These students won the 2023 Human Rights Day essay contest
Students across the Siouxland Empire recently competed in an essay contest, celebrating Human Rights Day.
The day, honored each Dec. 10, marks the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. And this year's theme for the contest was "Sustainability, We Can Do It."
The contest is a chance to "raise awareness about the Declaration and rights, and especially forstudents to express their thoughts and feelings in writing on topics important to them and all society," organizers said in a press release ahead of the competition this year.
This is the 13th year for the contest. Winners were recognized Dec. 10, and this year is the first time all three top winners in seventh grade are from the same school and teachers.
Here's a closer look at the winners, chosen by an independent panel of judges, whose decisions are final, the release states. Of note, rather than a second and third place, students were recognized as runners-up.
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First, eigth grade
Title: “Availability of Clean Water”
Author: Melvina Ranjitkar
School/teacher: Memorial Middle School, teacher Mrs. Summers
Clean water is a sustainable factor that humans need to survive. Nepal has had poor water quality for the past 30 decades. Houses are supplied with water, mostly from rivers, but its accessibility isn’t always consistent. The water carries waste, and when people drink from it, they often get diseases. On average, 75 tons of waste go into rivers everyday and 80% comes from households. The UN states, “clean water is fundamental to everyone’s health, dignity and prosperity,” but 25% of Nepal’s population doesn’t have access to sustainable drinking water. Personally, I have noticed how factors have affected these numbers. I have family in Nepal.
This past summer when we went to visit, I noticed how they have so much more value for water, while here in the US people take water for granted. The water is very inconsistent because polluted rivers take a long time to be cleaned, and as a result, jugs of water have to be delivered house to house, randomly throughout the day. Rivers are brimming with garbage, which affects the water supply to many houses. Since there are many difficulties regarding Nepal’s water sustainability and their water pollution, organizations have stepped up to help. For example, the UNICEF program, which has funds to enhance the access to secure water, improves sanitation services, and it also brings recognition to pollution problems. With organizations helping developing countries, they can bring awareness to water sustainability issues, which will encourage more people to to step up and take action.
First, seventh grade
Title: “Water Pollution Is No Joke”
Author: Avrianna Jung
School/teacher: Ben Reifel Middle School, teachers Mrs. Soldatke and Mrs. Krommendyk
It is important that we sustain the Earth for future generations, and about 71 percent of that Earth is water. All humans have the right to water and sanitation, but water pollution is making that right difficult to uphold. Water pollution is harming our lakes, rivers, ponds, and oceans. It is also causing an unsafe habitat for animals. Nearly 100,000 marine mammals die every year from plastic pollution. Land animals are also highly affected by water pollution because they will become ill if they drink the polluted water.
Every year there are about 500,000 humans worldwide who get diseases and die from drinking polluted water. Also, billions of people around the world have no access to clean water.
So what causes water pollution? The six main causes of water pollution are: Deforestation, Industry, Trash/littering, Sewage, Fuel and oil spillages, and traffic on bodies of water.
Let's help stop water pollution. It can be hard to stop water pollution on a big scale, however each of us can do our part. By participating in campaigns, picking up trash near bodies of water, using less plastic, conserving water.
I encourage you to learn more about water pollution, and to help keep waters clean for future generations. Because our human right to water and sanitation is important for our survival, and the survival of all living things on Earth. We can sustain the Earth if we change the way we behave.
Runner up, eigth grade
Title: “Pine Ridge Reservation: Hope for a Cleaner and Greener Future”
Author: Demi Fluent
School/teacher: Memorial Middle School, teacher Ms. Jackson
On the canvas of which is Pine Ridge Reservation, strokes of sustainable innovation paint a picture of a community determined to redefine its relationship with the land, proving that from the roots of adversity, the sprouts of sustainability can emerge.
The Pine Ridge reservation of South Dakota is considered the poorest county and reservation in the United States. Many homes lack running water or efficient systems to heat their home during South Dakota’s long winter season.
In 2010, the Native American Sustainable Housing Initiative (or NASHI) was founded at the University of Colorado. The following year a starting group of 16 students began the journey of sustainable living on South Dakota’s tribal grounds.
