Student writing competition on What Matters?

What Matters? winners with Gough Whtlam and Ms Woodman

Around 1,000 students from NSW and the ACT entered this year's competition. The 2004 winning entries are:

Year 5/6 boy and overall distinction Haydon Knights Cranbrook Junior School
Year 5/6 boy joint winner Rohan Howitt Avoca Beach Public School
Year 5/6 girl joint winner Charlotte McKay Garran Public School
Year 5/6 girl joint winner Rebecca Liston Reddam House school
Year 7/8 boy Giles Gardam Hurlstone Agricultural High School
Year 7/8 girl Sarah Thorn Goulburn High School
Year 9/10 boy Kunal Sharma Pendle Hill High School
Year 9/10 girl Sacha Edema St Catherine's School
Year 11/12 boy Deliang Chin Alstonville High School
Year 11/12 girl Wendy Tian Ran Qui North Sydney Girls' High School

Haydon Knights
Cranbrook Junior School
Year 5/6 Boy joint winner
Overall award for excellence

A tale of two 12 year olds

What matters to me is that children and their families who arrive in this country as refugees are put in detention centres and are imprisoned for an average of one year and eight months. I'm sure that most Australians like to feel that they are caring and respect human rights. Although our government signed the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, which protects children's welfare, it seems that if you are a refugee you don't count in Australia.

I am a 12 year old boy who arrived in Australia from England nearly seven years ago with my parents and sister. When I read the Sydney Morning Herald article by Nooria Wazefadost 'A young refugee's plea for a better future' (21 June 2004) it really made me think how different my life would have been if I was a 12 year old Hazara booy who arrived in Australia as a refugee from Afghanistan.

Mum and Dad say they chose to come to Australia for a better life.

In our small garden in London I dreamt of sunshine, space and sport. Do people who are persecuted for who they are rather than what they have done, feel they have a choice when they leave their country? From a place like war torn Afghanistan, Australia must seem so safe.

I came to Australia in a big Boeing 747, with a stop off in Malaysia for a lovely beach holiday. If I had been a boy fleeing from Afghanistan I would have climbed aboard a leaky rotten boat, been crammed next to hundreds of others in a tiny space, with little food or water, sitting and waiting for the boat to finally reach Australian waters. How I would have been praying to reach Australia safely as the boat rocked and tipped in the water, the engines straining.

On arrival at Sydney it was a checking of a visa and a stamp in our passport before we rushed to meet our relatives. There were balloons and a banner and the afternoon was spent splashing around at Balmoral beach. For a refugee the relief of reaching Australia must be overwhelming. It must be like their nightmare has ended and their dream has begun. But what dream includes compounds, barren grounds, wire fences and isolation?

After a month of living in Australia, we had moved into a house. Dad was off to work and I was about to start school. I was so excited. I may not have spoken with an Australian accent, but I determined to make new friends. The first month in a detention centre must be very different for a 12 year old refugee. Sitting around no matter the weather, people speaking strange languages and officials calling you by a number and not your name.

I quickly fell in love with Australia. My days were busy, with swimming at friends' houses, joining a soccer team and going with Mum and Dad around Sydney and visiting the countryside. Every night I'd go to bed feeling happy and secure, knowing that the next day was going to be filled with more adventure. I've never been woken to the sound of children and adults crying at night or watched in horror as desperate people farm themselves, even sewing their lips together.

Asylum Seekers' details do need to be checked but we don't have to imprison families for up to five years while checks are being done. Australia is the only country to do this. It seems so cruel when these people have suffered so much already. There has to be another community-based way, especially when over 90 per cent of asylum seekers are genuine refugees. One day when I'm older and meet a former refugee who has become an Australian like me, what will I say, 'Sorry?'

Rohan Howitt
Avoca Beach Public School
Year 5/6 Boy joint winner

Liberty, Equality, Fraternity: Where Are We Heading?

Liberty, equality, fraternity was the slogan of the French Revolution of 1789. That was their decision about what mattered to them. Two hundred and fifteen years later, those things are still important to any society, especially Australia. We all know that a society needs people and jobs, yet I believe that liberty, equality and fraternity are just as important. When I look at our society though, I am sad that currently our Federal Government cannot provide these three things for all the people of Australia.

Liberty means freedom, equality means a fair go for all, and fraternity means brotherhood. Do these things exist in Australia today? I believe that our current leadership has lost sight of the importance of these values.

