UUSC Partner's Annual Youth Essay Contest: Dream Deferred

UPDATE: Deadline extended until March 27!

Are you 25 or younger, living in the United States or the Middle East? The Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance (HAMSA), a UUSC partner that works with Muslim youth and young people by building bridges with their U.S. counterparts, is running its annual "Dream Deferred" essay contest. Inspired by the 1951 Langston Hughes poem that begins "What happens to a dream deferred?" — which helped propel the civil-rights movement in the United States — the HAMSA contest focuses on civil rights in the Mideast.

Craft a response to questions like "What is your ‘dream deferred': a vision of your society with civil rights for all?" or "What can the future look like if Americans — like you — partner with Middle Eastern reformers?" — and you might win part of the $10,000 in total prize money available! And you'll be contributing your voice to the essential dialogue on civil liberties in the Middle East, an area the United Nations calls the "world's least free region."

I think this is a really exciting project — youth have the power to change the world (among others, the youth activists that have been part of the ongoing protests in Egypt have proven that). It's so important that we hear what they have to say. And I can't wait to see what the winners put into words. I only wish I wasn't over the age limit for entering! If you're under 25, check out the essay questions, get typing, and submit your essay before February 20 March 27, 2011. And don't forget to review the full rules and guidelines. Write on!