Speak Up, Speak Out:
Embracing the Significance of Our Voices
同志社国際高等学校

２年

山内

あかり

How many of you have doubted yourself and asked, “Is my voice heard?” Iknow I have. We are being sucked into a world where popularity is valued
over the message. No wonder we are constantly questioning ourselves about
whether our thoughts, our ideas, and our voices are making an impact.
In our globalized world, we have access to information at the tip of ourfingers, and we see people fighting for fame through social media platforms.
They feel a constant need for attention in order to be heard. Due to this, weare pressured as if we are being judged by our every move, whether it is what
we do or what we say, and this mindset is affecting us. We are losing thekey ingredient that shapes us and our confidence. I always thought that I
shouldn’t have my own voice. In fact, I thought that I should stay quiet since
the popular people had a say in everything. I would look around theclassroom to see when the majority raised their hands so I could have thecalled on me. I felt their opinionated gaze creeping up on me, and with one
wrong answer, they would criticize me. But I was wrong. Nothing happened
when I expressed my opinion. They didn’t judge me; they weren’t criticizingme, and they probably had something else in mind. This is when it all
clicked. Although I still hate it when the teacher calls on me, maybe having
my own opinion isn’t bad at all.
Our voices are not random words that come out of our mouths but it is whatmakes us who we are. It is a unique tool for us to spread our knowledge andto tell a story and experience.
For us students, our voice plays a significant role when we learn and makefriendships. We discuss our opinions, which allows us to engage more in ourlearning and develop how to speak up for something we truly believe in.
When we make friendships, our voice shows our personality, and we are able
to make deep relationships with each other. For teachers, their voices inspire

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same opinion. I would agree with everything, and I hated it when the teacherus, the younger generation, and nurture our minds to become intellectual.
Other than that, our voices make us more culturally connected. We live in adiverse world where people have different backgrounds and experiences. With
our voices, we can spread our knowledge of different cultures, which allows us
to be insightful people. In my old school, there was an event called
International Day. We dressed up in our cultural clothes and had theopportunity to share our culture with our classmates. This allowed me torealize that there were many people with different cultures at a young age.
Our modern digital world has given us a new platform to spread our opinions.
Although people dream of becoming celebrities, we don’t need to be famous tospread our voices. We can find people with the same opinion and createawareness about a topic. Think of all the influential figures who have
impacted the world. They all started with nothing but used their voices to getto where they are. Malala Yousefsai got shot while protesting for girls’
education, but she used this unfortunate event as a way to spread awarenessof the mistreatment that girls are getting in Pakistan. She started protesting
locally and was able to spread awareness at the United Nations, where hervoice was heard internationally. She is just one of the many influential people
高校生―Ｉ部門

who made their own efforts to get their voices heard.
In the end, we must remember that everyone’s voice matters, regardless of
your age or gender. Our voice shapes and leads us to become better people.
Even if your idea is small or simple, it may be the start of something huge.
So the next time you find yourself doubting the importance of your voice,remember that your voice does matter and it will be heard.
Thank you.

出典
【Webページ】
BBC「Malala: The girl who was shot for going to school」〈https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24379018〉（最終アクセス2023年12月５日）

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