Amnesty International reveals its Young Human Rights Reporters of the Year

Amnesty International UK today announced its winners of the 2013 Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year competition at a prestigious ceremony at its London Human Rights Action Centre.

 

This year’s competition attracted around 2,500 participants from nearly 200 different schools and the winners came from Scotland, Wales and England.

 

The competition, now in its fourth year, is run in conjunction with Amnesty’s long-standing partners The Guardian Teacher Network and SecEd, the Secondary School education weekly magazine. There were six categories this year and the winners are:

 

 

WINNER: Liliana Newsam-Smith, 10, from Rhodes Avenue Primary School, London N22

RUNNERS-UP: Alice De Abaitua, 11, from London Fields Primary School, London E8; and Rianne Taha, 10, from St Cedd’s Primary School, Chelmsford, Essex

 

 

WINNER: Victoria Coleman, 14, from Mayfield Grammar School, Gravesend, Kent

RUNNERS-UP: Anna-Beth Brogan, 12, from Oxford High School for Girls, Oxford; and Gabriella Emery, 11, from Bishop Thomas Grant School, Streatham, London

 

Upper Secondary

WINNER: Zaahidur Rahman, 15, from Cranbrook School, Ilford, Essex

RUNNERS-UP: Ellie Williams, 15, from Knutsford Academy, Knutsford, Cheshire; and Genevieve Brown, 16, from Inverurie Academy, Inverurie, Scotland

 

 

WINNER: Holly Gomez, 16, from Woodfarm High School, East Renfrewshire, Scotland

RUNNERS-UP: Charlie Blake, 17, from Bancroft’s School, Woodford Green, Essex; and Louise Wylie, 16, from Knightswood Secondary School, Glasgow, Scotland

 

 

WINNER: Eve Wilson, 10, from Laugharne School, Laugharne, Wales

RUNNERS-UP: Ayrton Cable, 10, from Hampton Court House School, Surrey; and Sharanya Roy, 9, from Knaphill Junior School, Woking, Surrey

 

 

WINNER: Nancy Cofie, 16, from The Charter School, Dulwich, London

RUNNERS-UP: Isabel Watkins, 15, from The Royal School, Haslemere, Surrey; and Stephanie Piedra, 17, from The Charter School, Dulwich, London.

 

Sonali Shah, who was a presenter on Newsround from 2006 to 2011, hosted today’s awards ceremony and said: 

 

“Congratulations to all those who’ve been shortlisted for this year’s Young Human Rights Reporter Awards. It’s wonderful to see so much talent and passion in the generation that will provide the activists and journalists of tomorrow.”

Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK, added: 

 

“I thoroughly enjoy the Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year competition. It is so inspiring to see young people show such a passion and commitment for human rights. The quality of the writing and photographs has been simply outstanding and I look forward to crossing their paths in the years ahead.”

 

The Young Human Rights Reporter of the Year competition was kindly supported by the Peter Stebbings Memorial Charity. And among the prizes were books donated by Random House and Walker Books, cameras from Ricoh, a subscription to the Day, and work experience at the Guardian, SecEd and PhotoVoice.

 

 

Children aged 7-18 were asked to write an article or report of up to 500 words in length on a human rights-related issue or submit a photograph.

 

The judges for Upper Primary Journalism and Lower Secondary Journalism included Sec-Ed magazine editor Pete Henshaw; award-winning author Bali Rai; 2012 winner Alice Reynolds; Elli Narweska from the Guardian Teacher Network; Niall Couper from Amnesty International UK, who was one of those who established the competition in 2010; and Guardian journalist Maya Wolfe-Robinson.

 

The judges for Upper Secondary Journalism and Sixth Form Journalism included Emily Drabble, Contributing Editor for Guardian teacher network; renowned author Sara Grant; Nicky Parker, Amnesty International UK Publisher; Brandon Block, Amnesty International UK Human Rights Education Manager; teacher Shaun Dellenty; Joseph Harker, the Guardian Assistant Comment Editor; and Richard Addis, Editor-in-Chief at The Day.

 

The judges for the photojournalism categories included Roger Tooth, the Picture Editor of the Guardian; Dan Jones, Amnesty International UK Education Advisor; Maggie Patterson, Amnesty International UK Publishing and Design Manager; teacher Paul Haigh; and Jenny Matthews from PhotoVoice.