2023 ESSAY EXCERPTS

EDUCATION IS KEY

The fight for a just world cannot be solely waged on the international stage. It is a battle fought in classrooms, living rooms, and hearts across the globe. We, as individuals, possess the power to be agents of change. We can educate ourselves and others about human rights, challenge discriminatory norms, and advocate for the marginalized. We can hold our own governments accountable, demanding that they uphold their commitments to international human rights standards. We can support human rights organizations and engage in peaceful protests and boycotts against companies complicit in human rights abuses. The road towards a world where the UDHR is a lived reality may seem like a Gordian knot. It will be met with resistance from powerful forces who benefit from the status quo. Yet, we must remember the words of Nelson Mandela, who declared, "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Let us arm ourselves with knowledge, empathy, and courage, and together, we can build a future where the UDHR is not just a document of aspirations, but again a beacon of hope illuminating the path towards a world where every human being is treated with dignity and respect. Duha Shabir, Rethinking the UDHR: From Aspiration to Implementation, Preservation Convent School, Srinagar, India.

Incorporating human rights education into school curricula …can contribute to the sustainability of the declarations value. Ayah Hoseen, UDHR at 75: Protecting Human Dignity, Justice, and Freedom, TEC Connections Academy, Massachusetts.

To promote respect and tolerance, its crucial to invest in comprehensive educational programs. Precious Ayo, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75: Reflecting on Effectiveness and the Path Forward, Harmony School of Innovation – Katy, Texas.

THE UDHR IS A LEGAL BASELINE

According to Dante Alighieri, an Italian philosopher and poet from the 1200s, “one world government was the only way peace could be achieved: with a set of laws that was agreed upon and persisted in every state, there would be no divide, and thus no wars¹… the UDHR seems to have taken a step toward Alighieri’s vision of peace. Indeed, since its adaptation in 1948, the UDHR has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on a global scale….it has been the legal baseline² to and origin³ of over “80 international human rights treaties, many of which are legally binding. Anouk Shin, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The Timeless Power of Defining Rights, St. Mark’s School, Massachusetts. 1.. De Monarchia, https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/reinhardt-de-monarchia 2. Mashood Baderin and Manisuli Ssenyonjo, International Human Rights Law… 3.. Claude Welch, Universal Declaratioin of Human Rights… 4.. In Small Places, Close to Home: The Beginnings of Human Rights….

THE UDHR NEEDS TO BE UPDATED

The UDHR’s effectiveness has been challenged by the rise of authoritarian governments and the erosion of democratic systems worldwide…In recent years there has been a growing recognition of the links between digital technologies and human rights. It is essential to address whether this recognition should lead to amendments to the UDHR. Japan M. Jordan, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Looking Back, Moving Forward, Eleanor McMain Secondary High School, New Orleans, LA.

The UDHR does not explicitly address the challenges posed by cyber warfare, digital surveillance, and the potential erosion of privacy rights in the digital age. Jahara Rodriguez, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 75: Effectiveness and the Path Forward, Desert Edge High School, Arizona.

The UDHR should be revised to address terrorism, cybercrimes, climate change, and corporate abuses. Makayla Lyndes, Human Rights, Dover High School, New Hamshire.

THE UDHR NEEDS TO BE ENFORCED

There is a need for stronger enforcement mechanism. Parker Ramirez, The Universal Declaration of Human rights: Assessing Effectiveness and Prospects for the Future, Broomfield High School, Colorado.

A non-binding declaration cannot adequately protect the rights it proclaims. It is time for a radical transformation – shift to concrete action. Duha Shabir, Rethinking the UDHR, Presentation Convent School, Jammu and Kashmir.

We must give the UDHR teeth. Savannah Sisk, It Wasn’t Supposed to Be Like This, Lake Buena Vista High School, Florida.

The effectiveness of the UDHR is significantly hampered by the absence of a strong, centralized authority empowered to ensue universal compliance…. A more resolute stance on economic inequality is imperative. Jin Kim, Enhancing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The Contrast Between Its Purpose and Its Execution, Stuyvesant High School, New York.

For every prerogative, there must be protection. For every iniquity, there must be consequences – without it, the UDHR stands as nothing but a notion of unattainable peace. Shyla Bhimani, A Preamble for Progress, Mamaroneck High School, Mamaroneck, NY.

It is clear that what the document says does not matter as much as how it is followed…The fact that 5 countries can override the safety of so many millions of people has led to... the Security Council being described as a global dictatorship. Ivy Nichols, A Need for Change: Enforcing Human Rights, Early College Academy, Greeley, CO.

UDHR can be a guideline for action but cannot directly implement change. Elias Freire, On Human Rights and How to Protect Them, Freire Academy, Wantage, NJ.

Real challenge lies in the lack of a unified international effort for universal human rights. Louis Huang, A Unified International Effort to Combat the Corruption of Human Rights, Herbert Henry Dow High School, Midland, MI.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI is an unknown tool with massive potential for growth and advancement…[but] behind every AI tool, AEDT or electronic monitoring system there is at least one person considering if it is worth violating other’s human rights for the possible payout of using AI. Tal Rekem, The Role of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Age of AI, Hunter College High School, New York.

ROLE OF THE DEVELOPED WORLD

There can be no progress until Western Countries put humanitarian advancement over their own economic advancement. Christian Poppell, An Examination of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Maintaining Principles in the Face of Persistent Inequities, Solon High School, Solon, OH.

CULTURAL RELATIVISM

The most ambitious and sweeping feature of the declaration is it’s firm and foundational claim to be applicable to all human beings throughout the world, across cultures, political systems, genders, races, religious traditions and classes. Thus far, it has to an extent failed at achieving that. Savana McDuffie, Universal Declaration of Human Rights 75^th Anniversary Speech. What More Can We Do? J.O.Combs High School, San Tan Valley, Arizona.

It would be beneficial to add and bring attention to the rights of minorities and their specific cultural rights, because there is no current representation. Ajla Radoncic, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: An Evaluation of Effectiveness and the Path Forward, Richmond Park Sec. School, Ilidža, Sarajevo Bosna and Hercegovina.

True universality is the reconciliation of cosmopolitan cultural norms, starting with interpreting a more diverse, holistic, and comprehensive conception of UDHR. Trisha Rastogi, Lost in Translation: Assessing the Limitations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the 21^st Century, Blue Valley High School, Overland Park, Kansas.

ROLE OF THE INDIVIDUAL

Survival of rights protection rests profoundly on whether ordinary citizens courageously stand up for others beyond self-interest alone. Sruti Peddi, There Is Still Life to Breathe Into the UN, Basis Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ.

THE DREAM

I dream of a world where every individual can bask in the warm glow of peace, dignity, and equality. Typh Pham, Thanh Binh School, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.