What are human rights?

Winner:

Every human is born with certain basic rights such as life, health, freedom and protection against exploitation and crime. These rights are not something granted by any individual or the government.They are rights common to every human in this world. However, it is not uncommon to find these rights being exploited especially those of victims of war, prisoners, slaves, the poor and the illiterate people.

Human rights are often violated by individuals, the police, the military and even by the governments of various countries.

The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. It enumerates the basic human rights, namely the right to free speech, freedom, judicial rights and the right to take part in governance of their country. Further, human rights include the right to live with dignity, the right to rest and recreation and the right of equal pay for equal work.

One of the main problems faced in ensuring human rights is enforcement. Different countries have adopted different standards and different interpretations of these basic rights. The print and electronic media play an important role in bringing human rights to the fore by highlighting violations. Human rights should be protected by everyone to ensure a better future for all citizens of a country.

Ammaarah Nilafdeen,

Grade 7,

Bishop’s College,

Colombo 3.

A visit to the planetarium

Winner:

The students of grades seven, eight and nine were taken on an educational trip to the planetarium at Baudhaloka Mawatha in Colombo 7, recently.

The planetarium building is a wonderful work of architecture in Sri Lanka. When we entered the place a presentation was going on. We were put through a security check before being allowed in. We were asked not to take any photographs. They used a Universal Projector to show us the constellations, planets, stars and so on.

There were students from other schools too who had come to see this place.

At the beginning, the presenter showed us the directions by using an arrow. Then the Sun was shown. It was like a blazing fireball. It is the brightest object in the solar system. Then we were shown the planets, dwarf planets, comets, meteorites and many more interesting objects in the sky. The sky was filled with stars. The brightest star was Sirius. The distance from the Earth to this star is 8.2 light years. The closest star, Proxima Centauri, is 4.2 light years away.

Like humans, stars too have births and deaths. The stars are born in nebulas. At present, we can see the Nebula of the Orion where many stars are born. This nebula is called the great Orion Nebula.

The Sun is also a type of a star. One day the Sun will also die. The presenter showed us the constellations, which were very beautiful. These constellations are formed by stars. We were also taught about the galaxies. Our galaxy, the Milky Way is spiral in shape. But there are different shapes of galaxies. They are spiral, oval and elliptical shaped.

Finally, the presenter advised us to observe the night sky everyday and try to identify the constellations and stars. So, everyone of us should observe the night sky with or without a telescope and make it a practice in our life. We can learn many things by doing so.

We learnt a lot by visiting the planetarium. It was useful for our science lessons too.

Abdullah Ibrahim,

Hejaaz International School,

Mt. Lavinia.

Sri Lanka

Winner:

The land of beauty

Special is the way the sun brings out the light.

Rivers that flow and waters that shine.

Island so small but, big at sight.

Land with no ending, of beauty at night.

All that surounds the land with all its might.

Never to give up but fight for the right.

Kindness and smiles that linger throughout.

All of which help Sri Lankans lead a happy life.

Rachael Gaye,

Grade 7A,

Methodist College, Colombo 3.

Protect Horton Plains

Winner:

Horton Plains is situated in the highlands of the Central Province, 32 km from Nuwara Eliya. This is the highest plateau in the country. It is at a height of about 2,300 metres. This was discovered by Sir Robert Horton. The park which is 3160 hectares was declared a national park in 1988.

Horton Plains is fed from both the north-east and south west monsoons as well as intermonsoonal rains. It gets about 5,000 mm rainfall annually. It is the most important catchment area of the country with three major rivers starting from this area. They are the Kelani, Walawe and the Mahaweli rivers.

The park is rich in biodiversity and consists of forests and grasslands. A wide variety of endemic fauna and flora are found here. Among the 24 species of mammals, elk, deer, giant squirrel, wild boar, otter porcupine and leopard are considered special. The bird diversity is also very high with 87 species of birds, including migratory birds.

Horton Plains is also famous for beautiful flowers. Nelli, Bovitiya, Binara, Dwarf bamboo and some orchid species that grow here are endemic. However, most of these endemic species are now extinct due to poaching activity and the carelessness of visitors to this famous park.

There are many interesting attractions such as the Baker’s Falls, Chimmini pool and the famous World’s End, which is a sheer drop of 3,700 feet that offers a fabulous view all the way out to the distant southern coastline.

We must take necessary steps to protect this treasure for the future generations. Do not pollute or destroy the fauna and flora at Horton Plains.

Fathima Reshma Ismail,

Grade 8-B,

Sangamiththa Balika

Maha Vidyalaya,

Aluthgama.

The changing seasons...

Winner:

The environment we live in is formed by many different kinds of climatic conditions. The climate of a country shows various evidence from the geographical features and the flora and fauna . The changes in the weather too depend on the climate. If the climate changes, the environment too changes.

The climate of a country is balanced by the temperature and rainfall. If temperature increases most of the organisms cannot survive.If the rainfall also increases too much it can cause harm to the existence of humans on the Earth. So, the people who live in this world must be ready to experience any climatic condition in their life time.

There are mainly four types of seasons that have been identified. They are summer, winter, autumn and spring. These seasons occur as a result of the Earth’s revolution.

As Sri Lankans we who live in a tropical region are fortunate to experience only the hot and wet seasons. But in areas like the Arctic and Antarctic regions people experience only the Winter season throughout the year. Some countries experience all seasons.

There are many features which can be identified in each of these seasons. Winter is the coldest season which occurs in the months of November to February. During this season the whole environment is covered with snow. It looks like a marvellous white world. Many Winter games and events are held. Most countries in the Northern hemisphere are experiencing Winter now. Summer is a season where the temperature is high, the trees are full of fruits, the grain fields are ready for harvest and flowers are everywhere. During this season, the days are longer than the nights. It is the opposite of the Winter times. When Autumn arrives the environment looks like an arid zone. The trees are bare with most of the leaves fallen.Out of all four seasons, spring is the most beautiful season. During this season, the trees begin to sprout and flowers also blossom .

The trees have new tender leaves. The temperature rises gradually after the cold Winter. The birds sing songs and all organisms engage in their normal day-to-day activities. Let’s protect the environment and these four major seasons. These seasons are what makes our beautiful world.

S.N.B.M. Hiruni Amasha Wijesooriya,

Grade 9,

Tholangamuwa Central College.

My favourite animals

My favourite animals are dogs, snakes and dinosaurs. I like to learn a lot about these animals because I want to become a biologist. I also like to learn about other pre-historic creatures, such as pre-historic fish and birds. I also like to learn how they evolved into the creatures we see today.

The reason I like dogs is because they learn quickly to do tricks. I only like the beautiful skin, snakes have. However, I do not like snakes in general because they are venomous or poisonous. I have three books on dogs, a book on snakes and two books on pre-historic life. I am impatient to grow up and become a biologist.

G.A. Cooray,

S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia.