Mayor Steve Bakken recognized two students who submitted entries to the Human Relations Committee, human rights essay contest. Awards were presented to the students in the presence of their parents, guests, classmates, teachers and Human Relations Committee (HRC) members where Mayor Bakken recognized and congratulated them for their outstanding achievements. The students receiving the awards were: Naman Soni, a fourth grade student at Centennial Elementary School, for his winning essay titled “Human Rights: Malala Yousafzai” and Navisha Soni, a seventh grade student at Horizon Middle School, who was awarded for her essay titled “Concept of Leadership in Human Rights”. After the award presentation the recipients celebrated their achievements and enjoyed pizza with the Mayor, parents, classmates, teachers, and guests.
Elementary school students in fourth and fifth grade were encouraged to write an essay or poem about a person or idea that fosters respect for human rights. Middle school students in sixth through eighth grades were encouraged to compose an essay or poem about the concept of leadership as it relates to human rights. Nineteen students from five schools submitted entries for the contest.
Each year, the Mayor’s Human Relations Committee sponsors a Human Rights Essay and Poetry contest for elementary school students in fourth and fifth grade, and middle school students in sixth through eighth grade, calling upon them to write an essay or a poem to foster increased awareness about human rights. “The Human Rights essay and poetry contest provides an extraordinary opportunity for students to learn about and explore human rights and what it means to them,” said Mayor Bakken. “Both Naman and Navisha did a remarkable job of clearly communicating their personal awareness and understanding of human rights and what it takes to be a human rights leader.”
The mission of the Human Relations Committee is to protect and promote the personal dignity of all Bismarck citizens and to eliminate any discriminatory barriers that prevent them from reaching their full human potential.