"This I Believe" Personal Essay

Name:________________________
'This I Believe' Essay-Writing Instructions

We invite you to share your own beliefs by writing your own statement of personal belief about one of the themes we have explored in our South Africa unit. Some topics you may wish to consider include:

* What is courage?
* What is justice?
* Fear as a prison/ obstacle to change and reconciliation
* The need for violence (or not)
* The power of teenagers in transforming society
* _______________________________________

We understand how challenging this is -- it requires such intimacy that no one else can do it for you. To guide you through this process, we offer these suggestions:

Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching -- it can even be funny -- but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs about this issue in your own life. Then, explain how the events of apartheid or the literature of apartheid strengthen or support this belief.

Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That's about three minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.

Name your belief: If you can't name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on a core belief, because three minutes is a very short time.

Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don't believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial "we." Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

Due: