CLIMATE CHANGE ESSAY EXCERPTS
IMPACT ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Climate change is breaking Articles 3 and 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by destroying people’s security, food, water, housing, and health…all over the world. Amen Asfan, Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science, New Mexico.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) affirms rights to life, health, housing, and security of person. Climate change threatens all of these at once. The World Health Organization estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change will cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths each year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress alone, with the greatest burdens in regions that contributed least to historical emissions. Aditya Yadav, Basis Peoria, Arizona.
IMPACT ON THE POOR AND UNBORN
The class of people most affected [by climate change] is the least able to advocate for itself, future generations. Katelyn Bolduc, Westfield High School, Indiana.
The question of whether climate change violated human rights won’t exist when the seas rise, the air gets thicker, and fires burn through the forests … The question will be simpler and far heavier. When the last children ask why we didn’t save their sky, what will we tell them? Diya Vijay, Marvin Ridge High School, North Carolina.
Climate change disproportionately harms vulnerable and marginalized individuals… Lydia Olivia-Marie Phelps, Frederick Douglas High School, Maryland.
The climate crisis amplifies…disproportionately harms people in vulnerable groups. Anaia Housen, Archer High School, Georgia.
Amnesty International states, “In the Democratic Republic of Congo, communities are forcibly evicted from their homes and farmland to make way for expanding industrial cobalt and copper mines. Children as young as seven are made to dig for ore in artisanal mines, and low wages and dangerous conditions are the norm.” These abuses highlight that even policies with positive environmental goals can cause severe harm if human rights protections are neglected. Daniel Pineda, Houston Academy for International Studies Early College High School, Texas.
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY
By practicing energy conservation, we are supporting the global framework, such as the Paris Agreement, which aims for the necessary, deep, and rapid reduction in emissions needed to limit warming to 1.5°C. John Duncan, Mt. Vernon High School, Indiana.
When climate strategies lean too heavily on individual behavior, they risk what some economists and ethicists call moral offsetting: placing the moral and practical burden on individuals while leaving the systemic engines of harm—that is, fossil fuel extraction, industrial agriculture, and wasteful production—largely untouched… When citizens see officials urging them to change light bulbs while simultaneously approving new oil and gas projects, they often conclude that climate action is hypocritical or symbolic rather than serious. If leaders truly intend to defend human rights against ecological collapse, their strategies must pivot from blaming individuals to redesigning systems. Aditya Yadav, Basis Peoria, Arizona.
U.S. ROLE
One example of how government policies can undermine both climate action and human rights is the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. This decision illustrates the consequences of prioritizing short-term economic interests over long-term environmental responsibility. Emily Turner, Ridgeview High School, Florida.
The United States, formerly one of the leaders of the efforts to end climate change, has completely switched sides. Trump has called climate change “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world. Maxwell Gross, Houston Academy of International Studies, Texas.
In 2025 President Trump is undoing work climate activists have been working towards for years. Crews Yoakum, Evangelical Christian School, Tennessee.
United States Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized the idea that Climate Change has been drastically exaggerated by nations around the world as a giant threat, and urged other countries to use fossil fuels, claiming they are more reliable and affordable. Alexandra Arnold, Memorial Senior High School, Texas.
AI DATA CENTERS
Data centers to fuel AI are flooding locals with hazardous gas and waste. Willow Olson, Oswego East High School, Illinois.
Many environmentalists propose halting the operation and construction of artificial intelligence data centers. This would be highly beneficial to our environment and help prevent further consequence of climate change…These data centers waste large amounts of drinking water to cool their equipment…These data centers not only consume, but they also emit dangerous levels of carbon… Anais Barrera, United High School, Texas.
AI data centers require…water and electricity…Not only are these centers practically stealing clean, filtered water…they also release a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Evie Miller, Harrison School for the Arts, Florida.
SOLAR, WIND AND OTHER RENEWABLES
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, a rapid shift toward solar, wind, and other renewables…could cut global emissions by up to 70 percent by 2050. Isaah Kandula, Parkway West High, Missouri.
Not only do the construction of solar panels and wind farms require vast upfront investments, but energy levels can fluctuate even after installation. Kaitlyn Poon, San Marino High School, California.
