Global Community – Nicaragua Crisis

In Nicaragua there has been a crisis currently unfolding. It begin when the government inserted social security reforms. Students took to the street in protests against this reform. Their peaceful marches was met with violence from the Nicaraguan police and government. Many student activists who were voicing their opinions have been arrested or detained in Nicaragua. The human rights watch reports that the detainment centre are proven to violate many human rights. One such student activist who has been arrested is Amaya Eva Coppens. She is an UWC alumni, from UWC China. She has been detained and she is not allowed to see her friends, family or even speak to her lawyer. The UWC community is starting a movement where we are writing letters to the Nicaraguan president requesting her release or at least the allowance of a free and fair trial. I believe in the strength of this global community built by UWC and I believe we can fight for her rights, fight for the rights of the hundreds of students being falsely imprisoned. We must stand together as community.

I too wrote a letter to the Nicaraguan President Ortega. I sent the original copy as a part of the campaign. I don’t hate President Ortega, I pity him. For people who have the atrocity to commit such acts of human rights violations and mass murderers aren’t evil, they are sick. They are ill. They are contagious. And we must cure them before their disease spreads. So write to President Ortega showing him the path of peace. For we must never retaliate violence with violence. It makes you no different from your oppressor. Fight back with peace as only a coward would raise arms on an innocent protesters.

My message loud and clear to the President:

Dear President,

I’m writing to you regarding the unjust detainment of Amaya Eva Coppens and hundreds of other student protestors. I stand by Amaya as we come from the same community, the global community. Amaya Coppens was arrested on September 11th 2018 and I believe this arrest wasn’t a fair decision therefore I urge you to release Amaya along with the other student activists.

I understand if you don’t see logic in my request at this point and would therefore like to break it down to you. It will only take a few minutes of your time. Firstly freedom of speech is a human right as long as it doesn’t harm anyone. Amaya spoke for those who were too afraid to speak. She was a voice for her people, the voice of YOUR nation. She never hurt anyone through her voice she only helped them. Secondly, Amaya Coppens spoke out for peace. Your forces retaliated that peace with violence. Now I wonder if you’ve ever read a storybook. You probably have. Usually in a story the villain is the one who comes along and stirs the violence and the hero is the one who fights and brings back the peace. Therefore in this story Amaya is our hero, and you unfortunately are our villain. This is because Amaya inspires change for our world, for my world. I idealise the strength, power, passion and love filled inside her for her people, for YOUR nation. There is a photo of Amaya when she was arrested, she has her head held up high looking stronger than ever and she radiates hope. She glows and gives YOUR people hope, strength and courage to stand up for what’s right and never give up.

Luckily Mr. president there is a chance for you to redeem yourself. As our global community is forgiving of those who realise their wrongs and fix it. So you don’t have to be the antagonist of this story. I’m writing to you requesting you to do the right thing. If you release Amaya and the hundreds of other innocent student activists you have unjustly detained you will be helping YOUR people and giving up your position as an antagonist in the history of YOUR nation. I hope you get better soon as we haven’t given up hope for you. We will write to you Mr. President, we will write to you until you’re better, until you’re not sick anymore, until you undo your wrongs.

I write to you with all my power and emotion, I can’t conjure as up as much as my hero but I request you, wish you, will you, demand you and command you to release all those voices fro Nicaragua. If you don’t, we will all give Nicaragua our voices, for the people are not alone. The world stands with them and I stand with them.

Yours Sincerely,

Nimisha Iyer, G9, UWCSEA Singapore

Though the president may most likely burn these thousands of letters sent we can still put our efforts and show our support. For Amaya isn’t fearful, she is brave and she inspires me and those around me to voice my opinions loud and clear. To fight for what I believe in. Stay safe Amaya, know your community is here cheering you on.