2002 International Essay Contest for Young People
List of Winners
No. of participating countries: 66
No. of entries: 2,437 (Children’s category: 1,374 / Youth category: 1,063)

1st Prize
Children's category (1 entrant)Youth category (1 entrant)

Harmony is My World

Anastasia Rakava (Age 11, Belarus)

Harmony
Liat Margalit (Age 18, Israel)

2nd Prize
Children's category (2 entrants)
Youth category (2 entrants)

HarmonyMariam Tazeem (Age 11, Pakistan)Harmony on Earth: A True Magnum Opus
Allison Zbicz (Age 18, U.S.A.)

What is Harmony? [Chowa towa Nandeshoka] (Original in Japanese)

Generations of Harmony for the 21 Century
Dario D'Andrea (Age 18, Italy)

Akane Ueda
(Age 9, Japan <Living in U.S.A.)

3rd Prize
Children's category (5 entrants)

Youth category (5 entrants)



Takuma Okubo (Age 15, Japan)

Shi Jia Yu (Age 18, China)Munam Arshad (Age 11, Pakistan)

Kuniko Wada (Age 17, Japan)

Ulfath Nizar (Age 15, Sri Lanka)Kaluachchi Gedara Lasanthi Manjula BandaraMaho Saito (Age 12, Canada)Rida Fatima (Age 12, Pakistan)(Age 16, Nepal)

Ornwipa Rugkhla (Age 22, Australia)

Irene Kabura Gakaho (Age 24, Kenya)

Honorable Mention
Children's category (25 entrants)

Youth category (21 entrants)

Fatima Ahmed (Age 9, Pakistan)Yuri Asada (Age 15, Japan <Living in U.K.>)Samantha Karlin (Age 10, U.S.A.)

Fang Lei (Age 15, China)

Aliona Yefimova (Age 10, Lithuania)



Tatiana del Carmen Gomez CoronadoSneha Shah (Age 11, U.S.A.)

Dasha Komisaruck (Age 12, Belarus)Susan Marion Robertson (Age 16, Canada)Masha Korshunova (Age 12, Belarus)Divya Vaze (Age 17, Hong Kong)(Age 16, Panama)1

Yuki Sano (Age 12, Vietnam)

Yuka Hamamura (Age 12, U.S.A.)

Rhoda-Jane IlaveNatalie Gvozdikova (Age 17, Belarus)(Age 13, Papua New Guinea)



McKenzie Kehoe (Age 17, Canada)Junichi Nishi (Age 13, Japan)Andrea Susoliakova (Age 17, Slovakia)

Cole Brian (Age 13, U.S.A.)

Anton Adriana Diana (Age 17, Romania)

Yurina Ichikawa (Age 14, Canada)

Katie Firth (Age 17, Canada)Wang Mei Yi (Age 14, China)Rafael Belfor Rios Munoz (Age 17, Chile)

Yumiko Okazaki (Age 14), Italy

Mao Ya Min (Age 17, China)Miho Takahashi (Age 14, Venezuela)

Saurabh B. Singanapalli (Age 19, India)

Sara Rasul Bangash (Age 14, Pakistan)Sara Meshino (Age 19, Japan)Elias Ezequiel Romero Farias (Age 14, Chile)

Yumiko Ito (Age 21, Japan)

Kate Pobortseva (Age 14, Belarus)

Aya Okada (Age 21, Japan)

Naomi Erlewine (Age 15, U.S.A.)

Kaoru Goto (Age 21, Japan)



Umara Alam (Age 15, Pakistan)

Noriko Ando (Age 22, Japan)Yasith Udara (Age 15, Sri Lanka)Daisuke Karakama (Age 22, Japan)

Madoka Oki (Age 15, Tokyo)

Evguenia Malaia (Age 23, Russia)

Zachariah Khadudu Odhiambo(Age 17, Chile)(Age 15, Kenya)Zain Khalid (Age 15, Pakistan)Annabel Sawer (Age 15, U.S.A.)

