The Human Rights Monitoring Institute and the Lithuanian National UNESCO Commission have organised two national essay competitions on human rights – one for high school students, another one for teachers. Essays exploring the connection between art and human rights (by students) and sharing constructive ideas for the integration of human rights in high school education (by teachers) were submitted by the 1st December.
Students were free to choose between two themes - either Human Rights in Art or Does Art Brings Nations Closer? Pupils from more than 50 schools submitted eligible works. The Evaluation Committee praised critical thought, creativity and serious interest in human rights issues by numerous authors. The Committee announced the following students as winners of the competition:
1st place:
Gabrielė Petrovičiūtė, age 15, essay "Does Art Brings Nations Closer?"
Jonas Basanavičius Secondary School of Vilnius
Prize: 300Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas".
2nd place:
Rūta Jakutytė, age 17, "Human Rights in Art"
Kaunas "Santara" Gymnasium
Prize: 200Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas", and
Liudmila Timofejeva, age 14, "Does Art Brings Nations Closer?"
Jonava Raimundas Samulevičius Middle School
Prize: 200Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas".
3rd place:
Evelina Želvytė, age 14, "Does Art Brings Nations Closer?"
Jonava Raimundas Samulevičius Middle School
Prize: 100Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas",
Erika Pšelgauskaitė, age 14, "Does Art Brings Nations Closer?"
Jonava Raimundas Samulevičius Middle School
Prize: 100Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas", and
Sonata Tamulevičiūtė, age 17, "Does Art Brings Nations Closer?"
Plokščiai Secondary School of Šakiai district
Prize: 100Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas".
Encouragement prizes:
Oksana Pachomčik, age 17, "Does Art Brings Nations Closer?"
Pagiriai Gymnasium
Prize: UNESCO Calendar for 2010
Greta Giedraitytė, age 17, "Does Art Bring Nations Together?"
Kaunas Jonas Jablonskis Gymnasium
Prize: UNESCO Calendar for 2010.
Essays by the winners will be published on the websites of HRMI and Lithuanian National UNESCO Commission as soon as all permissions by the authors are received.
Teachers were offered the theme Human Rights in Creative Way: Integration of Human Rights Education into the Curriculum. The participants were encouraged to propose and describe innovative ideas on how to enrich the current curriculum of primary, middle and high schools with elements of human rights education.
The evaluation committee noted that some schools have already implemented certain human rights education programmes, and in other schools individual teachers have integrated human rights topics into their disciplines. Among all received essays a piece by Vytautas Staugas stood out as an innovative, complete and multidimensional work.
Practice at Kaunas Jonas Jablonskis Gymnasium looks like a good example of integrating law and human rights issues into the curriculum. The selective class on “Law in Daily Life” is offered to high school students. Moreover, the school is participating in an international project dealing with human rights.
Giedre Miciuniene, a teacher from a small town, presented an analytical essay revealing the main reasons for ignorance of human rights among both teachers and students.
Among the essays that were not awarded the evaluation committee would like to acknowledge the sincere and creative essay by Ramune Karloniene from Druskininkai. The piece by Ele Kakanauskiene from Telsiai included an extensive list of ideas that might be developed into methodological tools. Also an essay on the human rights temperature assessment by Aukse Petruseviciene from Kaunas was noted.
The following teachers were annouced as winners:
1st place:
Vytautas Staugas
Baltic Gymnasium of Klaipeda
Prize: 500Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas".
2nd place:
Romualda Liutkuvienė
Kaunas Jonas Jablonskis Gymnasium
Prize: 250Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas".
3rd place:
Giedrė Mičiūnienė
Turmantas Middle School
Prize: 250Lt certificate for books in bookstore chain "Pegasas".
Encouragement prizes:
Ramunė Karlonienė
"Atgimimas" Secondary School of Druskininkai
Prize: UNESCO Calendar for 2010
Elė Kakanauskienė
Žemaitė Gymnasium of Telšiai
Prize: UNESCO Calendar for 2010
Auksė Petruševičienė
Martynas Mažvydas Secondary School of Kaunas
Prize: UNESCO Calendar for 2010
The organizers and the Evaluation Committee express their gratitude to all participants for their time and effort. All participants are awarded special certificates.
© 2012 Human Rights Monitoring Institute