Grace Callery (right) Sherrard Street Youthreach Centre, winner of the 2012 ICCL Youthreach Human Rights competition here with Sinead Kennedy of RTE Two Tube. Her winning entry was a branding campaign on equality called 'D1 Equality Street' here holding some of her design work. Photo by Derek Speirs

The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) and Youthreach are delighted to announce the 2^nd annual Human Rights Competition for Youthreach participants. Over the coming months, there will be lots of talk about the rights of children and young people, as a referendum on children’s rights is slated for 10 November. We are asking Youthreach participants to identify a human rights, social justice or inequality issue which affects children and/or young people in Ireland today. This could be one that affects them personally, a member of their family or friend, or their local community. It could also be an issue that affects young people in Irish society in general. They are then asked to develop a project focusing on the topic. Competition entries can take any form and participants are encouraged to be creative and innovative. Previous entrants have, for example, entered:

• Survey projects
• Photo projects
• Short film projects
• Musical projects
• Arts and Crafts projects

These are just a few examples of the form entries could take. More details are contained in the application form.

The competition is an opportunity for Youthreach participants to explore human rights and social justice themes, using their own unique talents and voices to bring these themes to life. It is also an opportunity for Youthreach participants to engage with the NGO and civil society sector in Ireland at a crucial time, as the rights of children and young people are being debated on a broad scale.

The Prize

The competition winner will:

o Get a two week work placement with a human rights organisation in Ireland

o Win a tablet computer

o Two runners up will also receive a prize of a tablet computer

Tablet computers have kindly been donated by our supporters, D.I.D. Electrical.

Software support to our winners and runners up is kindly being provided by:

The ICCL would like to acknowledge the support of Gallagher Shatter Solicitors for their contribution towards the cost of this Competition.

The competition is open to individual applicants only.

The deadline for submissions will be 5pm Wednesday 24 October 2012. Submissions can be made by hand, courier or post. The ICCL will accept submissions if the postmark is 24 October 2012 at the latest, or if the submission is brought to the ICCL’s Dublin office by 5pm on that date.

Full details about how to apply are available in the competition application form.

DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION FORM BY CLICKING HERE.

Below are some images from the 2011 Youthreach/ICCL Human Rights Competition Prizegiving Ceremony, which took place in the Office of the Ombudsman for Children on 27 September 2011:

2011 ICCL/Youthreach competition winner Lauren Donovan of Sherrard Street Youthreach Centre beside her winning entry, 'To make you feel my love', a moving video montage about domestic violence.

(L to r) Back Row Dr Dermot Stokes National Co-Ordinator Youthreach,Paula Daly Youthreach, Fiona Farragher, Youthreach. Neville Thompson Youthreach.

(L to r) front row Thomas Larkin from Sherrard St Youthreach, who won 3rd prize for his survey of discrimination in his community; Lauren Donovan from Sherrard St Youthreach, Dublin who won 1st prize for her video montage piece about domestic violence; Clare King from Kiltimagh who recieved 2nd prize for her piece on Social injustice in the Irish Welfare System