Best School Award (2 schools)


O.P.F. Girls College (Pakistan)Musashino Higashi Junior High School (Japan)

Jacqueline Paulina Herrera Carrasco

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2002 International Essay Contest for Young People[Children's Category – 1st Prize]

Harmony is My World(Original)
Anastasia Rakava(Age 11, Belarus)

Peace and harmony are the most precious things that people have.
In my understanding, harmony can be of different kinds: harmony
with people, nature and animals, harmony with your own self.

I think each family must live in harmony. It makes no difference if it
is small or large. My family is not large but it is very harmonious. We
are a family of three: father, mother and I. It seems to me we are apart of one thing. If we have some problems, we solve them together.
My father is an international route driver, and when he is far from
home, I miss him badly. I often ring him up though it costs a lot of money. But I want to hear
his voice, and it fills me with comfort and peace. When father is not at home, it seems to me
that a part of us is far away. And it hurts me. But when we are all at home, we are never bored.
We make jokes, go shopping, and visit our friends and relatives.

We have two pets at home. They are a dog-his name is Max, and a kitten- his name is Levka.
They are still very small. The dog is only three months old and kitten is two. But in spite of theirage, they have become a part of our family, and we can't imagine our life without them.

Harmony with nature in general is also very essential. Nature is our mother and to live inharmony with it is our duty. We must protect nature in every possible way; we must help it; wemust first think and then interfere into its life. People must always have in mind theconsequence of their activities, so as not to destroy fragile nature's links. People who live inharmony with nature never offend it; they always enjoy its beauty. Nature is admired all year
round-in spring, when it wakes up from its long winter sleep, when trees and bushes put on
fresh leaves, when gardens are blooming and birds are singing their wonderful songs. In
summer, we enjoy fields and gardens full of flowers, we watch insects at their work, bees3

collecting nectar, butterflies fluttering from flower to flower, dragonflies dancing their magic
dance in the sunshine. In winter, we are charmed by sparkling snow and brilliant stars shining
in the dark skies. The snow and trees covered with snow seem unreal under the magic light offull moon at frosty winter night. All these magic changes of nature fill my soul with love, peaceand harmony. I am so grateful for my Mother Nature that it makes my life happy andenjoyable.

But as soon as nature's harmony is destroyed by man, the consequences of it can be horrible.
In this connection I can't but mention the Chernobyl explosion that broke out in spring of 1986.
I was not born yet at that time, but know about it quite well as at present time, all people of myland have to live through its consequences. My native land suffered greatly. About 23 percentof the Belarusian territory is contaminated with radioactive elements. People can't grow crops
in these areas; they can't gather either mushrooms or berries in the forests. Life itself has
become impossible there, as invisible but very insidious danger is everywhere. Many people
left their homes and had to start their life anew. A lot of them died or became invalids. The
tragedy is going on. Radiation penetrated into our soil, water and air. Many people havealready suffered from the radiation, but what is worse, our children and grandchildren will
suffer too from the irresponsible action taken by their grandfathers. And I am so much afraid
for my future life and for life of my children.

To live in harmonious with your inner self is not less important than to live in harmony withother people and nature. I understand it in the following way. If a person has to make a very
important choice to find a way out of a difficult situation, he should listen to his inner voice. He
should understand his inner world. If he is a harmonic person, his choice will be right. He will
make no mistake. We should follow the call of our heart more often, then we won't make tragic
mistakes, because we are a part of nature and nature won't let us down. But we must keep oureyes and ears and heart open to it.

I am sure if harmony prevails in the world, our planet will live a peaceful and happy life withoutwars, diseases and hunger. Children will have a happy childhood, while their parents andgrandparents will lead a quiet life.

Let harmony prevail in the world. This is my greatest desire.