We must do more than just switch from coal plants to solar farms…the root cause isn’t an accident in technology; it’s a centuries-old pattern of taking land, exploiting people, and treating the planet as disposable… Aditya Mathur, Malipitas High School, California.
CARBON TAXES
While a carbon tax is theoretically sound, if it is implemented without effective ways to redistribute the revenue to low-income household, it functions as a regressive tax… P. Eileen Cagle, Augusta Preparatory Day School, Georgia.
Carbon taxation is inherently unfair: low-income households are likely to be the most negatively affected, despite contributing the least to global warming. Kaitlyn Poon, San Marino High School, California.
Research proves carbon pricing disproportionately hits lower-income households…a carbon tax raises the cost of heating, transportation, and other necessities. Poor families already spend a bigger share of their income on such basics… Vedant Margale, STEM School Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
CARBON OFFSETTING AND CAP AND TRADE
Carbon offsetting is one example of climate sophistry that Taylor Swift, among countless others, has accepted as truth. After facing heated criticism for private jet emissions during her 2022 tour, Taylor Swift’s team responded by asserting that she had purchased adequate carbon offsets to compensate for her footprint. Elaine Zou, The Harker School, California.
Carbon markets often allow wealthy nations and corporations to continue polluting by purchasing “offsets”… Angello Manzanares, Virtual Innovators Academy, New York.
Despite its potential, cap-and-trade programs have many flaws. For one, the price of allowances is highly volatile … Kaitlyn Poon, San Marino High School, California.
GREENWASHING
Greenwashing…is a strategy used by corporations to present unsustainable products or services as environmentally friendly. Finnian McVeigh, White Bear Lake Area Highschool, Minnesota.
“The Fossil fuel industry tries to shift the weight of climate change onto the consumers of society by blaming individuals for the industry’s greed, using tactics like greenwashing, the deceptive marketing of a company and its products as more ‘green’ or sustainable than actually are in actuality.” Chloe Taylor, Walter Payton College Preparatory School, Chicago.
GEOENGINEERING
Solar Radiation Management (SRM), specifically Stratospheric Aerosol Injection (SAI)…involves spraying sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere to reflect sunlight and cool the planet…this proposal is potentially harmful and downright unethical. Kidus Menna, West Career and Technical Academy, Nevada.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
Electric vehicles are powered using lithium-ion batteries. A key input to lithium-ion batteries is a metal called cobalt. However, 70% of the world’s cobalt is mined using child labor… Kian Bakri, East Kentwood High School, Michigan.
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Nuclear energy is a feasible and highly safe replacement for much fossil fuel usage. Kayla Elizabeth Boebel, Jackson County High School, Georgia.
Nuclear energy provides a scientifically viable, environmentally friendly and reliable alternative…Public concerns with nuclear energy usually stem from its association with nuclear weapons, waste production and possibility of meltdowns.” Shakthi Manickam, Peachtree Highschool, Georgia.
Simply put, renewable energy is inadequate to keep up with energy demand. One way to satisfy this energy demand is to turn to nuclear energy. Joshua Dauphin, Estancia Valley Classical Academy, New Mexico.
A possible economic change that could reduce fossil fuel’s energy emissions is the transition to primarily producing energy through nuclear processes…uranium produces minimal waste compared to fossil fuels. Traevor K. Myers, Huntington North High School, Indiana.
EDUCATION
Programs that improve climate knowledge help future generations respond. Science programs teach how heat affects disease, how storms form, and how emissions rise. Social studies programs teach how inequality shapes outcome. Informed communities respond faster and protect the weak. Marcus K. Seac, Alexander W. Dreyfoos of the Arts, Florida.
LEADERSHIP AND HUMAN RIGHTS ESSAY EXCERPTS
COUNTRIES
AFGHANISTAN
The current Taliban government in Afghanistan has constructed a regime that deeply undermines human rights” gender equality, freedom of expression, and protections for minorities are severely and intentionally suppressed. Zahara Salloum, Rottmayr-Gymnasium, Germany.