It has been reported that a retired diplomat, Tony Kevin, believes that the Federal Government was involved in the sinking of the SIEV X. This boat was carrying people seeking asylum in Australia. They were desperate for a new home that was peaceful and safe. They thought Australia was a place of freedom, instead 353 people died. Many others who came on the same desperate journey reached Australia, but not freedom. Instead, this government placed them all in detention. Where is the idea of liberty in those actions?

Equality seems a long way away when you read of the way private schools are taking advantage of parents, by making them pay huge sums in unrefundable deposits to get a place in the most expensive schools. It is not fair on those parents, but even less fair for all those families who can't afford private education. State schools should be equal with private schools, and governments should support them. That way we get equality of opportunity for everyone in society.

Our Federal Government is in charge of our foreign policy. We should have fraternity with all nations, yet the secretary-general of a group of 22 Arab nations is reported accusing the Howard Government of an 'antagonistic stance' towards Arabs. Amr Moussa reflected 'the deep resentment in the Arab world towards Australian's foreign policy.' The Government seems determined to only apply fraternity to America-friendly nations. It is front page news when 'more than forty of Australia's most celebrated military chiefs, departmental heads and top diplomats are set to launch a scathing attack on Prime Minister, John Howard's foreign policy and call for truth in government.' This shows the need to treat all nations as brothers, not just the ones America tells us to like.

The story of Abbas Mohammad Hasan Al Khafaji shows clearly how the Howard Government is failing to show liberty, equality and fraternity. Although it was proved that this man faced persecution in Iraq, he has been put back into detention in Australia because no one wants him. Here was a chance for the Government to give him his liberty, recognise his right to equality, and show him his fraternity. Instead, they have placed him back in detention, possibly forever.

These things all matter to our society. With the current Prime Minister we don't have liberty, equality or fraternity. This matters to me, and in my opinion, Australia is not a fair society until these values are recognised.

Sources
SMH 31/7/04-1/8/04 'You're against us, Arab leaders tell Australia' p6
Sun-Herald 1/8/04 'PM commits more troops to Iraq despite Labor protests' p4
SMH 2/8/04 'Bitter legacy of the ferryman' p9
SMH 7/8/04-8/8/04 'Parents pay price for elite education' p5
SMH 7/8/04-8/8/04 'Iraqi man loses high court freedom bid' p5
Sun-Herald 8/8/04 'Howard to face scathing attack' p1 and 'Prominent figures aim at Howard over 'truth' p4,5

Charlotte McKay
Garran Primary School
Year 5/6 Girl

I Wish For a World To Dream

This morning I had a hot breakfast. I have lunch and clean water in my school bag, and tonight I will have a healthy dinner with my family. We live in a society where food, clothing and clean sanitary conditions are taken for granted. I believe that all of us are lucky, and selfish, and greedy. We don't have to work that hard, we have access to books, sporting facilities, computers, the Internet and entertainment. Basically, pretty much whatever we want, we have access to. In countries where important resources lack, children are left to die by their parents, who cannot care for them (The Sun-Herald 08/01/04, Welcome to hell).

In my community, we are free. We have rights that entitle children to a free education that is free from political and religious bias. Some children in less privileged countries never have the opportunity to learn. They have to do labour that many of us could probably not even imagine. In Australia, we have a fair society that says that people cannot work until the middle of their teenage years. This gives us leisure time and means we do not have the responsibility of earning money for our families.

We eat. I get three square meals a day, and I never go hungry, ever. Some children will push away the food they don't want to eat, even if they are hungry. I think that those people need to realise that children in some countries would love that bowl of vegetables, but they may never get a chance to taste a hot, filling meal. The fact that we will always have food in our cupboards should be accepted as a blessing.

The amount of pocket money some kids get in a week may be as much as one under-privileged family earn in a month. Many families rely on crops to earn money. In droughts and other resources drains, they will not be able to earn enough money to survive. We always know that we will have enough money to live on, even though we may not be the richest.

Clean water and sanitary conditions are vitally important to everyone. Water isn't only needed for drinking, but for washing as well. Even though we are in the midst of a drought, we still have dams to provide us with water to drink and wash in. In countries where clean water lacks, children are exposed to life-threatening diseases. Clothing and bathing is done in the same water that the children drink. Pollutants also run into this water. Children are very susceptible to picking up a disease from the dirty water they consume.

