DANIEL PEARL FOUNDATION AND YOUTHNOISE LAUNCH YOUTH WRITING CONTEST

Contest Encourages Youth to Speak Out on Cultural Intolerance and Help Create Global Understanding

Los Angeles - November 17, 2002 - The Daniel Pearl Foundation and teen web-site YouthNOISE announced today the launch of the first annual Spirit of Daniel Pearl Youth Writing Contest. The contest asks teens to write about cultural intolerance and suggest ways to promote respect and acceptance. The contest was developed in memory of journalist Daniel Pearl, who was kidnapped and murdered in Pakistan earlier this year.

The writing contest is part of the Spirit of Daniel Pearl Campaign, developed by the Daniel Pearl Foundation and YouthNOISE to engage youth and promote greater understanding across cultural divides.

"Danny's story has affected a lot of young people," said Michelle Pearl, sister of Daniel Pearl and vice president of the Daniel Pearl Foundation. "This contest represents an opportunity for young writers to speak out and offer creative solutions to the hate they see around them."

"In keeping with the YouthNOISE mission of empowering teens to create change, this contest provides young people with the opportunity to reflect on Danny's story and voice their ideas for solutions to cultural intolerance," said Hilary Johnson, Managing Director of YouthNOISE. "Working with the Daniel Pearl Foundation to make this contest a reality has been inspirational to all of us at YouthNOISE."

Entrants are asked to go to http://www.youthnoise.com and submit an original composition of up to 750 words, on the following theme:

How has Danny's story, or some experience of your own with intolerance or cultural hatred, affected you? What do you think should be done to promote respect and acceptance?

Originality and creativity are strongly encouraged. "When he was a journalist, Danny once submitted a story to his editor that was entirely in verse," said Tamara Pearl, older sister of Daniel Pearl and vice president of the Daniel Pearl Foundation. In this spirit, multiple writing formats --essays, poems, plays, or short stories -- will be accepted.

The winner will receive a Sony laptop; runner-up and third place will receive $400 and $200 respectively. All three will be featured on YouthNOISE and will be publicized locally and nationally.

Entries are due on Feb. 7, 2003; the winner will be notified by April 30, 2003. For submission guidelines and writing tips, visit the YouthNOISE site at http://www.youthnoise.com.

The Daniel Pearl Foundation (www.danielpearl.org), founded by his family this year, is continuing his life mission to encourage dialogue among people of different cultures and to reduce cultural and religious hatred.

YouthNOISE (www.youthnoise.com) is a non-profit, web-based global youth engagement initiative of Save the Children created to inspire, connect and empower teens to help young people around the world.

Media contact:
Seth Jacobson, Jacobson Communications
[email protected]

back to top