AUSTRALIA
Australia’s handling of asylum seekers is one of the most stark expressions we have seen for how leadership can erode human rights through the smokescreen of security…Indigenous Australians are among the world’s most over-incarcerated populations, with youth detention rates up to seventeen times higher than those of non-Indigenous youth, according to the Australian Human Rights Commission. Sharika Zaman, Beverly Hills Girls High School, Australia.
BANGLADESH
Bangladesh is going through a huge transition…A brave revolution spearheaded by our students has ushered in a new era…The overthrow of this despotic regime has created a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reconstruct our cherished country under the temporary direction of Nobel laureate, visionary economist, and ray of hope Dr. Muhammad Yunus…As the years of torture, autocracy and discrimination come to an end, a new light of hope emerges in Bangladesh. Ahnaf Tahmid Tasin, Sylhet Cadet College, Bangladesh.
Despite its internal challenges, Bangladesh has shown remarkable humanitarian leadership by hosting over one million Rohingya refugees fleeing persecution in Myanmar…Bangladesh’s willingness to offer refuge…demonstrates that leaders can promote human rights even amid domestic constraints, and it strengthens the country’s international moral standing. Ayaat Aptabon Islam, Sylhet Grammar School, Bangladesh.
BENIN
In Benin, human rights such as freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are often violated, with arbitrary arrests and excessive use of force. Abdoul-Baki, CEG1 Sakéké, Benin.
CANADA
The human rights of Indigenous peoples across Canada are still being neglected. Juliet Mabasa, Little Flower Academy, Canada.
Canada’s reputation as a global champion of human rights is consistently undermined by contradictions at home. Audrey Yung, Little Flower Academy, Canada.
CHILE
The Chilean regime contradicts its moral code through its xenophobia to refugees when it should be welcoming them. Yasmeen Abu Aisheh, Pioneers Baccalaureate School, Palestine.
CHINA
The Chinese government’s “re-education” camps and mass detentions violate freedom of religion, expression, and movement... Praribha Kumari, Chaudhary Charan Singh College, India.
Xi has led the Chinese Communist Party to incarcerate minority groups, persecute religion, suppress free speech, and invade privacy. Chenxin Li, Black Forrest Academy, Germany.
THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Unfortunately, the Czech Republic isn’t only violating the human right to asylum, but also other human rights… Cosima Laura Jankovič, EDUCAnet, Czech Republic.
ESWATINI
The Kingdom of Eswatini…has consistently shown a great disregard for human rights…the leader of the Swazi people undermines their human rights. Refiloe Dlaminin, UWC East Africa, Tanzania.
GERMANY
Germany’s decision to welcome more than one million Syrian refugees framed humanitarian action not as charity but as moral obligation. Paul Christian S. Soganub, École St. Patrick High School, Canada
GHANA
Recently journalists have been attacked or arrested for doing their jobs…Police violence is also a serious issue…Corruption makes things worse. Gadri Gad, Crystal Heights International School, Ghana.
The leaders in Ghana have only specialized in corruption and bribery instead of focusing on promoting the very right of every citizen in Ghana… Akosua Opare Yeboah, Pap Academy, Ghana.
INDIA
Ibha learn, and thrive. In response, the Indian government launched the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme in 2015 to promote the survival, protection, and education of the girl child. Aarav Singla, GD/GOWNK Public School, India.
KOSOVO
Kosovo’s human rights landscape in 2025 reflects a complex mix of progress and ongoing challenges. Leaders have promoted human rights through policies aimed at minority representation, anti-corruption, and social welfare programs…At the same time, challenges persist that undermine human rights, including harassment of journalists, ethnic tensions, discrimination against marginalized communities, and delays in justice for wartime victims. Arel Myftiu, American School of Kosova, Kosova.
MALAWI
One major issue in the Republic of Malawi today is rampant corruption. Taking many forms, corruption can be defined as dishonest or fraudulent conduct conducted by those in power. Michaela Jana, Kamuzu Academy, Malawi.
MYANMAR
Myanmar remains one of the gravest examples of human rights regression. Muhammad Arraad Rahman, Sylhet Cadet College, Bangladesh.
