2011 Peace Essay Contest
Elementary School Winning Entries
1st Place:
Youth Peace Prize
Emma Flynn, Tuckahoe ES, gr. 5
If they were awarding a Youth Peace Prize, I would try to earn this award by helping establish education programs in deprived places of the world. I would create a website with all of the information about the program on it. I'd mail school supplies to the places we were helping ,and also form a committee of donators to help cover the cost of shipping supplies and money to the deprived countries. I think that this program would make a big difference in the world.
The first thing that I would do is set up the website. On it, I would put a list of all the places we were helping and how anyone could help too. This would provide any readers with information about what I was doing and how it worked. I would also include information about how one could donate money or school supplies to help with the program. The website would be a very important component in reaching our goal: Making sure that every country was getting enough education for their youth.
Another thing that I would do is send supplies to help new schools. No school can start without basic necessities. Another thing that schools can not do without is teachers. Teachers are a prime component in the learning process. I would try to help this cause by using my website to locate possible educators willing to devote time to teaching children in need.
The one thing that would make this program happen is donators. Donators would provide most of the funding needed for sending the supplies over seas to the countries we are helping. Donators aren't necessarily donating money, it could be time that they are giving. One might also donate supplies to the cause. This is how donators would fit into the big picture.
The world's education is a monstrous part of the world's future. These are the things that I would do to help the world reach it's maximum strength by making a difference. The world's education needs to .be helped, one little step at a time.
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2nd Place:
A Plan for Peace
Raquel Rocha-Turner, Mary Munford ES, gr. 4
When I was 5, I asked my mom, "What is the best thing a person can do for the world?" My mom answered, "Win the Peace Prize!!" It is a great privilege to win a Nobel Peace Prize. It not only shows that you know about peace, but also that you know how to get out there and put your thoughts to action.
If I were to win the Nobel Peace Prize, I would do it by purifying water. That would be my first little step. Clean water is very important. Every day, people are bathing, washing clothes, and drinking water. In the United States, we have clean, sanitary water; but in places like Afghanistan, people use the same water they bathe in to drink. People fight over resources like food and clean water. If I were to win the Nobel Peace Prize, I would earn it by making sure all countries are equal in things like water, food, and education.
There are a Jot of organizations like the IPS (International Peace Bureau) and the American Peace Society who have been working for years to make peace for everybody. There are also places like the World Bank who give money to countries to help restart their economies. I am in a small club called Compass Club. We gather every Wednesday and try to raise awareness of what's going on outside our country. I would try get people who are worthy of one of those groups to help me with my plan. I would get as many people as I could to help. As they say, two heads are better than one! I would get people who listen and understand what's going on in our world to help me with my plan. We are lucky the United States is such a nice place with a good economy most of the time, but everyone is not so lucky. It would be an honor to win a Nobel Peace Prize, but it's not about the honor. It's about helping the world.
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3rd Place (tie):
Peace Essay
Anuj Kotak, Three Chopt ES, gr. 5
Some people think that peace is just about not fighting with someone. Peace
describes not only a society opera4/17/2011ting without violent conflicts, but also a society with mutual harmony between people, groups, or nations. Peace is very precious at any cost. Several things can lead to conflict and disturb peace. Conflict can be due to things, land or religion. Conflict can be against people or against our own conscious.
People like Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, and Theodore Roosevelt have received the Nobel Peace Prize because of their great efforts establishing peace. Mother Teresa spent 45 years ministering sick, orphaned and dying people. Our president, Barack Obama received this award for strengthening international negotiation and for his work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Nations often fight with each other. To establish peace between nations, you have to figure out the root cause of war. People fight for wealth, power, or their religious beliefs. World War-I was caused by greed. I will stop greed, anger, fear, and hate to establish peace in the world. Once these demons of the mind are eliminated, peace will be established in the world..
The war between Pakistan and India is because of religion. The Muslims think their religion is better, and the Hindus think that their religion is better. The 9/11 attacks happened because a terrorist group wanted to eliminate all Christians. Religions teach us about how to be a good person. We should learn about other religions, and gain more understanding towards other people's beliefs. If people accept all religions, there would not be conflicts, and peace would rule the world. I will promote religious studies that will enable such understanding.
Peace starts in your own house, with yourself. One step toward getting peaceful is to not fight with siblings. I have a brother and I often get into fights with him for toys or money. My first goal is to stop getting into conflicts with him and establish peace between us. Once I establish good harmony within my family and among my close friends, I will do the same at school.
Many students hate school because other kids make their life miserable by bullying. I want to stop bullying in my school completely, which will create peace and make students happy. They will be able to focus better on studies. I will gather a group of kids to help me stop bullying. I will encourage them to assist me, one at a time.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi) was a great freedom fighter, and yet a peace enabler. Gandhi fought with boycotts and strikes, and gained freedom for India. The British came to India to sell their products. Then they took over India and forced Indians to buy the British products. As a result, Indians became poor and the British became more powerful and wealthy. Gandhi encouraged people to boycott the British products. "Make your own clothes, grow your own crops," said Gandhi. With Gandhi's non-violence and non-cooperation movement, the Indians successfully got freedom.
Another peace supporter was Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther was born
during segregation time. He worked really hard during his life to stop segregation. When he was young, he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, and he decided to use Gandhi's method to stop segregation. Bus segregation was very prevalent in those days. Most of the bus riders were African-Americans, and yet were discriminated. King and his friends boycotted the bus service and used taxis for one whole year. Bus drivers did not make enough money, and they eventually stopped bus segregation in the town of Montgomery. Later, Martin King traveled all over the United States giving speeches about peace. He delivered his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech in Washington D.C. in
1963. In 1965, Lyndon B. Johnson abolished the segregation laws. As a result MLK was assassinated, but segregation stopped completely and all people got equal rights.
So looking at these people's lives, you can tell that peace always starts with one person. One person thinks of an idea on how to achieve peace and others start to follow. Some famous person said, "Peace within will bring peace in the family, peace in the society and peace in the country. This will make this earth better than heaven."
I will work with the United Nations (UN), a worldwide organization that promotes
world peace, international law, and international security, and collaborate with the Peace Corps, an organization that teaches people about different religions and cultures. My ultimate goal is to establish harmony with people of different countries and religions so that the UN will not need a security council anymore.
My goal is to be like both of these great heroes, and be that one person that will
create peace. To create this perfect society, I will work hard. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." I am working on changing myself and I am confident that peace will come along.
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3rd Place (tie):
Nobel Youth Peace Prize: Child Abuse
Julia McCullough, The Williams School, gr. 4
If the Nobel Peace Prize committee decided to award a Nobel Youth Peace Prize I would earn it by ceasing child abuse. First, I would stop child abuse by starting free education classes for parents and people who work with children, By starting these classes, I can promote awareness of child abuse, People will become aware of the fact that children are being abused and that they may even need a new home, What I plan the education classes to accomplish is that people will learn ways to become better parents and, people. Some might even want to become foster parents for these unfortunate children,
I would also start babysitting daycare programs, By doing this, parents abusing children will have a chance to cool off and have some time to themselves. Sometimes parents will take their anger out on the children and the result is sad and possibly injured children. It will also scare the children being in such a violent environment. The children will not feel safe in their own home! That is not any child deserves.
The third thing I would do is start a chill spa. By opening a chill spa, the parents will have another way to relax, and cool off. They can get a cucumber facial or a complimentary massage. By giving a relaxing treatment like a facial or a massage, the parent will feel less angry. That will lead to a safe, happy child who is not abused as much. I also plan for the chill spas to get bigger. Then they will have more publicity and they can open up all over the country!
My actions, with massive effort, will help the adults to control their actions. It will also help children find new homes where they have a family who loves them. Even though the children may be scarred for life, I hope they will be happy. Most of all, I hope that my effort has made peace in the world, especially peace of mind for abused children.
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Honorable Mentions:
YOUTH PEACE PRIZE
Idoia Dizon, Colonial Trail ES, gr. 5
Have you ever heard of a kid winning the Nobel Peace Prize? Well if they made a Youth Peace Prize I would really try to win it! I would solve problems, do a lot of things to make it. happen, and encourage kids around the world to help the cause. It would be a lot. of work!
Even though I'm only eleven years old, I believe I can solve problems to make a difference in the world. One of the problems is the fighting between North Korea and South Korea. Another problem is the malnourished children around the world. The number of people dying because of it is as horrendous as the ghastly number of casualties in a war. The last problem I would try to fix would be the fact that some countries don't give a proper education to the children that live there. My Mom likes to say, "A child without education, is like a soldier without a gun." I think that I would solve that one.
I believe that even children can take action to solve colossal differences around the world. Something I could do is to make a treaty to calm the bewildering fighting in North Korea and South Korea. Another thing I could do is donate food to poor countries such as the Philippines, and Haiti. The last thing I would do is create a school for penniless children, so that they can have the same awe-inspiring education as us, and become civilized adults in society.
With all that I 'm going to do, I'll need a lot of help! One thing that I can do is call friends, family, and neighbors to ask them to support the cause. Another thing I could do is place an ad in the newspaper. The last thing I would do is devise a website for people to donate money, and join the learn of people making the world a more peaceful place. It may be a lofty idea, but I believe that I could really win a Nobel Peace Prize for kids! I have passionate convictions, I am willing to work hard, and I am willing to get as many people as it takes to support the cause. I believe that kids can truly make a difference in the world, especially with their generous, creative ideas.
The Tree Huggers Organization
Hank Holland, Tuckahoe ES, gr. 5
I think to make the world a better place to live we need to take action. I have an idea that will protect the Amazon's environment and animals. If people don't start preserving the Amazon it will turn into a desert. It is one of the largest rainforests on Earth and we need to treasure it. The Amazon has many animals that are close to extinction. I have a way to make the world a better place.
As a kid I am going to make brochures and get the message to everybody. The brochures will interest people about the Amazon, and show them we need to preserve it. I will form a small club with my friends and we will hand out brochures to our neighborhoods. People will get the message and spread the word. As a kid this is how I plan to save the Amazon.
As an adult I will start and build an organization called the Tree Huggers organization to preserve the Amazon. There will be tours and nature walks through the Amazon showing people the amazing environment it has. There will also be teachers talking and teaching everyone about the Amazon. Then, we will have groups of people putting up signs preserving areas. This organization will help the Amazon and man kind grow.
When more people find out about the tree Huggers organization it will grow and the Amazon will grow. People will continue the Tree Huggers organization for generations and the world will find many new things through the organization. The organization will turn the Amazon into the biggest wild life and plant life area in the world. People will be inspired throughout the world and create other organizations like my organization.
The Tree Huggers organization will make a huge impact on the environment in the Amazon. People will be inspired and build more Tree Huggers organizations throughout the world making it a better place to live. The Amazon will grow and new animals will be discovered there. The Amazon will become a stronger healthier environment. The Tree Huggers organization will make the Amazon and the world a better place to live.
The Problem in Hamstie City
Ethan Xie, Colonial Trail ES, gr. 5
Once there was a place named Hamstie City that had always found some way to battle other cities. Peace never existed in this warlike city.
One day a boy named Alex had a wonderful teacher named Mrs. Adam. Mrs. Adam came from a different city and was trying to spread peace throughout all the cities. She knew teaching peace in the city of Hamstie would be a very difficult and challenging task. She taught her only student Alex on how to spread peace. Alex learned very quickly that his city was not peaceful at all. Fights filled the city and soldiers marched away to fight wars. Alex loved his teachers' lesson and learned how to spread peace very quickly. He tried to do what his teacher told him, but it didn't seem to have any effect on the city. Instead of spreading peace to adults, he tried to spread peace to his friends. His friends soon loved peace and tried to spread peace to their friends. It went on and on until all of the cities children were peace lovers. The children grew up not to have fights and soon the city of Hamstie was very peaceful and never had a single problem again. The people of Hamstie City learned that to teach peace, you must teach it at a young age.
This story may seem a little bit far fetched, but in reality this could actually happen. An example of peace happening in the world was the situation in Cairo. When the citizens went against the government, the army was commanded to shoot them, but did not kill because of the armies' education which they were taught not to attack their own people. In the end the Egyptian government agreed to step down.
f I could have the chance to spread peace around the world, I would make all the public and private schools to teach peace. A way for the teachers to teach peace is to show their students what would happen if there was no peace. Then, they could teach their student what could happen if there was peace. It would benefit everybody because with peace no wars would be fought. Without wars, no lives would be needed to be sacrificed. As you can clearly see, peace should be taught to kids around the world.
Spreading The Peace
Charlotte Zerbst, Pinchbeck ES, gr. 5
Everyone should be able to have a chance at peace. If I had the chance to win a Youth Peace Prize I would change others lives. It seems impossible for a 10-year old to achieve such an enormous feat, but nothing is impossible. By helping people who don't have basic essentials as simple as water, others will realize they need to help. Humanity can spread the peace. If happiness is contagious, why can't peace be?
I would help supply water because it is a basic need. People in Africa might think we are greedy and I don't blame them. We have millions of dollars yet we can't spend a penny on them. They are working on getting wells while over in America we have touch less faucets and unlimited water. Peace isn't just about stopping wars. It's about being a kind and generous person so you can spread the love. I have already done this project. I thought of the idea because a helper from my Christian Youth Theater was raising money for the cause. She was trying to make peace also. That inspired me to push further. It makes you feel like a million dollars when you know you have saved someone's life.
The actions I took to inform people were by hanging posters around my school and talking to communities to let the word out. To let them see that there are people out there who have nothing. If you don't work at your dream you will get nowhere. Every morning I reminded my peers about my cause and every afternoon I went to each classroom and counted penny by penny. With each roll of pennies, dimes, or quarters my hope grew to make this change. I ended up raising more than $500 because I longed for peace. You become a better person when you help. If everyone helps, the world will be a peaceful place.
When you are full of peace you are a kinder person. You are generous and loving person. I can't make the world a better place alone, but it's another thing if a thousand people join together to make a peaceful world. The Earth is not peaceful now. There are wars, shootings, and people being plain out rude, but if we work hard enough we could stop those terrible things. I will start in Henrico, then branch throughout Virginia, then the United States. We could make the world a peaceful world. It all starts with one action.