New York City High School Students Launch Human Rights Campaign

Download image

NEW YORK, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — “There is at least an 80% profit margin difference in farmers growing coca rather than coffee.” “Water is not a commodity.” “The average American produces over 1,500 pounds of garbage per year.” These were just some of the thought-provoking presentations at the Ninth Annual Dare to Dream Conference held on November 17th in New York City. The theme of this year’s conference, hosted by The Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL) and The Dwight School (an IB World School), was “Human Rights: The Next Generation.”

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20091123/DC16211)

As part of the conference, thirteen groups of students presented on topics ranging from music censorship to the political ramifications of using Twitter. “The Dare to Dream Conference received over 2,000 hits from students and schools during our first hour of live-streaming the presentations over the Internet,” said Daren Khairule, ICL Executive Director. “That is an excellent sign, indicating that many others are interested in learning about and, hopefully, advocating for human rights.”

Following is a brief description of some of the more popular presentations:

Water Warlords

Humans need water to survive. Should water cost money? This presentation delves into how profit-driven corporations use the world’s water, a natural resource, as a means to gain wealth. With your cooperation and support, we can help put an end to this practice.

Myoo­Zik: Right or Frivolous Activity?

In many cultures, music is associated with negative connotations or even banned, which raises the question: “Is music a human right?” This presentation addresses music’s value in today’s society, as well as the different presence it has outside of the United States.

Trick or Tweet?

Is Twitter a positive social force, or is it causing conflict between countries? While many argue it is a positive development, some governments do not share this opinion.

Milk and Sugar with Your Cocaine?

Have you ever thought how coffee made its way from the farmland to your cup? Today, many farmers have only two options: They can either grow various coffee beans for a small profit or grow coca plants to produce cocaine, which yields a higher profit margin. Which one would you choose?

Mafia Today

Was the Mafia always an evil organization full of corruption and imbalance? How were mobs started, and how popular do they remain today? Does organized crime infringe on human rights?

Please visit www.iclny.org to watch all of the student­led presentations and learn about the human rights challenges facing the next generation. The Institute for Civic Leadership is an international non­profit organization whose mission is to inspire and to educate students to be global leaders and to provide take action opportunities in educational development, public health service, poverty alleviation, peace initiatives, and environmental protection, and, in so doing, produce engaged global citizens.

SOURCE The Institute for Civic Leadership