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2002 International Essay Contest for Young People[Youth Category – 1st Prize]

Harmony(Original)
Liat Margalit(Age 18, Israel)"The wolf also should dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie
down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling
together" (Isaiah 11:6)

Coming from the tough reality dictated by the everyday life of the
Middle East, writing an essay about harmony is a great challenge.
Having that for the last two years, we live an ongoing, daily, andsome would even say, chronic war between two peoples sharing aland; or at least two nations that are supposed to share a common land, Palestinians andIsraelis. And yet, things weren't always like this. Once, we too knew the meaning of true
harmony and coexistence. Instead of writing a definition to what harmony is, I would like totell you about an experience I had, a story that on days like these sounds almost imaginary,and yet might bring some hope.

In the year of 1998 I became active in a program called "Seeds of Peace", a youth movementthat brings Arab and Israeli teenagers together for a summer camp in the State of Maine. The
aim of this movement is to allow coexistence to take place on a neutral ground, while theteenagers get to know each other and re-humanize the face of what had once been called "theenemy". Seeds of Peace became not only a summer camp for me, it became a way of life. I
therefore made a decision. I chose to remain an active member and bring more people
together from both sides to terms of understanding. That was the beginning of a personal
journey, which allowed me to explore what is called other side and its culture, a culture thatwas hidden from me throughout my entire life.

I have so many stories to tell, but I chose to write about this one, since the atmosphere wasindeed one of harmony and true love. Allow me to take you three years back.

5The time is Christmas Eve of 1999. The place is the Church of Nativity, Bethlehem. The sights
are glorious; the sounds are wonderful. The new millennium is soon to arrive. Hopes for peace
are flowing within people's hearts. I don't think I can find enough words to describe the sights
I witnessed. Hundreds if not thousands of people from all cultures, all nations, all religions,came to the Church of the Nativity from all over the world, few because of their own faith, andothers in order to observe.

Among all of those people, you can find me too standing within the crowd, a Jewish teenager
who never dreamt she would be standing on the square of the church. I was there as a part ofa group of young brave people, who decided they want to live the dream of the foreverpromised peace, who decided they have the will and power to fulfill it. Along with my fellow
Seeds of Peace, in a group consisting of Jews, Christians and Muslims, we stood there hand in
hand, arm in arm, and within ourselves, heart to heart.

I remembered the words of prophet Isaiah taken from the bible, which was said somethousands years ago. All of a sudden, those words became a reality. Palestinians and Israelis
CAN live together; Palestinians and Israelis CAN love one another. And when I think about
harmony, and those words come to my mind, I see this picture, of myself with my Palestinian
friends, on that Christmas night--This is harmony.

The ability to coexist and live peacefully with each other-we learnt from one another; we
educated one another; we understood each other. We found out things we didn't know before.
I know from experience that we can live in harmony. We can achieve a world in which every
individual and every nation can freely express their individual qualities, while living in harmony
with one another and with all life on earth, by reaching mutual comprehension, and mostimportantly, by respecting one another.

I will continue my efforts to bring together as many people as possible, here in my region, andhelp them through my experience and stories to accomplish a dialogue. This is something I
have been doing for the last four years of my life, and I don't plan to stop, despite all difficulties,
and despite criticism I get from people who'd rather fight in order to achieve their goals. I plan
to go on until one day, if not I, then my kids will live in peace and harmony. My kids will knowthat what is called the enemy has a face; what we have thought to be a monster is a humanbeing, just like me, just like everyone else. And hopefully one day when I have kids, they too

6will stand with their Palestinian friends in the Church of Nativity, within a crowd of people
coming from all over the world, UNITED.

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2002 International Essay Contest for Young People[Children's Category – 2nd Prize]

Harmony(Original)
Mariam Tazeem(Age 11, Pakistan)

No matter how important you think material things are in life-and they do make it more
comfortable-inner peace and harmony are key.

If you control your emotions, no one can control you. If you are at peace, then all good things
will come your way. Have a dream, remember nothing is impossible. Don't let anyone oranything deter you from your goals in life. Repel the negative, and absorb the positive. Always
be yourself and have a good time. Visualize yourself as you want to be and you will be it.

Peace begins within our own being where God resides beyond our seeing, and peace is one
thing you'll never find, when you are at war in your own heart and mind.

