Can’t Stop the Serenity has joined up with Kids Need to Read to give you the chance to win some fabulous prizes in our first ever “Words have the Power to bring about Equality” Writing Contest!

Recently, we sent out some questions over the Cortex and received some fantastic interview responses (we’ll be posting these soon!). Our very first response was from Heather in Maryland, who wrote “It was part of learning about CSTS that led me to learn about Equality Now. Some of the articles they’ve linked to show that women the world over still suffer terrible injustices for no other reason than their sex. Nobody should be put in a position where they’re treated as inferior by anybody – no matter their sex, their race, their religion, or their sexual preferences. By fundraising for Equality Now, CSTS does its part to bring us to a future that’s fairer for everybody.” It’s responses like this that keep us motivated, and inspired this contest.

So, what do you need to do to enter the “Words have the Power to bring about Equality” Writing Contest? We’re asking you, our fantastic CSTS supporters, to write a short piece (500-1000 words) on why you support Can’t Stop the Serenity and Equality Now.

And what are the prizes? Well, you’re in for a treat! We have a major prize plus three runners up prizes up for grabs. The major prize winner will receive a hard cover set of The Softwire series (4 books) signed by author PJ Haarsma, a $75 Amazon giftcard, a CSTS 2011 shirt and patch, plus a copy of Architects of Peace: Visions of Hope in Words and Images by Michael Collopy and Paths to Peace: People Who Changed the World by Jane Bresken Zalben. Runners up will also receive a CSTS 2011 shirt and patch, plus a collection of fantastic books.

Entries should be sent to info@cantstoptheserenity.com, and must be received no later than 11.59PM PST on 30 September 2011 to be included for consideration. The global CSTS team and Kids Need to Read folks will compile a shortlist of submissions, which will be presented to you all to vote on between 7-14 October, with the winning entries announced on 16 October 2011.

We look forward to reading your entries! Now… pick up that pen, and start writing. Because words truely do have the power to bring about equality.

There are two ways to fight a battle like ours. One is to whisper in the ear of the masses, try subtlely and gradually to change the gender expectations and mythic structures of our culture. That’s me. The other is to step up and confront the thousands of atrocities that are taking place around the world on an immediate, one-by-one basis. That’s a great deal harder, and that’s Equality Now. It’s not about politics; it’s about basic human decency. – Joss Whedon