The United Nations lists international rights for children. I live in Canberra, a fair society, as children here have these rights. We are lucky. There are children in Australia who live in poverty, Aboriginal communities who do not have enough medical facilities, and there are children in detention centres who have none of the freedoms we enjoy.

I am allowed to believe in what I want to believe. There is no pressure on me to be of a particular religion, and I have the choice in who and what I want to be. I know that thanks to the fact that I have always been allowed to do what I believe in, I will have the chance to follow my dreams. Many children may never get to do anything they ever want to do, and I think that we all have to be grateful that we have the chance to have dreams at all.

I would like children all over the world to have the opportunity to dream.

Rebecca Liston
Reddam House
Year 5/6 Girl

Hopes for the World

On the 20th July 2004, Professor Rebecca Liston from the University of New South Wales finished her worldwide report on 'How to Make the World a Better Place', and we were lucky enough to obtain a copy of it. The report discusses three questions relating to the issues of World Fairness and Progress.

What would make a fair society?
A fair society should provide access to education and health care for everyone. These two issues are important for societies to function and thrive. A fair society also should include tolerance of race and different cultures and religion.

What would you change if you could?
The world would be ideal if there was peace in every country and instead of spending money on weapons, governments should spend it on useful things. Everyone should have enough money to buy shelter and food so that no one would be starving or homeless.

Another important issue is the destruction of our forests, as they are needed to provide oxygen and homes for our animals and native people. Pollution is another serious problem that has to change as it affects our oceans and rivers and the air that we breathe. Engineers should create vehicles that don't use as much petrol, which would reduce pollution. We also need to reduce global warming and stop the hole in the ozone layer from growing.

Every country should be a democracy so that people can choose their own leaders and have a fair say in how they live.

What do you care about?
I care about safety, fairness and equality for everyone. People have the right to feel safe and secure without the threat of terrorism or war, and laws should be fair and protect people.

If everyone received a good education, the world would be a much better place. Diseases like cancer, heart disease and AIDS need to be cured, therefore scientists and doctors need our support.

Lastly, our planet needs protecting from harmful, man-made pollution and our animals need the help of humans to survive!

Professor Liston published her report so that people around the world can think about the issues covered and try to understand how the world can be improved.

She is currently lecturing in schools throughout Africa to increase awareness and understanding of the world's problems. All the proceeds from her lectures will be donated to several charities, which support child poverty.

Giles Gardam
Hurlstone Agricultural High School
Year 7/8 Boy

What Matters?

What is it that matters to people in Western society today? I believe that one of the most over-valued aspects of the structure of our society is that the 'little people' don't have to worry about the 'big' decisions.

The society our forefathers have built for us has slowly adjusted so that less and less critical thinking power is required of the 'average' citizen. For almost every Australian, no critical analysis of where we stand politically is required. Our system, in which everyone of age can and has to vote, is a very good one. However, the fault is that although you can lead the horse to water, you still can't make him drink.

People are still not required to make their own decision as to whose use of power is most justified. Neither is anyone forced to make a legitimate, well-thought-out vote. The 'don't worry, be happy' approach is very tempting and after all, 'I'm just one of millions of voting Australians, it's as if my say really counts'. Unfortunately, there really is no way around this problem whilst retaining democracy, as we know it, and freedom of action.

Recently, a group of 43 of Australia's former military chiefs, departmental heads and senior diplomats signed a statement demanding truth from the government. Although, when people who have been the decision makers previously publish their opinion it gets the headline, by reading the better-hidden Letters section of The Sydney Morning Herald it has become clear to me that there are still ordinary people telling the world. One, Max Fischer, brilliantly summed up how I believe people should react to this example:

'C'mon, do we really need a blatant political message from a concerned group of distinguished has-beens to convince us that the Howard Government should go? All we need is to exercise that amazing gift of reason, come up with the obvious conclusion, and then send a loud and clear message on election day.'

Modern life can be very straightforward at times, too straightforward in fact. You go to school, get a job, perhaps marry and have kids, and eventually we all die. The power of TV and the media people telling us what and how 'everyone' thinks, what is important and what we care about could definitely be seen to be slowly brainwashing us.

