Teens share solutions to global issues
The nonprofit Heart of a Nation launched its first teen essay contest this summer. The organization鈥檚 goal is 鈥渂ringing together Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians who are committed to making their societies better.鈥� True to that goal, the essay prompt asked, 鈥淲hat do you most want to improve about your own society and how?鈥�
From approximately 30 submissions, a group of teen judges representing all three societies chose a winner from each society, evaluating the essays based on these categories: passion, eloquence, idealism, optimism, practicality. The winning essays are being published by The Jerusalem Post in Israel, Al-Quds in the Palestinian territories, and 海角大神.
Transforming urban environmentsThis Heart of a Nation Teen Essay Contest winner offers practical, bite-size solutions that could make a big difference to people in crowded cities 鈥� and to the environment.聽
Respecting womenFor this teen essay contest winner, helping her society recognize women鈥檚 humanity is essential to progress. And she believes words have a part to play in that process.
Connecting through languageBetter communication between Arab and Jewish Israelis would increase neighborliness, this Heart of a Nation Teen Essay Contest winner says. And she sees a way for that happen.
The contest also recognized the top-scoring essays in each category, and the judges created a sixth category 鈥� empathy 鈥� because one submission exemplified it so well. Here are the category top scorers.
PassionDemanding bodily autonomyThis teen essay contest top scorer in the passion category shares her belief in a woman鈥檚 right to abortion as a way to respect the privacy of that decision.
EloquenceInspiring by exampleFulfilling one鈥檚 own potential 鈥� and learning from each other鈥檚 example 鈥� charts a path forward that can 鈥渂ring heavens to earth,鈥� says this teen essay contest top scorer in the eloquence category.
EloquenceInspiring role modelThis teen essay contest writer tells about his hero 鈥� a father who not only made a difference in his son鈥檚 life but continues to improve the lives of others dealing with disabilities.
IdealismCulture must changeValuing tradition and culture must be balanced with allowing everyone in society to progress, says this Heart of a Nation Teen Essay Competition top scorer in the idealism category.
OptimismValuing generosity and volunteerismThere are practical ways to improve education, generosity, and community participation, says this Heart of a Nation Teen Essay Contest top scorer in the optimism category.
PracticalityYouth voices matterThis top scorer in a teen essay contest discovered that getting young people who have been conditioned to hate each other to interact together may surface surprising similarities in their perspectives.
EmpathyRooted in my headMeeting a young woman in another country who was both like her and unlike her held a lesson in peacemaking for this Heart of a Nation Teen Essay Contest top scorer in the empathy category.
