Type
Topic
Country
Silence is not an option
How would you feel if a gun was pointed at you for asking for a fair price for bread? How would you feel if you were forced to fight for the necessities that should be given to you as basic human rights in the first place? How would you feel if you were shot down by your own people? The answer to these questions is; we wouldn’t know how it feels. We would not know what it feels like to be in that situation and god forbid no one deserves to know the answers to these questions like our brothers and sisters in Sudan do. But why wouldn’t we know the answers to these questions? There were obviously...
Can photographs capture dreams of the future?
You are not welcome
What happened with Fitri?
| Jakarta, Indonesia 1st April 2016 at 11p.m | The scenery looked normal when my mom, my sister, and I left the mall. People pass by carrying groceries happily. But it immediately changed, because there is a spot that looks different which attracted our attention. A little girl sitting on the sidewalk in front of the mall was counting money in her hand. We approached her and asked what she was doing there. She said, "I'm counting my money from work all day," and we asked, "What is your job?" Then she replied, "Buskers". I was stunned to hear her answer. Her name is Fitri, a 7-year-old...
What power means
"The word power can be interpreted with both positive and negative meanings. I started creating my works by exploring the exact definition, which means to be able, and whether or not I agreed with it. Living in a reality that presents both aspects to this term, the interpretation of this word is limitless, which is also the reason behind many current conflicts. The term attracted me because of my personal interests with the problems present in the status quo, and how they essentially lead back to the same place: a race for power. But I believe that in order to really understand the term, one...
UNV and UNICEF Youth Advocates Programme
What we want from our leaders
The Easter bombings: Breaking the cycle of violence
You wouldn’t believe how light a bomb feels in the cradle of your own arms. I remember the warm yellow sand of Batticaloa beaches, pillowy grains sifting between the grooves of my size two feet. Seaweed lined the shore in slimy patches that we tiptoed around, searching for shells hidden among the green carpet. A brisk wind bounced along the rolling tide, and yet all we could feel were the steady waves of the sun beating down on our backs. With a toothy grin and an oversized cap perched on my head, I posed for a photo, brandishing in my arms a landmine the size of my head. That day, we...
Can we start the change?
"Refugees are still people"
Omar Osman does not like to brag. After living in a Kenyan refugee camp for 19 years, he came to the United States to attend Central Washington University in 2015. After just a year, he ran for class president--and won. “Students at my school were shocked that I, a refugee, could become class president.” But according to Omar, what “I did was not that extraordinary.” Omar, though, is not giving himself the credit he deserves. Indeed, what he has done, despite the barriers and challenges he has faced, is truly remarkable. Although he received only sporadic formal education as a child, for...
The story of a lynching: A wake up call to protect tribal rights in India
In February 2018, Madhu, an Adivasi tribal youth from the South Indian state of Kerala, was brutally attacked and lynched by a mob that accused him of stealing rice. The assailants then clicked photographs with the injured man whose hands were tied up, after which he was beaten to death. In light of this incident, the Kerala High Court initiated suo moto proceedings. The report of the amicus curiae paints a grim and contrasting picture in a state that boasts of the highest literacy rate and produces exceptional human development figures. It highlights the inherent defects in the channelization...
A Special Right
I am trying to look for something… Do you know where I can find it? Will I find it in a huge school building? Or in a big brick house? If you know, then please help me out, for I have searched all around! Can I find it in books to study? Or in fancy clothes to wear? Oh, it leaves me in so much despair! I’ll beat the drums in my little slum… …and all my friends will come running… …to find what it is, that we have been missing! I will look for it in my small school building, and in my warm and tiny hut. I will look for it in the scrap of paper and in the broken pen, which will write my future… I...
A glance into a Batey through love
A Batey is a community home to sugarcane workers in the Dominican Republic, mostly migrant Haitians. I arrived into Batey Monte Coca knowing little of what I would encounter, nevertheless I can say that from the moment I stepped foot into the Batey I felt loved and welcomed. The Bateyes are the poorest regions in the island, where sugarcane workers are practically exploited. They work long hours under the sun and receive an extremely low pay. The conditions in which they live and work in are inhumane. However, they always have a smile on their faces, they sing and dance through life and are...
Every human being should be treated equally according to their human rights
Zero tolerance to FGM - how youth are making a difference
The fight against FGM in Djibouti has existed for many years. The commitment of the authorities and civil society means that today the rate of girls aged 5-9 who endure excision is 37.7% (PAPFAM 2012). A law prohibiting the practice of female genital mutilation also exists but its application remains difficult, particularly in rural areas. As young people we are in front of a practice deeply rooted in mentalities for generations, and this is where community involvement becomes crucial. It’s not our mothers fight only… Many say that the battle against female genital mutilation is a matter of...
What does the CRC30 mean for children and adolescents in Djibouti?
The Government of Djibouti ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, its two optional protocols in 2011, as well as, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child in (2009) all without reservations. The country has thus committed to protect children’s rights and to work towards providing all children with the opportunities to fulfill their rights. Since then Djibouti has made tremendous progress in advancing children’s and women’s rights. The was established in July 1981 and this year it turns 38 years as the Convention on the Rights of Children turns 30 years...
I advocate to put smiles on the faces of children
Culture and my survival as a young woman
Growing up I have always been told I should conform to culture, practices, norms and beliefs. Growing up I have always asked the questions "Why is culture mostly applied to women and not men?" "Why does it affect women more?" "Why does culture favour men and not women?" "Why not both sexes?" Reality sinks in on how women are subjected to cultural norms and practices that infringe on their rights and free will. On daily basis, I witness how culture places emphasis on how and why men are to be respected and not women. In The Zambian culture when a woman is about to get married, she is subjected...
A Story of Kindness
You don't always need to engage with a community or club to help people. You can do it in other ways. Let me share a story. Ever since I got admitted to school, I never found my fellow classmates unsupportive. They were always there to support me unconditionally. No one ever bullied me. No one ever asked me embarrassing questions. They always extended their hands to help me – both literally and metaphorically. Without a question or hesitation, they accepted me as a part of them, so naturally. In college, I again found myself surrounded by warm and kind classmates. They stand up for me whenever...