One of the most distressing aspects of the way we live is how movies and television programmes show us how to live and interact with other people. A very common and powerful example is acceptance of how teenagers have problems with parents and rebellion, and 'living their own life', and that although this is often true, it would certainly be less of a problem if people didn't see this happening on a screen. Television is perhaps too real for those not wearing their thinking caps, and I certainly believe it has become too influential.

So ask yourself what you believe, and what you value. Ask yourself if you really care about the life of a celebrity, or even a fictitious character! Are their actions justified enough for you to replicate them? Remind yourself that fiction is fiction! Ask yourself when was the last time you put yourself forward in a situation where you have to make a truly difficult decision. Hope that as a result of considering what you really believe, you'll live a more enlightened life.

Sarah Thorn
Goulburn High School
Year 7/8 Girl

School Wars

In a recent article in The Sydney Morning Herald entitled 'Govt urged to change school fund system' published on 27 July 2004, the issue of public versus private schools was addressed. How is it that, in a country where two-thirds of the school-aged population attend public schools; that two-thirds of government funding goes to private schools? As well as receiving the bulk of the government funding, parents pay large fees to get, and keep their children in these schools.

Some people claim that education at private schools is better quality, and this may be true, but surely education at public schools should be equally as strong. This is just another case of funds being diverted from those who need them. Could it be that the government is diverting funds from the public education system so that more students will attend private schools, and therefore reduce the number of students and liability on their hands? If this is so, we must ask ourselves if this is the right government for this nation. But, it cannot all be attributed to the government; the parents of the children must be taken into account. Many a parent of private school students has been guilty of saying that their children are in private schools so that they will mix with the 'right people', further reinforcing the misconception that all public schools are rough.

Recent studies, published in The Age newspaper, have shown that 91% of students from private schools received tertiary education offers, compared with 83% of public school students. Also, it is predicted that by 2007, there will be 20,000 fewer students at public schools and 37,000 more students at private schools.

Controversy surrounds this issue. Teachers from both private and public schools strike for better wages and both government and opposition parties try to get one-up on the issue as the next election draws closer. But in the end, it is not the teachers who are worse off for the loss of a day's wages, or even the politicians when they make decisions that are frowned upon by the public. The students of both public and private schools are the ones who suffer and will continue to do so until the system is changed. But, as the present government seems unwilling to do so, and until more voters consider this the key issue, it seems we will remain stuck with what we get; a society in which everything has a price, even our education.

Kunal Sharma
Pendle Hill High School
Year 9/10 Boy

Awaiting the Dawn

We live under the illusion of the content, constantly denying the dangers that face our world and attending only to the frivolous comforts that we are offered by technology. Thousands of kilometres away, in developing countries, people are experiencing famine, there is war, there is suffering, there is pain. We are reminded of it regularly in the media. But most of us don't seem to care about it.

At an age of fifteen, what scares me most is the enormity of ignorance suffered by hundreds of my fellow humans in this developed country of ours.

On July 31, 2004, The Sydney Morning Herald, reported that scientists in Hong Kong had discovered that 'pigs could provide the mixing vessel for humans and avian flu strains that would allow for deadly human-to-human transmission'. The Bird Flu has already claimed the lives of many people. I was unsettled at such news and decided to discuss it with a sixteen-year-old classmate. When I expressed my concern the fellow seemed amused and inquired, 'What is bird flu?'

This incident made a remarkable impression on me. In today's contemporary society, when we are basking in the glory of scientific progress, we have become so engrossed in our own lives that we are becoming impervious to news that does not personally affect us.

Today's youth has become too complacent, too lazy. We have become so reliant on the inventions of our predecessors that we have ceased to be assertive, we have stopped taking action of our own accord.

I realise that with all the enjoyable sensation of TV, video games and computers, it is hard not only for adolescents but also for adults, to concern themselves with morose, faraway matters. But if we become a collectively uninformed society, we would do injustice not only to ourselves, but also to the future generations. It should not be this easy to be indifferent to the ordeals of our fellow humans. The privilege of being born in a developed country ought to come with a responsibility. A single man can be the centre of the concentric ripples of Change in the forgotten mere of Care.

It flows logically that we would only take action if we care. And we could only care for things that we know of. The simple logic of a teenager is befuddling even as I myself realise that life cannot work according to a vague written theory. But some things are too important to be ignored. Progress is one of them.

