Winning Essays: 11-13 Years
First Place
Should You believe stories in the news about African and the Caribbean?Give examples
I am writing this essay about whether you should believe stories from newspapers and television.
Black people originally came from Africa to America in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and lived in Great Britain since 1554. These black Americans were forced to be shifted across the Atlantic in slave ships in which many people died, the slaves sold sugar and cotton plantations in the Caribbean and the Southern States of North America. They had no rights and were treated as animals and machines that made money for the master.
One of the most recurring stories in the newspapers and news channels is about poor and starving people in Africa. This shows a bad image of Africa. Other bad images of Africa that we see repetitively are the civil wars for example in Rwanda the conflict between the Tutsi’s and the Hutus, were black people are being portrayed as savages killing one another. Yes these things do happen but there are many other things that happen which are good.
The real beauty of Africa has been disguised and is only noticed for its facilities such as Safari’s full of beautiful animals, and the luxurious Victoria Falls alive in the chilling darkness of the night, or in Egypt were the River Nile is drifting throughout Africa. Or in South Africa were huge herds of animal feed on rolling grasslands being shone upon by the big sunny sky.
Very lately Africa’s popularity of music has taken a leap forward, as the death of the late South African pop diva Brenda Fassie has helped in the recognition of African pop. She is well known for her mindless singing from deep within her soul. Brenda has been on many programmes which are shown quite late which is part of the reason why no one knows much about her African culture.
Black boys and men are seen as violent and quite dumb. Whenever a murder is committed by a black person it seems to be emphasised a lot more. Yet white people commit murder in as horrendous ways as black people, but they don’t always get portrayed like savage animals in the news.
Television and newspapers only talk and write about bad things, they don’t talk about the hardships that black people have suffered in history through slavery, racism and exploitation of Africa’s resources by the western world.
We need to see more positive things about black people. Recently Anthony Walker’s mum [Anthony Walker killed by 2 white youths] has been shown as a black woman who stands up against hatred. She publicly declared her forgiveness for her son’s killers. Similarly Stephen Lawrence’s parents decided to do something positive out of the tragic death of their son; they set up the Stephen Lawrence trust.
In conclusion I think that you should not believe stories that are one sided, there is negative and positive sides about Africa and the Caribbean as much as there is about the Western world.
By Mluleki Mvubu
Second Placed
What are the best ways to resolve conflict without using violence?
Conflict causes sadness, angryness and death but to resolve that we need to communicate and speak our minds and differences example Martin Luther king had a dream he spoke his mind and was able to stop discrimination and change the world without violence. Plenty other people spoke their minds and changed the world and were remembered in a good way. Nelson Mandela also stopped discrimination and asked people in South Africa to forgive and reconcile. Violence is revenge it makes the world not safe it kills and destroys families and creates more tears and sorrow. But the world doesn’t have to be that way if people just listen to each other and stopped thinking about violence. Violence is not the best way to resolve things it just creates enemies but arguing without a temper can make it easier for people to speak their feelings and understand where they where wrong. Sometimes during an argument someone has to be in the middle to be on both sides and listen to the people’s different points of view. Violence just makes it hard to forget what happened. To some people after using violence they feel really guilty but communicating and letting out all your stress makes you feel good and comfortable it makes you know that you made a right choice you'll be able to forget and start a fresh.
And how have you applied them?
Sometimes at home I have a little argument with either my brother or sisters usually to do with cleaning but instead of fighting and using violence we talk and arrange a way of making it fair like saying you clean to day I'll clean tomorrow. If I’m away or sick you do my chore and I’ll do yours later, that way no one gets hurt or upset and we continue talking and being friends but if one of us was to break that rule we would feel pretty guilty and probably never do it again.
Sometimes at school I argue with my friends usually about making secrets without telling everyone in the group. Raising our voices while arguing makes it hard to hear everyone speaking their mind so we call our teacher to come and sort it out. She doesn’t take sides she listens to both of us then tells us where we have gone wrong after that we become friends more quickly without violence. Or I could be in the middle to bring my friends together and be the peace maker.
At home my mother or my grandmother does the same and I copy that style because it resolves conflict without violence. I hope to use this to communicate as I grow older.
I believe that resolving conflicts without violence brings peace, love, friendship to our world. The world would be a better place if we do not use violence but communicate and talk together.
WRITTEN BY SONIA .T. NYATHI - 11 YEARS OLD
Third Place
By Chantelle