Friday, June 30, 2006

Dalia Ziada won honorable mention from HAMSA organization


I have just won an honorable mention from HAMSA (Hands Across the Mideast Alliance) organization which is the coordinator of the famous "Dream Deffered" Essay Contest. My name (Dalia Ziada) has become so popular now. Thanks God! My winning essay talks about Women Rights in Egypt through my own story with my Mom.
To read it go to this page http://www.hamsaweb.org/winners.html. search for my name "Dalia Ziada" in the honorable mentions list where you can rea my article in both English and Arabic. If you want to go directly to the English version click here http://www.hamsaweb.org/honorme.html#dal and if you want the Arabic original go here http://www.hamsaweb.org/honorme.html#dala
To know what does it mean for me to win such prize, I'd like to tell you that I am working in the field of Human Rights since only six months ago. That is one of my very first steps towards success in such great field. So can you see? Moreover, my essay is one of the best ten essays among 2500 essay. Read this:
Inspired by the Langston Hughes poem What Happens to a Dream Deferred?, this essay contest asked young Middle Easterners and young Americans to address civil rights repression in the Middle East. The essay questions (participants from each region had a choice of three) focused on the importance of individual rights, how grassroots reform efforts could challenge restrictions, and the possiblity of future reform. Rather than focus on US foreign policy, participants were encouraged to see themselves as agents of change.

2,500 people from 20 different countries submitted essays (in English, Arabic, French, and Farsi), which were in turn evaluated by a panel of celebrity judges. $10,000 in prize money was available for five winners each from the Middle East and the US (10 total), as well as book prizes for 50 outstanding essays.

Representing just 0.4% of the 2,500 essays submitted, the following essays were selected as prize winners after a lengthy evaluation process. From among hundreds of strong essays, these winners stood out for their bold ideas and compelling messages. Their varying approaches reflect the need for diverse responses to the problems posed by repression in the Middle East. Brief comments highlight the outstanding elements of each essay.
Actually, I feel more than happy right now. Thanks God! the next step is much greater. HAMSA initiative announced this:
The essay contest marked the inaugural program of the HAMSA initiative. Already plans are underway to mobilize and connect the hundreds of young people who participated in the contest and showed a commitment to taking action in defense of individual rights. We also hope soon to be able to run a follow-up essay contest.
So, let's do it now! let's forget all the pains of the past and launch some new bright future, wherein Dalia Ziada is a celebrity HR activist.