Press release, Friday 13 December 2013
Cavan-based Youthreach participant Rudine Mulhern came out on top of a formidable set of nationwide entries to scoop first prize in the 2013 Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Youthreach Human Rights Competition, an initiative calling Youthreach students nationwide to express themselves about important human rights issues affecting their lives.
Announced by RTE’s Blathnaid Treacy at a prizegiving ceremony held in the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman today (13 December 2013), Rudine Mulhern took first prize for her piece ‘Muddled Feelings’ – an outstanding mixed media entry on the subject of sexual violence, encompassing short story composition, spoken word, animation and sound design. Rudine was awarded a work placement in an NGO or charity, along with a tablet computer.
Rudine’s Cavan Youthreach colleague Dominika Kapica took second place for her portfolio of original human rights themed photography entitled ‘Life through a Lens’. Third place prize, meanwhile, went to Charmaine Smyth of Castleblaney Youthreach, Co Monaghan, for her awareness-raising branding and design project ‘Young People – Think Positive’.
Speaking at the ceremony, ICCL Director Mark Kelly said:
“Every year, this competition is testament to Youthreach participants’ detailed and sophisticated understanding of human rights issues. Entries to this year’s competition were of an extremely high standard, and displayed impressive variation, creativity, imagination and style in their treatment of human rights issues at home and abroad.
The ICCL is proud to collaborate with Youthreach on this initiative and to work with young people nationwide to give voice to their creativity, and to the issues about which they are passionate”
For further details please contact:
Walter Jayawardene
Communications Manager
Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL)
9-13 Blackhall Place
Dublin 7
Ireland
Tel. + 353 1 799 4503
Mob: +353 87 9981574
Fax. + 353 1 799 4512
E-mail walter.jayawardene@iccl.ie
Web www.iccl.ie
Notes:
The event took place today, 13 December 2013, from 11am in the Office of the Children’s Ombudsman in Dublin.
Prizes were presented by competition Jury members, including Blathnaid Treacy, presenter with RTE’s Two Tube
Photos:
Photographs of the ceremony were taken by Derek Speirs. They will be shared with photo desks directly by ICCL Communications Manager Walter Jayawardene from the email address walter.jayawardene@iccl.ie. They will also be made available on the ICCL’s official Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63083264@N05/ from 4pm today. To request any additional images, contact Walter at the details above.
The ICCL/Youthreach Human Rights Competition
A joint initiative of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Youthreach in partnership with UNICEF Ireland and supported by The Ireland Funds, the competition called on Youthreach students to express themselves about important human rights issues affecting their lives. Entries were invited in any medium: film, poetry, prose, photography or graphic. The response was enthusiastic and varied, testament to the creativity and imagination of the young people participating in Youthreach programmes nationwide.
This year, with support from the Ireland Funds, and in continued partnership with UNICEF Ireland, the ICCL was in a position to expand the scope of the competition to include the provision of a series of human rights, arts and crafts workshops in Youthreach centres nationwide, designed to encourage and inspire participation in the competition. Workshops, facilitated by ICCL staff and guest visual artists, were held in Dublin, Galway and Cork and proved popular with numerous Youthreach centres. Thanks to the active engagement undertaken through these workshops, the competition received an unprecedented volume and standard of entries from centres around the country.
Youthreach
Youthreach works with unemployed young early school leavers aged 15-20. It offers participants the opportunity to identify and pursue viable options within adult life, and provides them with opportunities to acquire certification and employment opportunities.
UNICEF Ireland
UNICEF Ireland saves and protects the lives of children by supporting UNICEF’s work through fundraising, advocacy and education in Ireland.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) is Ireland’s independent human rights watchdog, which monitors, educates and campaigns in order to secure full enjoyment of human rights for everyone. The ICCL is an entirely independent organisation and does not rely on government support or funding. Founded in 1976 by Mary Robinson and others, the ICCL has played a leading role in some of Ireland’s most successful human rights campaigns. These have included campaigns to establish an independent Garda Ombudsman Commission, legalise the right to divorce, secure more effective protection of children’s rights, decriminalise homosexuality and introduce enhanced equality legislation. Since 1976 the ICCL has tirelessly lobbied the State to ensure the full implementation in Ireland of international human rights standards and has campaigned for constitutional reform on a range of issues since its foundation.