Curious minds turn to prose to declare on human rights
PUPILS have reimagined the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, bringing it to life via poetry.
The charity Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights UK (RFK Human Rights UK) in partnership with creative and cultural education charity, Curious Minds, enlisted the help of schools from across the region to produce a ‘Poetic Universal Declaration of Human Rights’, consisting of 30 original poems inspired by each article.
Fifteen local schools participated, including The Valley Leadership Academy.
Five poems written by the Stacksteads school made it into the declaration.
They were ‘Who we want to be’, in response to Article 1 “We are all born free and equal” - by Nicole and Sophie; Dystopia, in response to Article 9 “No unfair detainment” - by Deliah; ‘What really matters?’, in response to Article 13 “Freedom to move” - by Rowan; ‘Drowning’, in response to Article 14 “The right to seek a safe place to live” - by Elizabeth; and Lost & Nowhere to Go, in response to Article 17 “The right to your own things” - a collaborative effort.
An expert panel of judges, including writer and artist Keisha Thompson selected the final 30 poems unveiled online on December 10 - Human Rights Day.