I do not speak of the forever-ongoing monotony of scientific progress but of progress of the society. The self-less actions of those who are aware of the condition that the world around us is in and those who take educated steps to aid the human race, regardless of any discrimination, and work towards a more advanced society. The least we can do for the people surviving in the unfortunate parts of the Earth is to be aware of what they are facing and appreciate their struggle to go on. Truly, the sun will only dawn on those parts when our hemisphere faces dusk. But a simple show of care, an insignificant sacrifice can make the much-needed difference.

Care for the world around us and knowledge of it are two things that matter immensely, according to me. An individual cannot bring about a change of such magnitude that would rid the Earth of all flaws but we can at least try and strive for the betterment of ourselves and those around us.

Sacha Edema
St.Catherine's School
Year 9/10 girl

Be afraid, be very afraid: How the media produces fear

Fear. What is it? Where is it? And most importantly, why is it? They are the questions that this article intends to answer.

Firstly, what is fear? The dictionary defines it to be a 'feeling of agitation and anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger', but perhaps Michael Pritchard's description makes the concept a little clearer, 'Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed.' The issue is, however, that in today's media-exposed society we seem to be surrounded by it, why? Because it's what the media wants.

'What's the hidden motive?' you ask, well the answer is simple. Profit. As Marilyn Manson once said, 'Keep the people afraid, and they'll consume.' And this is precisely what the media does to us. It incites fear with its melodramatic headlines and preys on our insecurities with its confronting graphics and 'close-to-home' stories, all to make sure we buy the next issue.

They're on the front foot to begin with; their purpose is to inform, to educate us, to protect us from our almighty fear of the 'unknown'. They present themselves as a well-spring of information, only so they can drown us in their infinite follow-ups, their terror-inducing lead stories and the always urgent, life-altering breaking news. In the words of Ex-President Nixon, 'People react to fear, not love', in the words of the media industry, 'If it bleeds, it leads.'

'Fear is an uneasiness of the mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us.' (Locke)

The aim of the media is to ensure that we believe that 'we're next' , that we live in constant expectation, even anticipation, of evil, of tragedy, of disaster. They are building a culture of fear, promoting it and exploiting it, all in the name of profit. As revered sociologist, and expert in the matter Barry Glassner put it; 'Give us a happy ending and we write a new disaster story'. It is this psyche of perpetual fear that is instigated by the media on a daily basis.

Isn't it interesting how the six o'clock news greets us with 'Good evening', and then proceeds to tell us precisely why it isn't? Consider that after an emotive story on an elderly woman being mauled in a park by two vicious dogs, every parent, in every park goes to extreme lengths to distance their children away from any dog. Excessive? No, ofcourse not, just precautionary, just being safe. Let's face the facts. And weigh them up ourselves. Let's not be so gullible, so willing to swallow whatever garbage they choose to air.

Be aware, be critical, but most of all, be realistic - something our media industry hasn't been for a long time. Reject the nonsense they want you to believe and demand they stop creating a culture of fear.

'Fear is the cheapest room in the house, I'd like to see you in better living conditions' - Hafiz.

Deliang Chin
Alstonville High School
Year 11/12 Boy

Addicted To Poison

Freedom. To wander the Earth, a wide-eyed child. Free to stand in silent shadow of the tallest snow-capped mountain. Free to gaze into the endless depths of a sleepy blue ocean, to listen to the gentle sigh-whispers of a forbidden forest.

Reality check: the last time I looked, I was stuck in a stinking classroom, chained to a graffiti-ridden desk and trying to scrape together an original idea. Maybe I'll win the $250 cash prize. Yep, I could do a lot with $250. Maybe I'll invest it in the stock market and become an overnight millionaire... wishful thinking. Because that's all it is. Wishful thinking.

Nobody is free. Programmed on the same assembly line, we are nothing but numbered drones, going about our busy lives, all day, every day, all over the anthill.

Misery: today I'll spend seven hours at school, go home, do my homework because it's imperative I get really good grades, turn on the TV and guess which country George Bush has invaded today, then go to sleep. I will do the same thing the next day. And the day after. And the day after that. One day I will get a job, and the grind will continue. Hapless fate and mistaken destiny will be landmarks on the inexorable march of years. Our lives are defined by the word monotony. Sure, you may think 'that is not true - the other day, I went to a really great party; I learnt that so-and-so is going out with so-and-so,' but let's not kid ourselves; like the glossy magazines, these are trivial nothings embellished to preoccupy the idle brain. Just another piece of junk to toss on our pile of digital televisions and mobile phones. But like tapeworm in the gut, we will always be starving.

