The 2021 J.U.C. MEDIA, RESEARCH & WRITING AWARDS 
• Submissions in MEDIA Category 
Parental Consent and/or Participation Release formed received.
• Virtual Award Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, June 4, 2021. Stay in tune…

The first three of the below submissions are on the following theme:
• Which of the UN-Sustainable Development Goals is your favorite one? And how do you envision implementing it in your daily-life and/or surroundings?
• Submission #4 is a tribute to: Beethoven and Atatürk.

#1 / M – Zainab Bie / H.S. – My Favorite SDG

#2 / M – Ahmet Yasir Destebasi /H.S. – My Favorite SDGs

#3 / M – Deepak Kumar /U. – My Favorite SDGs

#4 / M. Korkmaz Can Sağlam / U. – A Tribute to Beethoven and Atatürk

Descriptions of the submitted Media projects along with links to the video files are:

MY FAVORITE SDG

#1 – Zainab Bie / H.S. (17 years old.)

My Favorite SDG United nations started the SDGs with an aim to accomplish them by 2030. My Favourite sustainable development goal is CLIMATE ACTION. I was the PRESIDENT OF Environment Council of my school. Being a part of the Environment society , I regularly conducted cleanliness drives and tree plantations.
My other efforts include- 1. Anti-Noise Pollution Campaign was organised on 7th May 2019, to raise awareness about the harmful effects of Noise pollution on our mother Earth as well as on human beings. The campaign was carried out outside the school Pamphlets were given to the Vandiver’s, bus drivers and various other vehicle drivers providing information about the part they can play to reduce noise pollution, STOP HONKING was one of the most important aspect in the campaign. This awareness campaign was also carried out in the Pre-Primary wing of our school to raise awareness and create an understanding within young minds. 2. With the noble mission of making our city green and serene, and to lay emphasis on water conservation, I organised Tree Plantation Drives on a weekly basis in my school. 3. To bring out the creative expression of the students and also to gauge their awareness quotient, I organised Poster Making Competition for students of middle School on the theme SAVE RIVER YAMUNA. I even conducted a street play to aware people more about river pollution. The aim of this was not merely to see the creative aspect but also to trigger the thought process of the children and sensitize them towards these burning & serious issues. Later a rally was also conducted with the young minds. I started a major campaign against the use of single use plastic where our aim was to make our school and housing society single use plastic free. Students were motivated to bring single use plastic items from home. I have organised 4. a plastic collection drive with that plastic. and a collection drive was held .The young minds were aware of how plastic is harming our environment. Students also took part in the interactive sessions by putting up their opinions in front of all. On 1st October’19,we celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Carrying forward his ideologies of cleanliness and sanitation,we observed a Single-Use plastic collection drive outside the school with all the teachers , students and Principal. The school was also declared a Single-Use Plastic- free Zone. I have organised a plastic collection drive with that plastic. and a collection drive was held .The young minds were aware of how plastic is harming our environment. Students also took part in the interactive sessions by putting up their opinions in front of all. On 1st October’19,we celebrated the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Carrying forward his ideologies of cleanliness and sanitation,we observed a Single-Use plastic collection drive outside the school with all the teachers , students and Principal.
The school was also  declared a Single-Use Plastic-free Zone. 5. Anti crackers campaign was also organising considering the air pollution caused by it in India in November . The campaign included sensitization in classes VI-XI through posters, PowerPoint Presentations, flyers, posters and Interactive sessions. The harmful effects of crackers to health and environment were brought to the fore front by the children with a genuine request to all citizens to celebrate this Diwali without crackers. 6. I also organised my first ever virtual inter school competition; Tenalach 2020, Inter School Environment Festival ,conducted with over 20 schools participating and about 120 students. 

Sustainable Development Goals – MY FAVOURITE ONE: QUALITY EDUCATION

#2 – Ahmet Yasir Destebasi /H.S. (15 years old.)