In Myanmar we witness full-blown military rule, ethnic persecution and large-scale atrocities committed with near total impunity. Sumaiya Ahmed Tanha, Hajee Shariatullah Adarsha High School, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Myanmar’s military junta has established a system in which fear, violence, and censorship have replaced the most basic human right guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Dylan Won, Seoul Foreign School, South Korea.
NEPAL
Corruption in Nepal has become one of the most visible ways leaders undermine human rights, with hidden wealth, nepotism, and misuse of state resources eroding equality and accountability. Prestija Kunwar, Nightingale International Boarding Higher Secondary School, Nepal.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attack—centered on empathy, solidarity, and swift reform of gun legislation—illustrates leadership that confronts hatred without amplifying it. Paul Christian S. Soganub, École St. Patrick High School, Canada
NIGERIA
In my country rights don’t belong to the people; they belong to the powerful…human rights don’t live in the constitution—they live in the pockets of whoever can afford to keep them breathing…our leaders move with an almost breathtaking confidence. They sign treaties in Geneva and break them in Kaduna. Odoh Ontinye, Graceville College, Nigeria.
Nigeria supports human rights in the constitution but undermines it in practice. Chimdindu Olivia C. Ohalete, Greensprings School, Nigeria.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly threatened and in some place even removed its citizens human rights for the sake of its own profit … whether through police brutality…favoritism and classism…or the lack of funds invested into the health and social welfare of its civilians. Ore-Oluwa Coker, Greensprings School, Nigeria.
PAKISTAN
In Pakistan human rights are undermined by a weak, politically controlled judicial system. Ammara Tariq, IGCSE, Pakistan.
PALESTINE
Israel has repeatedly restricted, hidden, destroyed, and manipulated Palestinian historical archives, purposely limiting access to documents, photographs., and records that prove Palestinians’ deep-rooted presence on the land…a purposeful strategy of erasure…And the suffering of Palestinians becomes something the world observes like a distant storm, tragic enough to possibly comment on but never has enough meaning to stop. Nour Direya, Pioneers Baccalaureate School, Palestine.
PHILIPPINES
The Philippine human rights landscape is marked by a striking paradox: while the state has made notable strides in promoting structural and economic rights—through laws advancing gender equality, protecting children, and supporting marginalized populations—these advances coexist with the systematic suppression of civil and political liberties. Rhea Jane M. Daohagon, Santiago National High School, Philippines.
SIERRA-LEONE
Tribal leaders in Sierra Leone…undermine human rights through their emphasis on the need to preserve their cultures and customs…while the principal of cultural relativism deserves recognition, it cannot justify practices such as Female Genital Mutilation…The line must be drawn when tradition causes irreversible physical and psychological harm. Jaden Min, Chadwick International, South Korea.
SINGAPORE
Singapore has undermined aspects of human rights in regard to freedom of speech by deliberately limiting the media and “discussable topics” nationwide. Tay Wen Hui, Hwa Chong Institution, Singapore.
THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Robert Fico, the prime minister of the Slovak Republic…does nothing but undermine democracy. Ema Nepšinská, UWC East Africa, Tanzania.
SWEDEN
Olof Palme, Sweden’s most iconic and internationally outspoken prime minister, represents a political tradition that stands in sharp contrast to the use of restrictive civil-society legislation that has become common in several authoritarian systems, including Russia. Román Kostomárov, Colegio Ingles, Mexico.
TANZANIA
President Hassan’s policy of using state violence to silence dissent, conceal the dead, and shut down communications is a clear policy of undermining human rights. Amal Abdirashid Hashi, UWC East Africa, Tanzania.
Tanzanian leaders have significantly undermined human rights through restrictive legislation and political repression. Ivy Mayende, United World College East Africa, Tanzania.
UNITED STATES
Some Republicans and far-right extremists, who mostly supported Trump, repeatedly claimed that immigrants…steal jobs, increase crime rates, and threaten national sovereignty. That very propaganda fueled polarization, helping Donald Trump appeal to voters frustrated with economic anxiety and security concerns…Seyeon Jung, Dongduk Girls’ High School, South Korea.
