My Magna Carta an international creative writing competition for 11-18 year olds.
About the Competition The English-Speaking Union is delighted to present My Magna Carta an international creative writing competition for 11-18 year olds. In this, the 800th anniversary year of the sealing of the Magna Carta, we are asking students to write a Magna Carta for the 21st Century; a modern constitutional document that protects the rights and liberties of your community today. Entries can be submitted from the UK, The Commonwealth and the ESU s member countries. UK and continent finalists will be invited to London to perform their Magna Carta in a grand final in front of a live audience, take part in public speaking workshops and enjoy a varied programme of cultural activities in and around London. The competition is split into two age groups: Junior (11-14) and Senior (15-18). The word count for the junior category is 500-750 words, and 750-1250 words for the senior 1215 Sealing of Magna Carta... Magna Carta is so much more than a peace treaty between a quarrelsome King and his barons, sealed (not signed) in a meadow on the banks of the Thames on June 15th, 1215. Its lasting iconic value as the foundation of so many world democracies lies in the power of an idea - a principle, which states that nobody, including the King, is above the law of the land. category. Entries can be supplemented by an optional video, uploaded to Youtube. More details, together with online entry forms, are available on the competition website: The deadline for entries is 5 May 2015. 1265 De Montfort s Parliament... Simon de Montfort and Anglo-Norman rebel noblemen, convened a parley in a field near Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire on 14th December 1264. It was not only in defiance of King Henry III, but was radical in having democratically elected knights and borough representatives from throughout the kingdom. The de Montfort Parliament was the first example of its kind in England.
1679 The Habeas Corpus Act... The Habeas Corpus Act of 1679, was passed during the reign of the restored monarchy of Charles II after the English Civil War. It strengthened the ancient and powerful writ which had been a feature of English Common Law since before Magna Carta. It served to safeguard individual liberty, preventing unlawful or arbitrary imprisonment. Habeas Corpus is Latin for you may have the body subject to legal examination before a court, or a judge. A 21 st Century Constitutional Document My Magna Carta should be a persuasive document tackling the important issues of the modern era. It can relate to your specific region, a particular group of people or the entire world. Some topics you may want to consider are as follows: Poverty and Inequality: The original Magna Carta had passages referring to natural resources, such as water and fuel. Should governments be forced to provide for all their citizens and, if so, should the bare minimum of clean water and shelter be made available, or should citizens receive full healthcare, food, tools, education, and internet access? Or perhaps reducing poverty should be left to charities? The Power of Governments: Should national governments be forced to co-operate with each other? Does your national parliament require more restrictions; should they be forced to listen more to their electors? Should public opinion and parliamentary operations be more tightly linked? Digital Access: In the digital era, should we all have access to engage in unrestricted online conversation? Should we be allowed to remain anonymous on the web when we want to? Or do we need a set of digital barriers to ensure tolerance and respect? Does everyone need access to the internet? The environment: Should those wielding power be obliged to consider the impact of humanity upon the natural world? Should there be entrenched within a formal document the commitment to maintaining and increasing biodiversity? Perhaps there should be a firm commitment to pursue renewable and sustainable energies? Corporations: Should citizens be protected from the excesses of big business, or should governments be restricted from interfering in the affairs of profit-making corporations? In a globalised economy, should multinationals be the main actors in the international world? Artistic Freedoms: Is censorship ever OK? Should artists be unconstrained by moral standards, or should potentially harmful and offensive material be made unavailable for public consumption? These are just a few ideas, you can address whatever concerns you have today. Good submissions will be inventive, original and clearly and concisely written. 1776 Declaration of Independance... The American Declaration of Independence as penned by Thomas Jefferson was an indictment of George III s numerous breaches of English Common Law enshrined within Magna Carta, to which the thirteen colonies were equally bound. It became the legal justification for the American Revolutionary War that had been raging for over a year, by 4th July, 1776.
About the Magna Carta The Magna Carta is perhaps the most important constitutional document to have ever been written. Sealed in 1215, it has continued to influence treaty writers and constitutionalists for 800 years. It is both a symbol of restricting executive power and ensuring individual liberties. A small amount of the document is still enshrined into UK law, and its influence can be seen in constitutional documents all around the world. Magna Carta was issued on 15 June 1215, at Runnymede near Windsor in England. It was essentially a peace treaty between King John of England and a group of rebellious barons landowners and nobleman. The King had taken money from the barons in the form of taxation, and the barons were not happy with the unsuccessful war with France which this taxation had funded. The issuing of the document was overseen by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury at the time, and it ensured that the King would have to consult barons on taxation, as well as preventing the King from imprisoning the English people unlawfully. The requirement on public consultation paved the way for the idea of a parliament. In practice this meant a council between the King and a select few rich landowners, but by 1265 more common representatives would take part in a national parliament, and in 1295 Edward I set the precedent of electing The Commons to be consulted alongside rich nobles. It was cited in the conflict between King and parliament before the English Civil War of the 17th Century. Parliamentarians argued that it was a longstanding English principle that the King rule alongside the council of parliament. The right to individual liberty was, in practice, restricted to the protection of barons from being unlawfully imprisoned, but it came to represent a lot more. These terms were reissued in 1297 and woven into the culture of British politics. The legacy of Magna Carta became especially important in the 17th Century when its content became entwined with the principle of Habeas Corpus that the arrest of any man should be scrutinised by the courts. This effectively limited the power of the monarch by preventing him or her to lock up who he or she wanted to. The freedom principles laid down in Magna Carta were mentioned by slaves in the 19th Century and continually by politicians. The Magna Carta goes Worldwide The Magna Carta has inspired the rule of law all around the world, perhaps most notably in the USA. The founding fathers of the USA noticed that the rule of Magna Carta had lasted for centuries, and attempted to create a document that could be as long-lasting as Magna Carta. They came together in 1787 and the constitution they drafted is still in force today. Many other countries took inspiration in this way, and The British Empire (and latterly the British Commonwealth) helped to spread democratic principles that developed over centuries from the basis of Magna Carta. A very local quarrel and its resolution in the early 13th Century has, therefore, come to influence the entire world over 800 years. 1948 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights... The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 has been described as the Magna Carta of our age. Arising from the ashes of WW2 and the unspeakable barbarity of the conflict, it set out basic freedoms, comprising 30 articles to which all humans are entitled. It is safeguarded and underwritten by the United Nations and adopted into the laws of almost every country in the world. The Magna Carta Today There remain four copies of the original Magna Carta; one of which is located in Lincoln cathedral, one is in Salisbury Cathedral, and two are in the British Library in London. Magna Carta has provided a source of inspiration and debate for centuries now, and is still highly symbolic of the rights of the individuals and the limits on the power of those who rule. However, the vast majority of the document is no longer enshrined in UK law, and there have been calls for a modern replacement. Can you create a document that has the potential to provide the rights that we need for the next 800 years?
This competition is being conducted in partnership with Royal Holloway, part of the University of London. We are grateful to the Magna Carta 800th Committee for their funding of the marketing of My Magna Carta. The deadline for entries is 5 May 2015. mymagnacarta800 education@esu.org +44 (0) 2075291595