The “Words and Colors for Justice” interdisciplinary arts competition is one of the key programs of E-mentoring’s “Creative Contemporary Communities in E-mentoring for Social Responsibility” CERV, "Our Common Values" project, which explores the topics of children’s rights, self-advocacy, and the prevention of bullying through creative expression.
Aim of the competition
The aim of the competition was to encourage students from grades 5-12 to express in their own voice-through artistic tools-what it means for them to stand up for themselves and for others, how they experience teasing, exclusion, and bullying, and what responses they imagine in such situations. The program encourages young people to experience that art can also be a powerful way to speak about important social issues, rights, and justice.
Categories and forms of participation
Students could submit their work to the “Words and Colors for Justice” competition in three creative categories:
- Create with colors and shapes - visual artworks such as drawings, paintings, photographs, graphics, collages, or comics.
- The power of words - short stories, fairy tales, essays, poems, or diary entries.
- Thought in motion - moving image or music-based works such as songs, short films, rap, slam poetry, dance pieces, or TikTok videos.
The competition ran from 20th October until mid-November 2024, during which nearly 60 works were submitted in a variety of genres and styles.
Implementation process
As part of the preparation for the competition, calls for submissions were developed for students, teachers, and parents, and the program was promoted among schools, partners, and communities. The submitted works were evaluated by a professional jury, which considered the strength of the message related to the topic, sincerity, creative courage, and the innovative use of the chosen artistic form. An important goal of the program was that the works should not remain only competition entries, but become visible through exhibitions, online platforms, and community events, thereby strengthening young people’s self-confidence and the social recognition of their voices.
Award winners and exhibition
After the competition closed, the following works received awards:
1st Prize
- Balázs Balogh - "In the Embrace of the Spiral" (visual artwork)
2nd Prize (shared)
- Hanna Keller - "You Are Not Alone" (visual artwork)
- Botond Stadler - "Surround, Don't Cross" (visual artwork)
3rd Prize (shared)
- Zsófia Farkas, Bíborka Tóth, Léna Váróczi - "The Impact of Words" (video)
- Nóra Lili Molnár - "Dear Diary!" (diary entry)
Audience Award
- Róza Mira Molnár and her class - "Bullying" (video)
- Valentin Judás - "Bullying" (visual artwork)
The award ceremony and exhibition opening took place on 10th January 2025, and the exhibition was open to visitors from 7th to 20th January 2025 in the lobby of the Kazinczy Street building of ELTE Faculty of Education and Psychology (PPK). The exhibition later became available online as well. The creators of the best works received shopping vouchers worth a total of 120,000 HUF. However, the main message of the program was that “every story matters.” Regardless of the form in which a young person expresses themselves, their voice counts, and children’s rights and the protection of one another are shared responsibilities.
Connection to the “Our Common Values” project
The interdisciplinary arts competition was implemented as part of the CERV “Our Common Values” project, within which E-tanoda addresses the topics of children’s rights and social awareness through several tools, including an arts competition, a legal-awareness educational board game, and training activities. The competition therefore functions not only as a standalone program but also contributes to a broader goal: helping young people recognize their rights more consciously, encouraging them to ask for help when needed, and empowering them to stand up for others within their communities.

The submitted works can be seen below:
Create with Colors and Shapes
Visual artworks created in the form of drawings, paintings, photographs, graphics, collages, or comics.
Alkoss színekkel és formákkal (Rajz, festmény, fotó, grafika, kollázs, képregény – max. 12 képkocka)
Pocsubay Panna - Szóbeli bántalmazás
Kiss Illés - Kiközösítés
Kiss Iván - A pozitív ERŐ
Kolompár Gyula - "Gyulai kolbász"
Kolompár Kevin Joel - Mc'Donalds
Kónya Hanna - Közös képzelet
Lakatos Aida Csenge - Segítőkéz és mosoly
László Attila - Kiszolgáltatottság
Ördög Nóra - Érintés és elfogadás
Palotay Maja - Kiközösítés a másság miatt
Kiss Dorina - Hangok bennem
Rácz Dorina - fel a fejjel!
Rácz Dorina - segíts másoknak!
Stadler Botond - Vedd körül, ne keresztezd
Szakács Míra, Hacsavecz Adél, Barta Boglárka, Németh Emese, Szedljak Hanna, Budácsik Petra, Hegyi Petra, Pintér Petra, Barta Rebeka, Török Hanga Virág - Mindig van remény
Szrenka Zsófia - A döntés a te kezedben van
Tadic Jovana - Ok-okozat
Tóth Emília Izabella - Kiközösítés
Víg-Góg Martin - Merj segítséget kérni!
Fazekas Lea - Fordított világ
Balog Szellő Irén - Mindenre van megoldás
Balogh Balázs - A spirál ölelésében
Bajdik Bonita - Gúnyolódás
Botos Márko Imre - Elég volt, Kössz! Bízz önmagadban!!!
Csikós Linett - Vörösbe burkolt csend
Csőszi Dóra - Állj ki! - A véleményedért, magadért és másokért.
Farkas József Tamás - Ne bánts!
Farkas Karolina Julianna - Ölelés és a szavak ereje
Balog Boróka Terka - Védelmezés
Fedor Jázmin - Rejtőzve
Fehér Tibor - "Szó szót követ"
Horváth Jázmin Enikő - Csúfolódás
Horváth Kata Hanna - Hogy lehet más?
Judás Valentin - Bullyingolás
Kanalas Emir Zeusz - fájnak a szavak
Keller Hanna - Nem vagy egyedül
Kis Lorena Izabella - Beszólás elleni védekezés
Thought in Motion
Moving-image or musical works such as songs, short films, rap, slam poetry, dance, or TikTok videos.
Mozgásban a gondolat (Dal, rövidfilm, rap, slam poetry, tánc, TikTok-videó – max. 3 perc)
Pőcze Lilla Szonja - Kiállok magamért (érted is)
Révész Titanilla, Nagy-Benkő Dóra - Diákbántalmazás
Pőcze Leila - Legjobb barátság
Matics Ramóna - Önkifejezés a táncban
Gomán Rikárdó - Nem hagyom magam
Farkas Zsófia, Tóth Bíborka, Váróczi Léna - A szavak hatása
Molnár Róza Mira és osztálya - “Bullying”
Bizsu Közösségi Tér Kamasz Önismereti Csoport - Ne tedd!
Baksai Általános Iskola 6-8. osztályos tanulóinak közös munkája
The Power of Words
Short stories, fairy tales, essays, poems, or diary entries.
Szavak ereje (Novella, esszé, mese, vers – max. 3 oldal)
Kasza-Szép Emma, Bandi Réka, Pusztai Petra - Kedves Naplóm! 3 fejezetben
Kasza-Szép Emma, Bandi Réka, Pusztai Petra - Kedves Naplóm! 3 fejezetben
Kasza-Szép Emma, Bandi Réka, Pusztai Petra - Kedves Naplóm! 3 fejezetben
Higli Nikolett - Életkép
Péter Luca Hanna - A nyomok belül sebek
Molnár Nóra Lili - Kedves Naplóm!
Kovács Eszter - Csilla
Kókai Kinga - Szavak és színek az igazságért!
Juhász Lara Hanna - A szív vallomása
Fógel Vivien - Mit jelent nekem a bullying?
Baross-Kökény Zsuzsanna - Lina a nap és a sugarai
Kiss Dorina - Ne engedj el
This project is supported by the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values (CERV) programme. The support of the European Commission does not constitute endorsement of the content of the activities carried out within the project, which reflects only the views of the implementers, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.
