Speech, it's such a natural thing that many of us don't ever realise the significant impact it has on our world.

Chatting with friends, shouting in anger or simply just asking a question are key structures to our social lives.

So what happens when that freedom of expression is taken away?
That's what I discovered when I took part in a sponsored silence on Friday 14th March for the Amnesty International Sixth-form group at St. Aidans High School.

We decided to spend a day in silence to raise money for the postage costs of our letters of petition that fight for people's human rights. Some of us decided to spend the duration of the school day in silence, whilst others attempted to complete a whole 24 hour period without speaking.

But why bother, one might ask, what difference can it make?

Well, aside from raising money, the day was designed to raise awareness about the suffering of those who are silenced and to raise Amnesty International's profile in the school. Certainly visually this was successful as we all wore signs proclaiming "I am silenced..." that attracted many curious glances when walking along the corridors!

However, most interestingly, its greatest impact was on my own personal perception and attitude towards victims of suppression.

It reminded me of a nightmare in which you are shouting and screaming at the crowds of people around you, yet no-one responds. It is only then you realise with horror that they can't hear you and suddenly you are no longer part of their world, you could just dissolve into dust and there would be no tear in the material of this earth that would prove you had ever existed at all.

Scary thoughts and, although that was not my specific experience, I did perceive a small aspect of such isolation in my silence.

As a result of my separation from the speaking world, I had expected to feel some kind of inner peace by not filling my day with chatter, however, instead of a tranquil mind, I found myself inwardly exploding with so many words and thoughts that at times I had to physically bite down hard on my lip to prevent myself from shouting them out.

My head was so LOUD that I could hardly think straight! This was after less than 24 hours, so one can only imagine the immense emotional and mental strain for those whose freedom of expression has been permanently taken away.

It is not just the solid stone walls of a prison or the coldness of thick iron chains that can silence a nation, it is the hard and unrelenting pressure of a corrupt government to conform everyone to their ideals that causes so much suffering.

Chains of the mind are the most potent form of control for they mean suffocation of body and soul.

So break them, tear down those walls, shout and scream for those who are silenced in our world.

Make that difference, use that right, speak out.