Description of the project: Hello, in this video I talked about Sustainable Development Goals. especially I talked about the most important and my favourite one quality education. Let me first start explaining the purpose of UN. UN purpose is to save next generations from the results and bad affects of war, consider again human rights, to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to support social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom. With that being said it was very clear that the UN needed a better change for the Millennium Development Goals one which was going to overcome the challenges harassed them. In 2012, during the Rio+20 conference, UN formed two teams to work for that issue. During 3 years, the two team worked parallel and as a result SDGs occured.
Among these new goals, I think most important one and my favourite one is quality education. With quality education, a lot of problems in the society like poverty, safety and security, terrorism, inequality, bad communication can change accordingly which means quality education affects all aspects of life and society. To make it much clear I want to give example from countries. For example I want to start with Niger. According to UNDP’s education index, Niger has the worst education system in the world. As I said that education affects all aspects of life, this issue is same for Niger. Niger is one of the poorest country in the world; it was ranked 167 out of 169 countries in the 2010 United Nations (UN) Development Index. Also Niger is lacking in medical facilities; even in the capital Niamey, the state-run hospitals and clinics are bereft of basic equipment, drugs and trained medical professionals. Poverty in Niger is also high; as a result, the levels of crime, particularly in Niamey, the country’s capital, are high. After that, when we look at a rich country; Australia, The country supports a universal system, and people expect to receive high-quality care while living in Australia. People in Australia receive medical for free or at extremely low costs. Australia is the fourth happiest country on the planet, making its lifestyle one of the most known and envied in terms of carefree living. Another fact about Australia is that it is considered one of the safest countries on the planet. It has low levels of crime and efficient police forces.
As a result, we can see that quality education affects everything in our life. As we can see in the examples, there is huge difference between an educated society and an uneducated society because education affects poverty, safety and security, terrorism, inequality, bad communication and also we can add more.

References (APA Format)
Human Development Reports Office. (2013, November 15). Education Index. United Nations Development Programme. http://hdr.undp.org/en/content/education-index
Locke, R. 15 Reasons Why Living in Norway Is Awesome. Lifehack. https:// www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/15-reasons-why-living-norway-awesome.html
Oden, M. (2019, June 21). Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions In The Central African Republic. Borgen Project. https://borgenproject.org/top-10-facts-about-living- conditions-in-the-central-african-republic/
(2020, January 20). 10 Benefits Showing Why Education Is Important to Our Society. Habitat Broward. https://www.habitatbroward.org/benefits-of-education/ #:~:text=It%20helps%20people%20become%20better,rights%2C%20laws%2C%20and%20regulations.

THE IMPACT OF SDG-4 and SDG-6 ON SOCIETY AND THE YOUTH

#3 – Deepak Kumar / Graduate (27):

Applicant’s Statement:

I am thankful to the Light Millennium Organization for giving us the opportunity to highlight of years of works on Sustainable Development Goals: 4: Quality and how it has impacted on Society , States/Provinces and the nation’s. 
We started working locally since 2011 from a school with a vision of teaching Farmers Children free of cost, then slums Children in 2013 at Capital City of India, New Delhi. Officially, we started in 2016 one project called Open Sky Schooling: Education without roof, where all children without school and financially not stable. Daily wage migrant workers children, single parents children, street children, slums children. As the consequence of it many girls at higher education having no money for tuition fees started joining us. We also gave them quality education they passed their higher education at free education provided by us. They got jobs & they were about get marriage at early ages because their parents have no option. Now these children are living happy life. 
Since, then we started One Student, One tree campaign: Awareness towards Quality education to Environment. Through this initiative, we asked our slums Children to plant a sapling per students introducing the importance of Environment for future, since these children are the future of our country/world. Through this initiative we planted 1000s of saplings and we cared now become trees. 
The Children we work on Quality Education initiative in rural areas, joining hands towards Environment awareness, Empowering society, many rural women participated in our quality Education to Empowerment initiative also. 
Now through quality Education initiative, many Environmentalists working on River conservation, Afforestation joined our initiatives for Climate Change. 
Impacts of Quality Education initiative on Sustainable Development Goals
We are working on Sustainable Development Goals initiative started from SDG-4: Quality Education giving impacts on No Poverty, Gender Equality, Environment Awareness, Climate Change, One Student One Tree Campaign, Clean Water and Sanitation, Decent Work on Economic growth, Good health and Well-being, Reduce inequalities, Life below water, Life on land. 

