SPEECH COMPETITION: The Rights and Responsibilities of Global Interdependence

There is a growing consensus concerning our global interdependence. What is less clear is what sort of a global civics is necessary and feasible for us to navigate our growing interdependence.

Article 28 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines everyone's right to an international order where inherent dignity and rights of all are fully realized. Brookings Institution and the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) invite university students from around the world to ponder these vital questions, and to imagine a speech that would be made by the Secretary-General to the opening of the next session of the General Assembly.

The submissions, of up to 1500 words in length, should address what responsibilities we can all take on towards people who happen not to be our compatriots, and what rights we can claim as we work to solve global problems together in a shared culture of intellectual social responsibility.

The competition is open to all students enrolled at a university. The submissions should be sent simultaneously to academicimpact@un.org and haltinay@brookings.edu by June 15, 2012. Please put SPEECH COMPETITION in the subject line.

Authors of what are judged to be the top three submissions, at least one of whom will be from an UNAI member institution, will be invited to New York and Washington DC, meet with the United Nations Secretary General and the leadership of the Brookings Institution respectively.

Source: Global Ethics Network