EDUCATION MATTERS
A civic curriculum that teaches pluralism, critical thinking and constitutional rights would inoculate future generations against incendiary politics. Muhammad Raza, Pak-Turk Maarif International Schools and Colleges, Pakistan.
Education is crucial for any functioning society. Without access to education, skill acquisition, and gainful employment becomes an almost insurmountable challenge. The Universal Basic Education, or UBE, ensures free education for students from primary through secondary school. As well as the provision of textbooks, and the construction of more conducive and highly functional learning environments. This has greatly benefited the masses, especially children whose parents cannot afford quality education. Government initiatives to improve education are significant precursors to the promotion of human rights. Tanitoluwa Ayoola-Erinosho, Greensprings School, Nigeria.
INTERNET MATTERS
The tools of digital age…are double-edged swords. The same system that deposits money into a woman’s bank account to empower her also shuts down the internet in her region to silence her voice…The same leadership that celebrates digital India also oversees the use of draconian laws to imprison students, activists, and journalists without trial. A nation that builds a digital infrastructure for welfare but uses it for surveillance is building a panopticon, not a paradise. Muskan Kumari, R.D.M.H. +2 High School Garhani, India.
LEADERSHIP MATTERS
Human rights depend on the character, wisdom, and integrity of leaders. Institutions matter, laws matter, constitutions matter but without principled leadership they can be reduced to hollow shells. Olivia Shikokola, Windhoek High School, Namibia
Leadership’s failure to protect its most vulnerable people is one of the deepest betrayals of human rights. Patrick Chidiebere David, Abiolu Comprehensive College, Nigeria.
For rights to be respected, leaders must act responsibly and prioritize people’s needs. Oladipupo Al-Mansur Agboola, Greensprings School Anthony Campus, Nigeria.
The analysis of human rights practices in Nepal and India demonstrates that leadership plays a pivotal role in both promoting and undermining the rights of citizens. Both countries have established constitutional guarantees and are signatories to international human rights treaties reflecting formal commitments to equality, freedom and social justice. However, the effectiveness of these rights is highly dependent on how leaders implement policies, enforce laws, and respond to social challenges. Krenisha Adhikari, Prativa Secondary School-Pokhara, Nepal.
Leadership remains the fulcrum upon which the fate of human rights teeters. Khushi Kumari,R.D.M.H. +2 High School Garhani, India.
I want leaders who keep widening thresholds. Leaders who raise the age of marriage and keep the internet on; who protect a dissenting novelist as fiercely as they protect a judge; who publish rights impact assessments with the same ceremony as they publish development plans; who can explain, in a village school and not only in a press club, how climate justice is not a Western import but a Pakistani constitutional imperative. Zarwa Hammad, Trinity School, Pakistan.
Leadership is the decisive factor between societies that protect dignity and those that erode it. Pratibha Gupta, Chaudhary Chary Singh College, India.
It is through the promotion of human rights from various leader, like former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to current Timor-Leste President José Ramos-Horta, that allows a country to uplift the individuals systematically held down such as the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. These leaders also set a precedent for other countries to follow. Brianna Lam, Little Flower Academy, Canada.
Leaders who should be strengthening the rule of law are strengthening the rule of influence…Human rights rise or fall on the decisions leaders make—and the decisions they refuse to make. Human rights are the foundation of a nation, and the leadership is the architect. And right now, too many architects are building houses where only some people are allowed to live fully, freely, and safely… Silence allows the injustice to take root. We must speak, insist, and act-so that dignity, freedom, and justice are not privileges, but inheritance of all. Rights are not luxuries. Justice is not favor. In Nigeria and beyond, the time to demand both is now, the present, so there will be a future. Odoh Onyinye, Graceville College, Nigeria.
The role of political leaders in shaping the global human rights landscape cannot be overstated…Across Belarus, Russia, Nicaragua, Tunisia, and Myanmar, we see leaders consolidating power, persecuting critics, undermining institutions, and using both overt and covert mechanisms to restrict freedoms…Ultimately, the protection of human rights depends not just on powerful institutions, but on the courage and integrity of leaders—and the vigilance of the people they serve. Muhammad Arraad Rahman, Sylhet Cadet College, Bangladesh.
