AUT students design human rights postcards

Human Rights Commission
Media Release
November 24 2006

AUT students design human rights postcards

Art and design students at the Auckland University of Technology have designed and published post cards to mark International Human Rights Day on December 10. The work can be seen at an exhibition open to the public at the Auckland office of the Commission from December 1.

Lecturer in graphic design Karol Wilczynska welcomed the opportunity to work on the joint project with the Human Rights Commission. “As well as providing a thought provoking exercise for the students, the project has helped them realise the way human rights can impact on everyone’s lives.”

The project began with a seminar presented by Marama Davidson, an adviser for the Human Rights Commission in September. The class of 36 students are working towards their Certificate in Computer Graphic Design and the International Human Rights postcard has been one of five projects in their course of study.

This is the third year that the joint project has taken place. Chief Commissioner Rosslyn Noonan says, “I am always very impressed by the work produced. The imagery and text is always lively and shows some fresh, original ideas to get the message out that human rights are everyday rights.”

When she was completing her masters degree in design Wilczynska completed a dissertation on the propaganda produced about refugees and displaced people in the 20th century and utilised findings to engage the classes.

“This has been a great learning experience for the students. Some have experienced discrimination in their own lives and have drawn from that. Others have begun to realise that there is a day to day need to consider human rights.”

The post card project has prompted several students to consider volunteering their time at the Human Rights Commission.

+ International Human Rights Day postcard exhibition launch, 12.30, level 10, Human Rights Commission, Tower Centre, 45 Queen St, Auckland. The exhibition runs until December 15. Open to the public.

ENDS

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