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MY AURORA HERO

MY AURORA HERO

UWC Dilijan, the first international boarding school in Armenia, and the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative have teamed up to launch MY AURORA HERO — an international video essay competition for young people aged 14-18, which will run from October 19 till November 19, 2020.

At these uncertain times, people around the world show courage and strength of character through their everyday actions – by saving lives, helping a stranger or simply dropping by to check on a neighbor. The competition aims to motivate young people around the world to reflect on their everyday heroes, honoring the legacy of Aurora Mardiganian who lived through the horrors of Armenian Genocide as a teenager and then dedicated her life to raising global awareness of those atrocities.

Young people are invited to join a special virtual event “Gratitude in Action” on October 19, 2020, broadcast live at 6:55 pm EST from the New York Public Library. Set to mark the fifth anniversary of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, the event will raise funds from international contributors in order to increase the impact and reach of the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative, which is more committed than ever to giving a second chance to those in need worldwide. Today, when the violent attacks carried out by Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey in a gross violation of international law lead to the loss of life, the Aurora Humanitarian Initiative Co-Founders remain deeply alarmed and saddened by this large-scale military action unleashed against Artsakh and encourage everyone to demonstrate their shared humanity by joining the global Aurora movement and contributing to the world peace.

UWC Dilijan and Aurora expect the humanitarians honored during the event to inspire young people to reflect on the unsung heroes around them and to take part in MY AURORA HERO competition by submitting a one-minute video essay about a person in their life or wider community who they see as a hero.

One prize will be awarded by popular vote and another one by a jury. Two $1,000 cash prizes will go to the charities nominated by the winners, and in addition, each winner will also receive a $200 cash reward. Submissions are welcome in all languages, as long as English subtitles are provided.