The greatest threat to human rights is not the absence of legal frameworks but the failure of leaders to embody the values they claim to uphold…constitutions alone do not secure rights. The interpretation, enforcement, and moral commitments of leaders are what determine whether those rights survive. Paul Christian S. Soganub, École St. Patrick High School, Canada
The future of human rights will depend on the leaders we elevate and the standard we insist upon. Azumah Elijah Delali, Presbyterian Boys’ Secondary, Ghana.
Leaders are entrusted to protect the rights, but the very tools of leadership-laws, armies, police, digital surveillance, propaganda-can just as easily be used to undermine rights…Internationally, U.S. leaders promote democracy and human rights through aid and diplomacy. Yet critics point out selective hypocrisy supporting authoritarian allies in the Middle East, drone strikes that cause civilian causalities, and indefinite detentions at Guantanamo Bay. Harshit Malavaliya, Summer Fields School, India.
Human rights are the foundation of a nation, and the leadership is the architect. And right now, too many architects are building houses where only some people are allowed to live fully, freely, and safely… Silence allows the injustice to take root. We must speak, insist, and act-so that dignity, freedom, and justice are not privileges, but inheritance of all. Rights are not luxuries. Justice is not favor. In Nigeria and beyond, the time to demand both is now, the present, so there will be a future. Odoh Ontinye, Graceville College, Nigeria.
POVERTY
Extreme poverty remains one of the greatest barriers to the enjoyment of human rights. Hauwa Ismail, Suzz Tenderly, Nigeria.
KHREF’S ESSAY CONTEST
Since I started writing the title of this essay, I have learned so many new things regarding the safety of our people. Cosima Laura Jankovič, EDUCAnet, Czech Republic
2024 HATE SPEECH ESSAY EXCERPTS
CRISIS FUELED BY POLITICIANS
Hate speech, especially from public figures, directly endangers human rights by inciting fear and violence against specific groups. According to the Social Science Research Council, hate speech come from a “framework in which individuals differentiate the group the believe they belong to, or the ‘in-group,’ from the out group.” Typically, these social categorizations are formed based on immutable qualities like nationality, ethnicity, or religion, often leading to prejudice-based discrimination. In one psychological study, published in Scientific Reports, researchers took fMRI scans of participants’ brains while they listened to derogatory speech, concluding that “repeated exposure to negatively charged messages with a high emotional intensity leads to psychological desensitization” and reduced empathy. Gunnar Eklund, Staples High School, Westport, Connecticut, Can Free Expression Survive Hate Speech Regulation?
Hate speech fueled by politicians is a human rights crisis as it incites violence against marginalized groups…In the digital age where these messages can be amplified and spread to millions in seconds, the harm is greater than ever. Karsten Langone, Staples High School, Westport, Connecticut, Hate Speech to Violence: America’s Social Media Enigma.
Public and political speeches given by influential figures or leaders that contain hateful rhetoric often hold significant power to incite violence. Part of the problem is that leaders’ remarks do not fade away after they are given. Incendiary rhetoric from political leaders against minority groups, and other targets is often quickly magnified. Public speech that contains bias and discrimination sets an example for its widespread audience, encouraging them to declare their own prejudices and act on them accordingly, even legitimizing hate-fueled aggression among supporters. Yulisa Ma, Miss Porter’s School, Farmington, Connecticut. When Words Wound: The Case for Limiting Hate Speech to Protect Human Rights.
When politicians such as President Trump use global platforms to spread divisive rhetoric, like his anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant comments, it normalizes hate, stokes division and encourages violence against minorities. Hugo Richards, Walter Payton College Preparatory High School, Chicago, Illinois, Navigating the Line Between Liberty and Dignity.
CRISIS FUELED BY SOCIAL MEDIA
Nothing has fueled the rising quantity of hate speech more than social media. Perrin Root, Staples High School, Westport, Connecticut, Combating Hate Speech: A Collective Controlled Effort.
The world has changed, most notably in the spread of information…In 2024 social media renders the entire world into one massive group chat…social media…amplifies the negativity of freedom of expression and opinion, snowballing one person’s hate to a world of hatred. Anne Mathea Yap Ed Kuan, Raffles Institution, Singapore, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Modern Times: Refocusing the Perspective.
