Monday, 6 September 2010
Only four weeks left - nominate your human rights hero now
Time is fast running out to nominate for the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2010 Human Rights Medals and Awards, Commission President Catherine Branson QC, said today.
“The Awards celebrate the individuals and organisations that go beyond the call of duty to protect and promote human rights in Australia,” Ms Branson said.
“They applaud the efforts of people from all walks of life, whether they are in the public spotlight or not.
“You may be working in a disability area, or helping to establish a forum or network to promote the rights of young people. Perhaps you’re mentoring Aboriginal students.
“There are all manner of ways people can work together to promote the rights of their fellow Australians, which is why judging these awards is such a challenge. If you know anyone who is working to strengthen Australia’s human rights culture, now is the time to nominate them so others can know about them as well.”
Nominations can be made for the Human Rights Medal and Young People’s Human Rights Medal and seven Award categories: Law, Community (Organisation), Community (Individual), Literature (non-fiction), Print Media, Television and Radio.
The Commission has a web section containing all the information about the Awards, including categories, how to enter, judging criteria, previous winners and how to buy a ticket to the Awards ceremony.
There’s also a section for media, with the latest news releases, and information about the sponsors for this year’s Awards which are: Rio Tinto; the Department of Immigration and Citizenship; the Law Council of Australia; iHR Australia; Avant Card; Trophyland; The Co-op Bookshop; Online Opinion and Vibe Australia.
To encourage community engagement with the Awards, a YouTube video featuring Catherine Branson has been posted at www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIjKz-RtSt4
Nominations close at 5pm on Monday, 4 October, 2010. Winners will be presented with their Medals and Awards at a ceremony to be held on Human Rights Day, Friday, 10 December 2010 at the Sheraton on the Park Hotel in Sydney.
Nomination forms/ information: www.humanrights.gov.au/hr_awards or Ph: 02 9284 9618 or hrawards@humanrights.gov.au.
Tickets to awards: Ph: 02 9284 9618 or hrawards@humanrights.gov.au ($80 or $50 concession includes two course luncheon and drinks.)
Mailing list for updates: Subscribe at www.humanrights.gov.au/hr_awards/index.html
Media contact: Evan Mistilis 02 9284 9851 or 0419 258 597
