Thursday, 19 August 2010
The clock is ticking – nominate your human rights hero now
Don’t leave it until the last minute to get your nominations in for the Australian Human Rights Commission’s 2010 Human Rights Medals and Awards, Commission President Catherine Branson QC, said today.
“We find a burst of nominations arrive in the last weeks, which we of course always welcome,” Ms Branson said.
“But preparing your nomination earlier will help to give it the best chance of success by allowing you time to prepare a concise nomination that reflects the heroic efforts of your nominee.”
Ms Branson said the annual Human Rights Medals and Awards ceremony shone the spotlight on some truly inspiring efforts of people and organisations around Australia and provided an acknowledgement that they deeply appreciated.
Former winners have this to say of their Awards:
“We were extremely proud to receive this kind of recognition. Advancing and celebrating human rights has always been a core part of ACON’s work.” (Mark Orr, President of ACON, winner of the 2009 Human Rights Community (Organisation) Award)
“The Community (Individual) Award was very important to me because I felt like I had been advocating for a cause I felt very passionately about, but sometimes felt very lonely while I was doing it…This award was a reminder that I wasn’t alone in wanting accessible communications and media for deaf and blind people.” (Kate Obermayer, winner of the 2009 Community (Individual) Award)
“My privilege was to receive an honour that was, in many ways, representative of the work done by many people with whom I have worked over the years. I proudly include the Human Rights Medal 2009 in my CV whenever I am asked to speak in public as I think it is among my greatest achievements to have joined a club that includes people like Malcolm Frazer, Eddie Mabo, Faith Bandler and Phillip Adams and many other greatly admirable people.” (Stephen Keim SC, winner of the 2009 Human Rights Medal and now President of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights)
Nominations can be made for the Human Rights Medal and Young People’s Human Rights Medal and seven Award categories: Law, Community (Organisation), Community (Individual), Literature (non-fiction), Print Media, Television and Radio.
Nominations close at 5pm on Monday, 4 October, 2010.
Winners will be presented with their Medals and Awards at a ceremony to be held on Human Rights Day, Friday, 10 December 2010 at the Sheraton on the Park in Sydney. Nomination forms/ information: www.humanrights.gov.au/hr_awards or Ph: 02 9284 9618 or hrawards@humanrights.gov.au.
Tickets to awards: Ph: 02 9284 9618 or hrawards@humanrights.gov.au ($80 or $50 concession includes two course luncheon and drinks.)
Mailing list for updates: Subscribe at www.humanrights.gov.au/hr_awards/index.html
Media contact: Louise McDermott 02 9284 9851 or 0419 258 597
