Amnesty International Group 315
2010 Human Rights Essay Contest
Amnesty International Group 315 of the Wayzata area, a local human rights organization, presented three students with awards at its annual Human Rights Essay Contest Ceremony on May 8 at St. Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka.
The first place prize of $350 with commemorative plaque was awarded to Camille Kroll of Chanhassen, Minnesota. Camille is a senior at Blake School. Chloe Edwards of Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minnesota received a certificate of merit and $150 for second place. Chloe is in 11th grade. An Honorable Mention award was given to Danielle Brown, a senior at Edina High School.
Guest speaker, Jody Kent, Director and National Coordinator of the Washington DC-based Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, participated in the ceremony and discussed the current state of juvenile justice in the USA and Minnesota.
Amnesty International Group 315 is comprised of local volunteer members working on the furtherance of worldwide human rights. It sponsors an essay contest every year for all students in Minnesota. The topic always concerns a pressing human rights issue.
This year students in grades 9-12 were asked to explore an issue related to juvenile justice: “Discuss the use of the sentence of ‘Life without Parole’ for offenses committed by children in the United States and why it should be abolished”.
Winning essays were selected by a panel of judges based on the essays' persuasiveness, clarity, quality and completeness of information. The contest was supported by St. Luke Presbyterian Church of Minnetonka and Amnesty International USA.
2009 Winners
Local Amnesty International members recognized three students with awards at AIUSA Group 315's annual Human Rights Essay Contest Ceremony on May 21st, 2009, at Saint Luke Presbyterian Church in Minnetonka.
The first place prize of $350 with commemorative plaque was awarded to Camille Kroll of Chanhassen, Minnesota. Camille is a junior at The Blake School in Minneapolis. Eva Gleason of Spring Grove Public School in Spring Grove, Minnesota, received a certificate of merit and $150 for second place. Eva is also in 11th grade. An honorable mention award was given to Emily Griffin, a junior at Spring Grove Public School.
Amnesty International Group 315 is comprised of local volunteer members working on the furtherance of worldwide human rights. It sponsors a statewide essay contest every year for Minnesota students. The topic always concerns a pressing human rights issue.
This year students in grades 9-12 were asked to discuss the human rights issue of human trafficking:
As we celebrate the 200 birthday of Abraham Lincoln, the author of the Emancipation Proclamation, discuss the nature and extent of human trafficking today and how this form of modern day slavery violates basic human rights.
Winning essays were selected by a panel of judges based on the essays' persuasiveness, clarity, quality and completeness of information. The contest was supported by Amnesty International Group 37 of Minneapolis, Saint Luke Presbyterian Church of Minnetonka and Amnesty International USA Midwest Regional Office.
Read the winning essay
Human Trafficking: Minnesota's Hidden Slave Trade
by Camille Kroll (116 KB PDF)
Photos from the awards ceremony
Camille Kroll accepts her first place award from AIUSA Group 315's Dick Bopp.
Eva Gleason with her second place award.
Chris Berg with her daughter Eva Gleason, Camille Kroll, Dona Kroll, and Debi Kaneck.
Award winners, Amnesty International members, and winners' families at the awards ceremony.
2004 Winners
 At the All-Twin-Cities Amnesty International Picnic on June 6th, the winners of the 2004 Human Rights Essay Contest were announced. They are:
- First Prize: Mihir Gupta, Grade 10, Edina High School, Edina (Read his Essay)
- Second Prize: Cindy Fei, Grade 12, Wayzata High School, Plymouth (Read her Essay)
- Honorable Mentions:
- Brooke B. Beyer, Grade 10, Cotter High School, Winona
- Eric Grauvilardell, Grade 9, Patrick Henry High School, Minneapolis
- Hanna Hindin, Grade 12, St. Louis Park High School, St. Louis Park
- Shilo Parisian, Grade 11, Osseo Senior High School, Maple Grove
- Elsa Sheie, Grade 10, South High School, Minneapolis
This year’s contest theme was "Why Re-introducing EXECUTIONS in Minnesota Denies Justice for All?" The winning essays covered a broad spectrum of concerns about capital punishment that included legal theory, moral arguments, and concerns about efficacy and fairness. First prize winner Mihir has said that he will donate his $250 award to the Edina H.S. Student AI group to further their work in human rights.
Congratulations to this year’s winners, and thank you to all the students who participated and to the teachers and parents who played a part.
More about the Human Rights Essay Contest
AIUSA Group 315 conducts their Human Rights Essay Contest for High School students annually, beginning with publication of the topic for the year in mid-winter. All Minnesota students in grades 9-12 are eligible to enter. Winners are awarded various levels of cash prizes and commemorative plaques or certificates. After winners are announced, winning essays may be publicized in the local media.
For information about the death penalty and human rights issues, visit www.amnesty-usa.org
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