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Muzoon Almellehan: "In the middle of the darkness, learning gives you light"
"How am I supposed to vote if I don't even know what I'm voting for?"
"How am I supposed to vote if I don't even know what I'm voting for?" This is what an 18-year-old friend of mine answered when I asked if she was going to vote for the EU Parliament. Having studied law since my freshman year in high school I had never faced the challenge of studying and understanding the complexity of the Italian politic system, so you can imagine my surprise in hearing those words. I had never thought of how hard the choice between political parties could be when you don't know what a political party is or does. And just like me, most governments in the world seem to be...
Making schools healthier for our children
From fall through spring, school is a full-time job for most children in the U.S. Every day, kids wake up early and get ready for school, rarely realizing that they are preparing to be the next generation that will write our laws and run our businesses — hopefully with an eye toward ultimately improving the environment for the better. With so much relying on how students do while attending school, you might expect the investment into school safety standards to be high. Unfortunately, not all schools offer students the same opportunities for a successful education. In order for children to be...
Thank you
Teachers and counselors are so important. My home life was pretty dysfunctional and at times violent and abusive for most of the time I was in elementary to high school. It was pretty scary and severely damaged my mental health. But school was the one place besides some friends and church, that I felt safe. It was the one place I could go to every day (albiet too early in the morning) that I didn't have to take care of everything. Where hopefully, the adults were obligated to act at least somewhat adult like. They were there for us. There was a structure. They wanted us to learn and some of...
There is something we can do
As a kid I was bullied. For a good few years. Sometimes it was because of my haircuts, sometimes about my glasses, but most of the time only because they were bored. For years I would find flaws in me and excuse people for their bullying...thinking somehow I deserved it. But as I changed, their behaviour didn't and I stopped blaming myself. I actually started to realise it wasn't about me. It was about them. But that period of time left a few marks that I try very hard to erase. It left a shattered self-confidence. It hurt even worse when female students were part of the bullying. Something I...
The measles of mankind
*This article was originally written and published in July 2016 at UNICEF Voices of Youth’s former website. It has since been moved here. I recently watched a documentary that explores how different nations tend to formulate our national identities around cultural products. “Whose is this Song?” by Adela Peeva is a comparative work about a wandering melody. A number of nations stake out claims on the song. The tune in question is known to me as “Üsküdar’a Gider İken.” I used to sing it in my school choir as a little child. Although it is hardly a building block for our culture, I was shocked...
How to get involved with UNICEF through your communities (Part 1/3)
Hello Voices of Youth! Did you know you are part of a global network of more than 180 countries? As members of Voices of Youth, we have a way to relay messages, dreams, conversations, and dialogues with peers around the world. In 1995, Voices of Youth began as way to relay messages from children in 81 countries to world leaders at the World Summit for Social Development. Today in 2019, it is so much more. Recently, I chatted with a delegate from UNICEF USA's National Council (the High School and Campus Initiative), who had no idea that this platform was available, connecting young people from...
5 things we can do to reduce violence in our schools
How to get involved with UNICEF through your communities (Part 2/3)
As supporters of UNICEF, we have access to incredible resources at our fingertips. Below are a few action items that everyone can explore to get more involved with UNICEF in his or her community. Like you, I am just a regular citizen with an Internet connection, a passion for UNICEF's lifesaving work, and a commitment to support the cause. WHAT YOU CAN DO Beyond the cross-pollination and exchange of ideas online, there are many ways to get involved with UNICEF on the ground, no matter where you live: Learn First, you can read the organization's annual flagship publication, The State of the...
How to get involved with UNICEF through your communities (Part 3/3)
As supporters of UNICEF, we have access to incredible resources at our fingertips. Below are a few action items that everyone can explore to get more involved with UNICEF in his or her community. Like you, I am just a regular citizen with an Internet connection, a passion for UNICEF's lifesaving work, and a commitment to support the cause. WHAT YOU CAN DO (continued from Part 2 here) Beyond the cross-pollination and exchange of ideas online, there are many ways to get involved with UNICEF on the ground, no matter where you live: Fundraise Many UNICEF nations offer the opportunity to join an...
No one has to suffer violence
Bullying: 4 years later #EndViolence
4 years later, and I still believe that "Bullying is not LOL" and if you see it, you can stop it. When I was in high school, I was bullied, and it took me so much strength to get out of this cycle. Then I joined university to see that cycle repeats itself. It's like you spent your whole life building yourself, and then someone has the power to destroy this in one minute, in one sentence and one word. I have to admit that I was naive to believe that once high school was over, it would get better. But it didn't. And it probably won't. We may sometimes think that bullying among adults or in...
My experience at Ocean Heroes Bootcamp 2019
I live on Montserrat, the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean. Growing up surrounded by natural beauty, I realized how important ocean conservation really is. I was happy to be at this year's Ocean Heroes Bootcamp to collaborate and connect with other youth activists to learn what they are doing to protect the ocean and their local communities. The bootcamp empowers existing and emerging youth leaders to create their own campaigns to take action against ocean plastic pollution. It was so exciting to learn about ocean conservation with other young people who are just as passionate as me. In...
Why we should support girls' education
How can summer schools help atypical learners?
Call for peace and love
Youth of all nations, fuel of revolution and power of countries. Put peace in your souls and share it among people. Make life a better place for the weak and poor. Make our today a song for tomorrow's youth to sing. Never give up to the voice of the devil and light the fire in your homes. Remembering the youth who died in wars, is not a reason to fill your soul with violence, but to try to spread the peace. Don't listen to the call of devils who persuade you by violence and wars under words of religion or building new better countries. Don't be a word or letter in someone's agenda. Don't waste...
Did my grandfather and I attend the same school?
Tanzania: The land of opportunities
Born on April 1964, United Republic of Tanzania is the country located in East Africa. With more than 58.1 million people who constitute around 130 tribes, Tanzania has managed to remain in peace and united for 55 years. Peaceful conditions in Tanzania has made it to become one of the fastest growing economies in East Africa with a GDP increase by 6.8 % in the third quarter of 2018, compared to 5% increase in the same period in 2017. Peaceful conditions in Tanzania have contributed to a poverty rate decline from 34.4% in 2007 to 26.8% in 2016 In 2015 Tanzania had a free and fair election which...
The situation of teachers in Turkey
Hello everyone, I'm İdil and I live in Turkey. In my country I believe education is the most needed thing and there are a lot of campaigns to improve education. There are more than 3 three organizations which help girls’ education, there are organizations for the children who have lost their parents, there are also community centres which educate the public. A lot of people dedicate themselves to teach people and change the society in to a better way. I am really proud of these people; but there is a thing that I am not proud of (which is a shame for such a country with great citizens): the...