Love comes in all shapes and sizes. When it comes into your life, grab it, hold tight to it, andallow it to warm your heart and soul forever. How rare and wonderful is that flash of a moment
when we realize we have discovered a friend.

Friendships are the one thing in life that can be constant. No matter whether you speak often
to each other, or time passes. Sometime you will find that your thoughts wing their way to yourfriend, just as they are also at that time, thinking of you.

Peace within you must come first. It comes in many ways. It may quietly overtake us, or it may
burst upon us, showing us the way. What lies behind us and what lies before us are small
matters compared to what lies within us.

Today, something is happening to the whole structure of human consciousness. A fresh kind oflife is starting. Driven by the forces of love, the fragments of the world are seeking each other,so that the world may come into being.

8Of course people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life ina war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally
ordinary people don't want war in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany either.
That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and
it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, a fascist
dictatorship, a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, people can always
be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they arebeing attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing thecountry to danger. It works the same in any country.

I have so much faith in people. I just think they cannot all be stupid. This is a time when theentire planet can see we have to change. I think that really matters. I think it makes adifference.

A human being is a part of a whole, called the universe, a part limited in time and space. He
experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the restc a kindof optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us toour personal desires and to affection for a few people nearest to us. Our task must be to freeourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures
and the whole of nature in its beauty.

When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pain, but that we can mobilize it
into a common search for life, that very pain is transformed from expressions of despair into
signs of hope.

I think it's possible that we can live in Peace in this World - beyond, and in spite of, all our
different belief systems. Surely it is possible that we can let go of limited concepts that divideus, and arrive at a place that includes all of us.

I believe there is a Source of all things, by whatever name we call it, and whether we arescientific, religious, atheist or agnostic. If we all have the willingness, we can live in a World
beyond borders, and enjoy being in a human family beyond race.

We can find a way to include all of us, and live in mutual respect. I believe the World is my
Family, and most of all, I believe we all can be friends.

9Life would be meaningless without the feelings of your heart, but it is not enough to have them,
you must share them.

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2002 International Essay Contest for Young People[Children's Category – 2nd Prize]

調和とは何でしょうか（原文）上田

茜（9 歳）

日本＜米国リッチモンド市在住＞
スプリングフィールド パーク エレメンタリー スクール

私の通っているバージニア州の小学校にはいろんな国からのお友達がいます。肌の色も違えば、もともとの話す言葉も違っているうえに、年れいも、まちまちだったりします。でも一人一人が仲良く楽しい学校生活をすごしています。先生もやさしく、しかし時にきびしく教えてくださいます。
先生が、いつもみんなに言われることは、すべての人を、リスペクトしなさいということです。これはクラスのお友達に対してだけではなく、バスの運転手さんやカフェテリアの先生など、ふだん私たちがお世話になっている多くの人たちも、ふくんでいます。
みんなが仲良くくらすためには、自分だけの事を考えていてはむりで、まわりのいろいろな人たちのことをリスペクトしなくてはならないと思います。これは一人だけで、かいけつできることではな
くて、一人一人みんながその気持ちをもたなければ、きづくことの出来ない問題だと思います。
私は、いじめがきらいです。なぜならば、いじめをする人は、はっきりと自分の意見を言わない人
で、いつも強い方の味方に付くような、ひきょうものだからです。これはアンフェアだといいます。
自分の意見をきちんと主張し相手の事も考えていくように一人一人が気をつけたらいじめはずいぶんへるだろうと思います。
アメリカの学校にきて、お友達や先生がほんのちょっとしたことでもすごくほめてくれることに気付き感心しました。だけど、お友達のことを悪く言うと、先生はすごく怒ります。たとえ、おにごっこをしていても、鬼になったお友達をあまりはやし立てると、先生はそれをみていて、いじめた子供をすごく厳しくしかっていたことがありました。日本ではあまりこんな事はなかったのでびっくりしました。
リスペクトとは簡単に言うと心からほめてあげる気持ちだと思います。ほめられると、うれしいし、
もっとよくなって、人の役に立とうという気持ちもわいてきます。
もしも、今のアメリカのクラスが日本にあったら私は少し、ぞっとします。見た目がちがったり、年もちがったりすれば理由もなくいじめる子供がいるでしょう。調和とは日本の学校のようにみんな同じ人種でいたり、同じ服そうやぼうしを身につけることではないと思います。一人一人の相手に対する親切な気持ちで作られる、ふんい気が調和のもとだと思います。おたがいをリスペクトする気持
ちが、私たちの生活の調和をつくるもとだと思います。

