Over 17,000 Children Participate in Kids for Human Rights Contest
13-year-old finalist from Switzerland. “Kids 4 Human Rights” international art contest, 2018. Photo: UNOG
Kids for Human Rights Contest
More than 17,000 children from around the globe have drawn pictures depicting their passion for human rights in an international art competition honoring the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
These children – from 71 different countries – submitted drawings to the “Kids for Human Rights” contest, organized by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva (UNOG), the UN human rights office (OHCHR) and the Garrabon Foundation, which tackles issues of international interest through arts and education.
Participants, aged 10 to 14, were asked to adhere to one of three guidelines: Showcase a human right they felt most strongly about defending, show a human rights defender they admire most, or illustrate how they could help defend human rights themselves.
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Winning contestants will be announced today, 10 December, marking the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ adoption by the United Nations, which promotes and celebrates the human rights of every woman, man and child, and observed annually as Human Rights Day.
An international jury will be tasked with selecting three top winners. Among the judges is Spanish artist Cristóbal Gabarrón, founder of the Garrabon Foundation; along with Hanni Abbas, an award-winning Syrian-Palestinian cartoonist; UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Kate Gilmore; Spanish journalist Susanna Griso; President of the Spanish chapter of the International Association of Art Critics Tomas Paredes; and Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Youth.
The winning artwork will be displayed alongside some 50,000 pieces in a collection at one of the first museums in the world dedicated to children’s art, the Queen Sofia Children’s Art Museum, set up by the Gabarron Foundation in Valladolid, Spain.
Photo: UNOG
