Rights,
to receive
their awards
on October
11, 2001.
Results:
 Essays
came in
from across
Europe.
Children
wrote about
what they
have personally
seen and
heard,
depicting
their innocence
but at
the same
time their
mature
awareness
of unjust
realities.
The project
made a
significant
contribution
to educating
future
generations
about the
rights
contained
in the United
Nation's
Universal
Declaration
of Human
Rights.
What
the entrants
said:
These
are quotes
from some
of the
essays
written
by children
in the
first Youth
for Human
Rights
International
essay contest:
“Before
I had read
the Declaration,
my opinion
on human
rights
was very
abstracted
but thanks
to this
school
work and
my Internet
connection
I can say
that human
rights
will become
a very
important
part of
my future
interests.”
- Petr Bolina (age: 17) Czech Republic
“Discrimination
of any
sort is
not born
in the
children's
hearts.
I appeal
to the
good sense
of the
adults
to let
human rights
prevail.”
- Daniel Rupp (age:15) Austria
“If
all people
would really
go for
human rights,
we would
win against
the bad
and I'm
sure, we
would have
peace not
war.”
- Manuel Lussi - Switzerland
 “If
I didn't
have human
rights
then I
wouldn't
be able
to decide
my own
future
and career,
and therefore
probably
won't be
happy creating,
doing art
such as
singing,
acting,
dancing
and all
the other
things
I love!”
- Sinead Cook (age: 14) England
“For
what does
the idea
of human
rights
mean? What
do they
stand for?
...In one
word, they
mean tolerance.”
“Therefore I feel free to draw the
conclusion that The Declaration of Human
Rights stands for humanity's only chance
for peace. For there's no peace without acceptance
of rightfulness of the other side's existence
'as it is,' although this might be different
than what you might consider as the ‘right
way of living.’”
- Boris Karpa (age: 12) Israel
“Human
Rights
are harmed
in many
countries.
People
are not
happy there.
I hope
that you
are free
and happy.
Good freedom
for you.”
- Stefanek Gabor (age: 10) Hungary
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