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In honor of Human Rights Day, the City of Seattle Human Rights Commission, YMCA's YTech and the Department of Information Technology are launching the first-ever What Are Human Rights? Youth Art Contest. In an effort to inform and engage youth about the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the art entries will be focused on one of 30 declared Human Rights (found here).
Winners will be awarded at the "Know Your Rights – Raise Your Voice" Human Rights Day Celebration on Thursday, Dec. 13, at Seattle City Hall. Contest submissions are being accepted now through Wednesday, Dec. 5. All contest submissions will be on display at the event.
Although there have been nearly 20 years of Human Rights Day celebrations in Seattle, this is the first year for the youth art contest.
"In reviewing past celebrations, we noticed that we have focused on themes such as women's rights or immigrant rights, but not youth and children," said Felicia Yearwood, who staffs the Seattle Human Rights Commission and is organizing the celebration activities in Seattle. "This year, we decided to highlight youth, which led to the 2012 theme of Know Your Rights – Raise Your Voice."
The contest, which is open to middle and high school students, is designed to increase youth participation with Human Rights Day and youth awareness of the Universal Declaration. Organizers hope that by encouraging local youth to seek information, they will be exposed to an important document that they may not have previously known exists.
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights can serve as a guide to young people as they search for clarity and a deeper understanding of what they innately know to be true: that all people deserve human dignity and the basic fundamentals of life," said Yearwood.
All artwork entries can be submitted through www.PugetSoundOff.org, a youth-driven website for local discussion, expression and action. The site offers a unique regional platform for connecting youth to other youth and to community leaders while building applied skills.
The first place winner in the youth art contest will be awarded a Kindle Fire tablet. Second and third place winners will receive gift cards. All applicants are invited to attend the event to see their artwork on display.
For specific contest and submission instructions, visit http://pugetsoundoff.org/ArtContestRules2012.