What we are witnessing is the degradation of a society. A society governed by words like 'popularity', 'celebrity' and 'glamour'. A society where J-Lo's 100th husband and Britney Spears' latest scandal matters. A society content to watch the political circus. A war of liberation halfway across the globe, run by hypocrites with hidden agendas. A security guard who kills a man then sells her interview to the media, not to justice (SMH 'Shooting guard's TV fee frozen' Aug. 4 2004). Morbidly obese children, slothfully stewing, a paragon of our stagnant lifestyle (SMH 'It's slim pickings for the fat police', Richard Hinds, July 3,2004). Let's point the chubby finger at McDonalds, unwilling to accept responsibility for our own inaction (SMH "It's super-size Mac attack", Paul McIntyre, June 26, 2004).

And for all posturing and social charades, life is still nothing more than a fight for survival. A survival of spirit. I would rather die cleanly in the jungle and feed the lions than have my soul slowly fester and rot away.

The real question is: what can you do about it? Nothing. But can you turn your back on all this? Just walk and walk, just to see what' over the next hill, aiming for the horizon. Can you run from it? The answer is no. Do you dare bite the hand that force-feeds you? No. We are trapped, you and I, in a prison of our own design. There is no escape.

Wendy Tian Ran Qiu
North Sydney Girls High School
Yr 11/12 girl

You can't eat the cake and have it too

Globalisation. It has been hailed in recent decades as a miracle for economic expansion of the world, a way by which first world nations aid in the industrialisation and development of less advanced countries. It could be claimed as the ultimate triumph for capitalism. Or an epidemic that has been sweeping the world, leaving destruction in its path. True, it has done some good for some countries, bringing in much needed investment, but ultimately it has led to a betrayal of self, of patriotism and of national identity.

Compare it to selling your soul to the devil if you will. You give up what is most important to you for a few frivolous gains. Would you do it? Sure you would, if the devil was cunning and clever, just as the Devil Capitalism is disguised in the name of Charity. It would appear that in this contemporary context we could nickname the devil American Enterprise and the poor victims who are coerced into this deal The Rest of the World.

The United States of America has been leading the wave of attack on the third world and even 'developed' countries like Australia. The recent Free Trade Agreement between the USA and Australia has been one such soul-selling contract, only it would seem that Australia has become pensive about it ... after signing the agreement. This contract for Australia though disguised as an opening up of tremendous opportunities is in fact asking her to open her doors to a predator and wait to be devoured. Like in the fairytale Little Red Riding Hood, we think the USA is our granny. Oh really?

The argument is so blatantly biased towards the United States that one cannot help but wonder what could have possibly compelled the Australian leaders to sign such a contract. But hey, it took a while for Ms Riding Hood to observe what unusually large eyes and mouth her gran had acquired in the last few days, so who can blame them.

Ross Gittins in The Sydney Morning Herald, August 11 said this deal is literally 'Selling off a slice of our country'. Perhaps the greatest tragedy is that we are cutting it up and delivering it on a silver platter without realising. The deal, sadly enough, forces Australia to change its law to comply with that of the US in regards to intellectual property. It asks for the removal of Australia's pharmaceutical benefits and various other conditions that allow US enterprises a free pass into Australia without really offering the same in return to Australian businesses. It also turns a blind eye to various restrictive and anti-competitive US businesses conducted within Australia.

So, why does it matter? With this deal we are eroding away our culture, our identity, our society. The Americanisation of Australia is a grave issue. Where is our national pride and patriotism? What really matters is that we protect and develop Australia's individuality, not sell it off. We simply cannot afford to lose who we are. It's important for us to do something about it now, before it's too late, before it's all gone... before we are beyond salvation.

This selling- out of national identity simply isn't worth it. Australians need to make a decision about whether we want to sell ourselves for a quick buck or consider the future and leave a legacy for generations to come.

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

Essays end

These winning authors received $250 each as well as $250 for their school. They also received certificates signed by Gough Whitlam. Their prizes were awarded by Nobel prizewinning author, J M Coetzee, at a reception at the University of Western Sydney on 21 August 2004.