THE TOLERANCE PARADOX
Balancing two imperatives—protecting free expression and preventing hate speech—is one of the most complex and urgent challenges of our time…Hate speech diminishes the quality of public debate and can create a climate of fear and intimidation, where people are less willing to participate in public life…In the digital age, much of the hate speech occurs online…Governments can play a role in ensuring that tech companies adhere to international human rights standards… Governments should invest in education and public awareness campaigns that promote tolerance, respect, and empathy. Marniya Watson, South Broward High School, Hollywood, Florida, The Balance Between Freedom of Expression and Combating Hate Speech: Navigating the Complexities of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Should a society tolerate intolerance at the risk of its own tolerance, or does it risk falling into authoritarianism in the name of progress? First proposed in the 1945 work The Open Society and its Enemies, by Austrian philosopher Karl Popper, the tolerance paradox is perhaps one of the most fundamental struggles of human society. Joey Kilberg, Milwaukie Academy of the Arts, Milwaukie, Oregon, The Paradox of Tolerance.
EDUCATION
Education must play a central role in combating hate speech. Governments should invest in educational programs that promote critical thinking, empathy, and respect for diversity from an early age. Salma Alhabahbeh, Chaparral High School, Scottsdale, Arizona, Freedom of Speech and the Threat of Hate Speech: Navigating a Complex Terrain
Hatred is a learned behavior and thus requires some sort of indoctrination to take place. Without proper education, immersion into different cultures, and association with diverse groups of people, people at time find hating groups of people easier than understanding them. Asher Ermentrout, Grimsley High School, Greensboro, North Carolina, The Threat of Hate Speech: Government Courses of Action.
Addressing hate speech at an early stage in life is an important tool to prevent the development and spread of hate. Xiaoen Ye, Northern Utah Academy of Math Engineering and Science (Davis Campus), Layton, Utah, Finding Balance in Protecting Human Rights Between Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech.
Governments need to address the root cause of hate speech through education and art, i.e. by making respective changes and additions in curricula to promote inclusivity and empathy. Rwiti Roy, Billabong International High School, Mumbai, India, Hate Speech and Human Rights: A Roadmap for Governments to Foster Inclusivity.
Public education is a crucial component in fostering long-term change, building resilience against hate speech, and cultivating a culture of empathy and respect. By promoting media literacy, educational campaigns can teach individuals, particularly young people, how to critically evaluate online information and understand the power their words can hold. Nations like Finland have integrated media literacy into their national curriculum…decreasing the likelihood of hate speech taking root. Philip Marquard, Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Balancing Freedom of Expression and Hate Speech: A Case for Measured Restrictions.
Education should be the first approach in fighting hate speech. Education can be part of a broader strategy that emphasizes teaching the very young tolerance, understanding and respect for human diversity. Hashvitha A/P Suresh, Selangor, Malaysia, The Protection of Human Rights by Fighting Hate Speech Without Limiting Freedom of Expression.
Kids need to grow up understanding the power of their words. We need to teach empathy, kindness and respect for diversity from young age. Nicole Odhiambo, Alliance Girls High School, Kikuyu Kenya.
RISK OF SUPPRESSION
While hate speech is undeniably problematic … the suppression of such speech … poses a far greater risk to freedom of expression and the health of democracy itself. Torian Speranza, Homelife Academy Homeschool Umbrella, Selmer, Tennessee, The Dilemma of Hate Speech Regulation: A Defense of Free Expression.
The First Amendment is threatened by the limitations imposed on hate speech…Governments that have historically imposed speech restrictions in the name of preserving society frequently wind up concentrating power in ways that are detrimental to the very citizens they profess to protect. Brently Barnhill, Criss High School, Bluffton, South Carolina, Hate Speech: An Infringement on the First Amendment.
Once limitations are improved it becomes easier for governments to use these laws to silence dissent. by Marniya Watson, Villa Rica High School, Villa Rica, Georgia, The Balance Between Freedom of Expression and Combating Hate Speech: Navigating the Complexities of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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