11

私も毎日の生活の上で、すべての人をリスペクトする気持ちを忘れないように気をつけようとおも
います。

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2002 International Essay Contest for Young People[Youth Category – 2nd Prize]

Harmony on Earth: A True Magnum Opus
(Original)
Allison Zbicz(Age 18, U.S.A.)

Though difficult to attain, harmony is not just some abstract utopian ideal. It is more than themere cessation of gunfire, more than "peaceful coexistence," and more than the serenity of abeautiful spring day. Just as in music, where harmony is the coming together of varied anddistinct parts to create one glorious masterpiece, harmony between people is the coming
together of diverse peoples to create one glorious masterpiece: a united humanity.

To obtain harmony between people and among nations, we must call for an appreciation for all
people, regardless of religion or political beliefs. Harmony necessitates understanding,forgiveness, respect for life, and trust. If the world can attain these things, the world can attainharmony and peace.

All nations and people have, at some point in their history, wronged others and been wronged
by others. A nation that "keeps count" of grievances is always able to enumerate thetransgressions of other nations, but is conveniently blinded to its own wrongdoing. Regardlessof how morally questionable or corrupt its actions may be, no country or person actuallyperceives itself as an unjustified aggressor. Even Hitler was able to convince himself that the
Jews were somehow deserving of their fate. As a result of our biases, we must come to realizethat our suffering cannot be compared with the suffering of others, that sometimes we must
compromise our idea of "justice" for the sake of peace. The healing of divisions cannot begin
until the fighting has ended.

In the tragic ongoing conflict in the Middle East, both the Israelis and Palestinians continuallyharm each other. Because both sides are unyielding, it does not matter which group is more
innocent and pure. A change in leadership cannot cause the people to forget their pastsufferings, so how can we expect peace in the Middle East unless these peoples can learn toforgive each other their debts and start over? Unless they can learn to respect and value all life,

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regardless of ethnicity, unless they learn to tolerate and even appreciate diversity, unless they
can trust the integrity of each other's promises, they can never have harmony. While leaderscertainly have a responsibility to help guide people along the right paths, I along with all thecitizens of the world have an obligation to help those who need it, to hope and pray forreconciliation, and to try to understand those who persecute us. Who am I to judge themotives of other's actions? Who am I to hate those who are themselves hurting andmisguided? Every generation in every time and place has had their own burdens to bear, but
working towards harmony is a never-ending struggle, something we must keep working
towards even when it seems hopeless, especially when it seems hopeless.

How can we catalyze this desire for peace and harmony in the world? How do we get people toforgive in spite of their pain? I believe that a true and complete harmony is not created in one
sweeping action, but rather, one person at a time. Through education, we can weaken anddispel many social prejudices. By helping people try to look at the conflict from a different
perspective, by helping them see that different is not the same as evil, we can work towards amore peaceful earth. In music, a magnum opus, or great work, is created by hundreds ofthemes woven together on a grand scale. As the name implies, the composer dedicates his life
to the creation of this work. For us to create a harmonious world, we cannot just expect it tohappen on its own, we must dedicate ourselves to this great work. We must be the composers
of a harmonious future.

