Luka Ritz Annual Award
Everyone has heard of Luka Ritz, a high-school pupil who was beaten to death by a group of hooligans. Luka was 18 and was about to graduate from the High School of Graphics. He was a member of a rock and roll band. He had many dreams and hopes, just like all the young people of the same age have, including all of you who are reading this text now. He wanted to become a journalist. He was convinced that time was on his side.
But Luka's future was taken away by the terrible act of violence. In the memory of Luka and all other girls and boys who were victims of violence, Decision on the introduction of the Annual Award "Luka Ritz" for the promotion of tolerance and violence-free schools was reached by Dragan Primorac, PhD, MD, Minister of Science, Education and Sports, in late September 2008.
In October 2008 it was followed by a public invitation for submission of proposals for the presentation of the annual award "Luka Ritz" aimed at promoting tolerance and violence-free schools, which was announced by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports and sent to all schools in the Republic of Croatia.
All elementary and high schools in the Republic of Croatia may nominate pupils who have been promoting tolerance, humane and non-violent behaviour, and the Award will in early June next year be awarded to one elementary school pupil and one high school pupil.
The Award comprises an award statue, a special acknowledgement in the form of a charter and a one-year scholarship in the amount of HRK 1,000 a month. The school attended by the awarded pupil will receive a special acknowledgement.
The decision on the Award winner will be made by the Commission composed of the following members:
The award statue, as a part of the Award, will be created by a student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where a design competition for the best award statue has been launched.
The purpose of the Award is stated as follows:
We would like to encourage young people to get involved more actively and use their creative energy to help create a better world based on justice, humanity, solidarity, mutual understanding, acceptance and trust.
But Luka's future was taken away by the terrible act of violence. In the memory of Luka and all other girls and boys who were victims of violence, Decision on the introduction of the Annual Award "Luka Ritz" for the promotion of tolerance and violence-free schools was reached by Dragan Primorac, PhD, MD, Minister of Science, Education and Sports, in late September 2008.
In October 2008 it was followed by a public invitation for submission of proposals for the presentation of the annual award "Luka Ritz" aimed at promoting tolerance and violence-free schools, which was announced by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports and sent to all schools in the Republic of Croatia.
All elementary and high schools in the Republic of Croatia may nominate pupils who have been promoting tolerance, humane and non-violent behaviour, and the Award will in early June next year be awarded to one elementary school pupil and one high school pupil.
The Award comprises an award statue, a special acknowledgement in the form of a charter and a one-year scholarship in the amount of HRK 1,000 a month. The school attended by the awarded pupil will receive a special acknowledgement.
The decision on the Award winner will be made by the Commission composed of the following members:
- a representative of the family of the late Luka Ritz
- a representative of the National Pupils’ Council of the Republic of Croatia
- a representative of the Croatian Agency for Education
- a representative of the Agency for Vocational Education and a representative of the respective Ministry
The award statue, as a part of the Award, will be created by a student of the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb, where a design competition for the best award statue has been launched.
The purpose of the Award is stated as follows:
- encourage young people to adopt an active approach to fighting violence
- draw public attention (the public referring especially to young people, their parents and teachers) to the prevention of violence
- promote positive role models
We would like to encourage young people to get involved more actively and use their creative energy to help create a better world based on justice, humanity, solidarity, mutual understanding, acceptance and trust.