The British competition – articles and images – attracted almost 120 entries from around 40 schools, which were judged by panels of media experts, some with special expertise on the issue of Racism. The 14-18-year-olds addressed the topical issue which resonates with Columban mission.
“The quality of entries blew me away and I was amazed at their energy and thoughtfulness,” said James Trewby, Columban Education Worker in Britain. “Discussion of overt and covert racism, structural challenges to micro-aggression, and images to force anyone to stop and think, brought passion, experience, and hope to an important issue,” he added.
In Britain, Kashaf Zahid of Gumley House School in West London, wrote the winning article. It was described as, “written from the heart with references to real personal experience and tying in Catholic Social Teaching as well” by one judge. Another liked, “the point that racism and other forms of prejudice are conceived from ignorance, miseducation and influence but those who hold such beliefs can be changed for the good.” Runners up were Zane Sekhon of Worth School in East Sussex and Cara Treacy of the Sacred Heart at Upminster.
Esther Ojobara of St Paul’s Academy in London won first prize in the images section. One judge said, “the technique of merging different facial features of individuals of different ethnicities together to make one face, representing a multi-cultural society and world, shows that although we all have differences, we have a shared humanity and are all equal, as we are created in God’s image.” Runners up were Dior Knorr and Lily Heryng of Holy Cross in New Malden and Hirah Ahsan of St Augustine’s in Redditch.
Competition results have been released in the lead up to the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March 2021.
Former Columban competitions have focused on Climate Change, Migration and ‘Tackling our throwaway culture’.
A full list of winners and judges can be found here.
