Winning essay contest earns teen trip to UN
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 10/04/2011 (5473 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
When you’re passionate about a topic, speaking up and voicing your opinion isn’t all that hard, says Grade 11 student Grace Tahhan.
Earlier this year, a guidance counsellor at Crocus Plains high school alerted Tahhan to a unique opportunity available to high school students across Canada and the U.S. — the Oddfellows & Rebekahs United Nations Pilgrimage for Youth — which was established by The Sovereign Grand Lodge Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1949.
All Tahhan had to do was write an essay discussing the importance of the United Nations. Tahhan, who was born in Israel, chose the refugee situation in Palestine as her first example, while her second task was to write and present a speech discussing the role of the UN in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
"My essay talked a lot about the fact that the UN isn’t biased to any country and culture, it’s an organization for the world that offers help not based on political biases but on need," Tahhan told the Sun.
Inspired by a recent world issues class, Tahhan took on the challenge, submitted her essay and presented her speech to a panel of judges and won, beating other competitors from across the province.
At the end of June, Tahhan will go on a 12-day journey to the UN headquarters in New York City and then onto Ottawa, Niagara Falls, Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg, Pa.
"It’s a great opportunity," Tahhan told the Sun. "I know I’ll meet great people and learn a ton along the way. It’s an honour to be chosen."
Annually, the UN Pilgrimage brings together high school students from around the world to study and learn about the UN. Students tour the UN building in New York and listen to behind-the-scenes briefings conducted by specialized UN agencies and departments including ambassadors and country representatives. In addition, the students will attend a Broadway play, visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Rockefeller Center.
More than 43,000 people have participated in the UN Pilgrimage since it was developed in 1949.