Students began collaborating with the community of Pine Ridge to begin building a housing development using sustainable and eco-friendly materials such as straw bale, structural insulated panel, and advanced wood framing. This housing project will continue to directly impact current and future residents by encouraging them to learn sustainable building techniques, use energy conservation strategies, learn to grow renewable construction materials, and acquire construction trade skills and employment (Environmental Protection Agency, 2017).
While the project is still ongoing, so far it has improved the quality of Pine Ridge on multiple fronts; both economically and environmentally.
As the sun sets on Pine Ridge Reservation, it paints a portrait of a community not just living sustainably but living in harmony with the earth- a final brushstroke in a masterpiece of resilience, commitment, and hope; for a cleaner and greener future.
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Runner up, eigth grade
Title: "Recharge to Recycle”
Author: Jacob Hogue
School/teacher: O’Gorman Jr Hi School,teacher Ms. Payne
Until a bit ago, I didn’t know how to dispose of Batteries. I would just throw them into the garbage can and that would be it. Upon further research, I discovered that there is a specific way depending on state and battery type. This made me wonder how many others took the time to look into this, and when I checked e-waste statistics, I learned there probably weren’t many.
Sixty million dollars is enough to buy three hundred cheap Lamborghinis. What if I told you that the same amount of precious ores is thrown away yearly in the US as electronic waste? Electronic waste is waste that comes from electronics and it’s a growing problem. What is often branded as e-waste is usually not waste, but a whole item that can be reused or destroyed for its valuable parts. What can we do to fight this growing problem, well a couple of things. First, instead of buying a new electronic device, try to get it repaired. If it can’t be repaired, sell it for the parts and recycle the rest responsibly. Before recycling, separate the broken parts that may contain toxic chemicals. This problem can be solved if we raise awareness and all play our part.
Runner up, seventh grade
Title: “Freshwater; a needed and limited resource”
Author: Brynn Olson
School/teacher: Ben Reifel Middle School, teachers Mrs. Soldatke and Mrs. Krommendyk
Human right law number fourteen says that all citizens have the right to seek a safe place to live where there is clean water and I believe this is important for all people to live their best life. The average American shower lasts about eight minutes which is about sixteen gallons of water! Most people don’t know freshwater is not an infinite resource that we might run out of if we don't take action. According to Professor Benjamin Sovacool, “There will be no water by 2040 if we keep doing what we’re doing today.”
So how can we stop the misuse of water? To start with, people should be educated to understand that only three percent of water is freshwater. Of that three percent, seventy-nine percent of freshwater is from glaciers and icebergs which is inaccessible. This leaves us with a meager amount of freshwater for about eight billion people!
So what can we do? We can start by taking four minute showers instead of eight. When we are washing laundry, wait until you have the max amount of clothes then run a load. When we wash our hands we can shut off the water while we scrub with soap. We can all do our part to save water, we have the right to clean water and I believe that we can save freshwater if we all work together, united as one.
Runner up, seventh grade
Title: “Plastic Pollution And How We Can Help”
Author: Harrizon Lopez
School/teacher: Ben Reifel Middle School,teachers Mrs. Soldatke and Mrs. Krommendyk
The International Human Doctrine of Rights states that all citizens globally are entitled to a world that provides them with safe water and air. Plastic pollution impacts this right. We can all help to end plastic pollution. Plastic can damage wildlife and the ocean, but it also poisons underground water. Plastic damages the ocean because more than one million tons are dumped into the ocean annually which pollutes the ocean and the ocean life. When oceans get polluted living organisms die.
Plastic pollution not only harms ocean life, but it harms humans too. Plastic releases harmful chemicals that can get into the soil. This damages the soil because the plastic is not recycled. Harmful chemicals get deep into the underground water which poisons the water. If the underground water that we drink is poisoned then it will impact humans and wildlife in a negative way. These harmful chemicals can get into the air we breathe and affect all living beings in a negative way .
Global citizens can reverse the damage of pollution caused by plastic. It is simple, if we all recycle plastics, pollution can be reduced.
In conclusion, it is important that the human right of clean air and water be sustained worldwide. The survival of the Earth and everything in it depends on this. All we need to do is recycle and use less plastic. This will result in a healthier environment. These changes to our daily life will allow future generations to live in a better environment.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Here's who won the 2023 Human Rights Day essay contest