TRIBUTE TO BEETHOVEN & ATATÜRK

#4 – Korkmaz Can Sağlam / U. (Freshman, 21 years old):

Summary: In my submission, I combined my performance of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No.30, Op.109 with a presentation of similarities between Beethoven and Atatürk’s ideals but more importantly in which ways they are an inspiration for us. I believe Beethoven is a good composer to honor Atatürk, as his music is associated with freedom, due to his strong personality and ideals, the hardships he went through, and the influence the French Revolution, Napoleon, and similar environmental factors had on him. It is a strange coincidence that Beethoven and Atatürk passed away due to the same disease and at the same age, but instead of talking about their disease, we must remember and honor the oppurtunities they created for the generations to come.

Full text of the video:
A tribute to Atatürk and Beethoven, two historical figures who fought for freedom, liberty, justice and equality for their entire lives.
Beethoven was an advocator of democracy and freedom, and his strong willpower is evident in his works. The fight for human rights and freedom is what Atatürk constructed his ideals and philosophy on.
Beethoven’s life and works are commonly divided in three periods, as early, middle and late Beethoven. Starting from the middle period, his music was heavily influenced by the affect French Revolution had on him. A key example of this period is the Eroica (Heroic) Symphony, Op.35.
What makes Beethoven’s ideals evident in his music is not only the heroic, exuberant themes in his works, but also the way he constantly improved and expanded the possibilities of genres such as symphony, concerto, sonata, string quartet and so on.
While his first period is more influenced by his masters such as Mozart and Haydn, he developed his own style of harmony, form, orchestration, expression etc. starting from the middle period.
His late period however is most important in some ways, as it is considered a bridge to romanticism. Almost fully deaf in this period, he became at peace with all the struggles with health and politics he experienced throughout his life.
Although there is no direct reference to Beethoven from Atatürk, one of his main goals during the foundation of the Turkish Republic was to develop music education and scene in Turkey. He thought reforms in other areas would be missing if there is no substantial reform in music.
Due to the advances in music education in Turkey, the Turkish Five were born soon. Consisting of A.A.Saygun, U.C.Erkin, C.R.Rey, H.F.Alnar, N.K.Akses, they were all musicians Atatürk sent abroad for them to study. They later came back to Turkey to compose and teach.
Beethoven was an inspiration for the Turkish Five as well. While Beethoven reflected his take from the French Revolution most successfully in his 9th Symphony, the Turkish composers did the same after the newly established Turkish Republic. A.A.Saygun especially continued to teach and talk about how much Beethoven influenced him in his lessons.
These are some reasons why we must remember the advancements Atatürk made in music education in Turkey. As a piano student myself, I owe my education to him. It is a strange coincidence that Beethoven and Atatürk both passed away from the same disease and at the same age. Yet, it is not their disease that we talk about today, but how they both opened new doors for the generations to come, and how they will always remain such strong figures that we will seek strength and inspiration from.

Resources:
“Beethoven” by William Kinderman, Second Edition, 1995.
Beethoven: The Man and the Artist, F. Kerst and H.E.Krehbiel. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3528/3528-h/3528-h.htm
Atatürk’ün Müzik Devrimi, Ç. Hakan Çuhadar
https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/365241

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Tags #2021JUCAwards #2021JUCMRWA #JUCAwards #JUCMRWA #Media #HighSchool #Student #Youth #encouragement #InnovativeIdeas #creativity #inspiration #GlobalGoals #SDGs #SDG4 #SDG6 #SDG15 #2021LMGlobal #lightmillennium #UNWithCivilSociety

The 2021 J.U.C. MEDIA, RESEARCH & WRITING AWARDS  – Submissions in MEDIA Category 
Parental Consent and/or Participation Release formed received.
• Virtual Award Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, June 4, 2021. Stay in tune…