Yes, some people in the world have unleashed terrible destruction and have caused immense
pain for others, but we must not let vengeance be our motive for action. We must convince ourneighbors that it is time to start over with "a clean state," or better yet, with no slate at all.
Maybe such a plea will be viewed by the world as youthfully naive and optimistic, but what
other choice do we have? A harmonious world cannot be won with tanks and fighter jets, andsuch a proposition is decidedly absurd. Yet, many world leaders today seem to sincerely
believe that violence can put an end to violence, and that diplomacy is expendable. What I ask
is this: If we cannot even take the time to try to understand our adversaries, what hope isthere for the composition of a peaceful and harmonious world?

"The greatest challenge of the day is: how to bring about a revolution of the heart."- DorothyDay

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2002 International Essay Contest for Young People[Youth Category – 2nd Prize]

Generations of Harmony for the Twenty-First Century」(Original)
Dario D'Andrea(Age 18, Italy)

There is a place where love becomes something I can touch with my bare hands, a place where
my needs are entirely fulfilled and I feel safe from every kind of danger. That place is my home,where I live with my family. We are a close group of four people who live a simple, yet
comfortable, life in a nation ranked as one of the top eight most industrialized countries in theworld. We eat three times every day, we have a satisfactory house, two cars, nice furniture
and we can afford to go on vacation for one month every year. I live surrounded by serenity,
and some of our friends maintain that we live in harmony.

I can't really imagine a better life, for I have received a lot without any merit. I'm a teenager,
like many others. I wear nice clothes and have gone to school everyday since I was six. I'mhoping to do something with my life in the future that will allow me to have everything myparents have, if not something more. Sometimes I worry that I'll not pass a test, if a person
likes me or not, or if I'll succeed in something useful and productive. But there are moments in
my life that go beyond simply whining about these meaningless issues.

There are moments when I feel a deep pain in my chest, as if there is not enough air to breathe.
The appearance of harmony in my everyday life vanishes while I wonder - how many people
are not as fortunate as I am? How many mothers don't have food to feed their skinny children?
How many children have to work in a mine? How many families don't have a place to callhome?

All over the world it's happening: hunger, crimes, diseases, homelessness. Though I haven't
been directly exposed to such extremes, I know they exist. It makes me thankful, though insome respects, miserable - not being one of them, and being instead one of lucky people wholive in the world of abundance. That's the real proof that there will never be true happiness inthe world without helping all people who are suffering in the world. My little existence will

15

never find harmony without dedication to other people, to those less fortunate than myself.

People such as Dr. Albert Schweitzer opened his eyes to the true meaning of life: reachingharmony through helping people who live in Third World countries.

Economists predict that the twenty-first century will be marked by globalization. Others
believe the Internet is the real symbol of this century. Why can't we change this century to beremembered in history as the one committed to creating a world of harmony? It was
impossible in the fifteenth century for most people to imagine the world as a sphere. It was
unacceptable in the eighteenth century for most people to believe that men one day weregoing too be able to fly. Today there are no boundaries between the possible and theimpossible. Today what is considered impossible: tomorrow becomes possible, and justbecause there are people who believe in making human dreams reality.

There is a place on this earth where people of every nationality have to forgive past mistakes,
learn from the errors and look ahead to the future with bright collaboration. The place is theUnited Nations. I believe the United Nations is the organization that can change the world, theplace where harmony can be created and spread over the entire world. For this reason mybiggest dream is to be able to work in this organization in the near future. My ambition is to beable to make a change in the world, convincing everybody of the necessity of peace, equality,and justice.

It is a hard goal to achieve, and it will take the commitment of study and dedication. There issomething I do everyday that brings harmony within my grasp: within the reach of the world.
Every time I respect any belief different from my own, every time I offer my help to people inneed, every time I smile at a person I've never met before, I see the marvelous essence ofharmony.

I ask you to join me in the mission to awaken emotions such as love, respect and friendship in
people's hearts. Life is not a simple sum of success and wealth that a person can reach in somedecades. Life is too short, and we'll not bring our wealth with us when we die. Everything webuild is our dedication to create a better world for future generations because from generation
to generation our dream of harmony will become a true, powerful and wonderful reality!

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