Benjamin Prize
Encyclopedia
The Benjamin Prize was established as a Norwegian
prize to counter racism
in 2002. The prize is awarded in memory of Benjamin Hermansen
, who at the age of 15 years, was murdered in Holmlia
, Søndre Nordstrand
in Oslo
, Norway
. The death was racially motivated.
The prize is awarded each year on January 27 in conjunction with the commemoration of the Holocaust. On this date Soviet forces liberated concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau. The prize is awarded to a school that actively works against racism and discrimination.
The work for which the award is given is to be characterized by:
The prize consists of 100,000 kroner, and a miniature bust of Benjamin Hermansen on Holmlia. Ivar Sjaastad created the sculpture which is included as part of the award.
The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training
awards the prize. The jury which determines the recipient consists of Marit Hermansen (Benjamin’s mother), and representatives from the Antiracism Center, the Sami Parliament of Norway
, Union of Education Norway, Parents Committee for Primary and Lower Secondary Education,, and the Norwegian Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
prize to counter racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
in 2002. The prize is awarded in memory of Benjamin Hermansen
Benjamin Hermansen
Benjamin Hermansen was a Norwegian-Ghanaian boy whose father was born in Ghana, his mother was Norwegian. He was stabbed to death at Holmlia in Oslo, Norway, just before midnight on January 26, 2001 by people from the Neo-Nazi group BootBoys...
, who at the age of 15 years, was murdered in Holmlia
Holmlia
Holmlia is a part of Oslo, Norway located in the southeastern borough of Søndre Nordstrand.It is served by Holmlia station.Holmlia is a highly ethnically diverse part of the city of Oslo, where ethnic minorities outnumber ethnic Norwegians....
, Søndre Nordstrand
Søndre Nordstrand
Søndre Nordstrand is a borough of the city of Oslo, Norway. It has 33000 inhabitants and the highest rate of immigrant population at 41%. It holds the population of Holmlia, Mortensrud, Hauketo, Prinsdal, Bjørndal, Klemetsrud, Ljabru and parts of Souther Nordstrand. It is also the southernmost...
in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The death was racially motivated.
The prize is awarded each year on January 27 in conjunction with the commemoration of the Holocaust. On this date Soviet forces liberated concentration camps in Auschwitz and Birkenau. The prize is awarded to a school that actively works against racism and discrimination.
The work for which the award is given is to be characterized by:
- Anchoring: The school's work against racism and discrimination represent a long-term commitment.
- Involvement: The school's work against racism and discrimination involves faculty and students at the school.
- Highlighting: The school's work against racism and discrimination is visible both in the school and in the broader community.
The prize consists of 100,000 kroner, and a miniature bust of Benjamin Hermansen on Holmlia. Ivar Sjaastad created the sculpture which is included as part of the award.
The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training
Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training
The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training is Norwegian government agency under the Ministry of Education and Research. It is responsible for development of primary and secondary education, including the management of the Norwegian Support System for Special Education .The organization,...
awards the prize. The jury which determines the recipient consists of Marit Hermansen (Benjamin’s mother), and representatives from the Antiracism Center, the Sami Parliament of Norway
Sami Parliament of Norway
The Sami Parliament of Norway is the representative body for people of Sami heritage in Norway. It acts as an institution of cultural autonomy for the indigenous Sami people....
, Union of Education Norway, Parents Committee for Primary and Lower Secondary Education,, and the Norwegian Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities
Norwegian Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities
The Center for Studies of Holocaust and Religious Minorities in Norway opened its doors to the public on August 24, 2006 at the former residence of Vidkun Quisling known as Villa Grande, on the peninsula of Bygdøy in Oslo.The center's endowment was donated by the Norwegian government at the behest...
.
Winners
- 2002 - Sunndal high school in SunndalsøraSunndalsørais a village and the administrative centre of the municipality of Sunndal in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. It is located at the mouth of the river Driva at the beginning of the Sunndalsfjord. It is about west of Hoelsand, southeast of Øksendalsøra, and about west of Grøa. The village has a...
- 2003 - Fjell school in DrammenDrammenDrammen is a city in Buskerud County, Norway. The port and river city of Drammen is centrally located in the eastern and most populated part of Norway.-Location:...
- 2004 - Ila school in TrondheimTrondheimTrondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
- 2005 - Gommerud school in BærumBærumis a municipality in Akershus county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Sandvika. Bærum was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838. A suburb of Oslo, Bærum is located on the west coast of the city....
- 2006 - Mandal secondary school in Mandal
- 2007 - Skotselv school in Øvre EikerØvre EikerØvre Eiker is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Eiker. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Hokksund. The old municipality of Eiker was divided into Øvre Eiker and Nedre Eiker on 1 July 1885.-Name:The Old Norse form of...
in Buskerud