[ Skip to Content | To view an online version of this email click here ]

25 September 2012

Calling all young people to get their cameras out for human rights The Australian Human Rights Commission is calling on young people around Australia to channel their passion for human rights through the camera lens. The Commission has been running a photo competition since March this year with monthly winners already announced. Commission President Professor Gillian Triggs said the competition's theme is human rights. "Human rights are contained in legislation, international covenants and treaties but they affect each and every one of us on a daily basis," Professor Triggs said. "Human Rights can involve issues around access to education or even access to running water, but human rights can also be about the right not to be cyberbullied, the right to live free of violence or the right to be treated equally regardless of your gender, sexual orientation or race. "We all have a right to access a building and a right to be treated equally before the law. "But most of all, we experience and react to human rights from our own perspective – that's why this photo competition is the perfect opportunity to show us what 'human rights' means to you." Photos can be submitted in either the under 18 or 18 years and over category. Monthly winners will go into the pool for selection as the overall winner in each category where they will win Canon EOS-1100D Digital SLR Camera Single Kits. Winners will be announced at the Commission's Human Rights Awards Ceremony on Monday, 10 December 2012 at the Hilton Sydney. Recent monthly winners have been, for August, Patrick Nelson, 'Shall we let them in' and Daniel Muscat (under 18), 'Behind the scenes'. The July winner was Philip Beck for 'Tibetan Monk' and for June, Gary Radler, 'Proud and Together' and Uyen (Under 18) for 'Mekala and Shalisa' Check out a selection of the best pics on our site and enter online at http://www.humanrights.gov.au/PhotoCompetition2012/ Media contact: Louise McDermott (02) 9284 9851 or 0419 258 597 Up to the minute information on human rights is now available on twitter at twitter.com/AusHumanRights.