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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...
Every child should have the opportunity to experience culture
Ocean of burqas
Wrapped in a burqa silently in the corner of a decrepit bus, I embrace the nostalgic tune that begins my daydream. The tune creates images of the sea and its powerful stream. I think of how the waves extend outward to protect us. An ocean of burqas on board beguiling ships, Singing their hearts out to the fearless seas. Underneath the burqas, the expression of joy, And jubilation that comes with the tune eventually slips. A bolt of lightning slams the starboard side. My dream fades away, here comes the stormy sea. Cursing, a calloused hand viciously pulls at me, He is horrifying, as strong as...
That's my family
I love my family. I got to see some of my relatives today from my mom and it was very lovely. They are people so they're not all just good or bad. But they are kind. They are selfless. They take care of each other. My family couldn't always afford to go to school or have their own clothes or nice houses or sometimes any house to live in. Or shower frequently or have good medicine or buy makeup. Or have nice paper to write on or envelopes to send. Or much to eat sometimes. They may talk different, you would too if you grew up there. They have mental disabilities and physical disabilities. They...
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...
"Barbies" everywhere
What is there to be celebrated?
As she gears towards the celebration of her 172 birthday, I mutter, confused to confide in her curse of ceaseless disasters. What is she truly celebrating? Her long but fruitless existence leading her children to beg and bootlick as they crumble at the mercy of exploiters. She stumbled, startled at the impediment placed upon her by so-called colonialism. A complete dissolution to her sovereignty. She claimed to be independent when truly dependency is at the avenue of her already weakened appearance-leading her children skedaddling in search for solace. And I wonder, what is there to be...
My case-study on marriage rituals among Christians in India
During my final year of high school, I had conducted a case study to understand the marriage rituals that took place among certain Christian communities in India - such as the Christians of Kerala, Goa and Mizoram - compared to the marriage rituals among Christians in western countries. The objective of my case study was to highlight the noticeable differences in these marriage rituals among the Christian communities in India as opposed to the Christians living in the west. To begin, a questionnaire was sent out to twenty three respondents belonging to Christian communities in both India as...
A gentle reminder for millennials to be kind
Kindness. An act from deep down in the heart human, without want feedback. In this era, I believe kindness can be fake and ignored. Many people misuse kindness. They know what kindness is, but they don't know how to use it, therefore, there are many people using kindness for gaining popularity and getting a good image. One day, I was doing charity work in my community by giving food and clothes to flood victims. My friend asked me to take a photo of him giving food to a child, which he then posted on Instagram. Later, I asked him why he did that and he answered that he wanted everyone to know...
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...
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...
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...