Office of the Ombudsman

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS: HUMAN RIGHTS CHAMPIONS AWARDS

The theme of Human Rights Day 2025 is “Human Rights – Our Everyday Essentials”.

To celebrate the day, the Samoa Office of the Ombudsman and National Human Rights Institution (the Office), in collaboration with the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, is calling for nominations for the Human Rights Champion Awards.

Nominations will be accepted in five (5) human rights awards categories, namely:

  1. Young People’s Human Rights Champion
  2. Community Human Rights Champion
  3. Media Human Rights Champion
  4. Business and Human Rights Champion
  5. Komesina o Sulufaiga Award

A. WHO CAN BE A NOMINEE?

I. Individuals or organizations who have completed work in one (1) or more of the award categories and made outstanding contributions to the promotion of human rights in Samoa between 1 November 2024 and 1 November 2025 (ongoing work will also be considered). The work must also contribute to:

  1. Resilient economies that support recovery and prosperity and protect people’s social, economic, political and cultural rights; and/or
  2. Resilient societies that empower people and promote equality and non-discrimination, participation and inclusion.

II. Activities can include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Promoting economic policies and practices that integrates human rights to ensure that economic activities are sustainable and do not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs;
  • Advocating for income equality, decent work and economic opportunities, especially for those at risk of being left behind, such as youth, women and persons with disabilities;
  • Advocating for labour rights, including fair wages, safe working conditions and combatting child labour and workplace exploitation and harassment.
  • Ensuring access to education and skills development;
  • Advocating for social protection;
  • Promoting social and economic empowerment for all regardless of gender, addressing barriers to full participation in all sectors of society;
  • Supporting socially responsible business practices that integrate human rights.
  • Advocating for social and/or economic inclusion of people with disabilities.

B. ADDITONAL ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

  • Winners of 2024 Human Rights Champions Awards are NOT eligible for nominations this year.
  • Nominees must be either a Samoan citizen living in Samoa OR an organization or association that is registered in Samoa.
  • Nominees for the Young People’s Champion Award must be aged 18-35 years old.
  • You can nominate:
    • Yourself; OR
    • The organization you work for; OR
    • A person or organization you admire.
  • People and organizations can be nominated in multiple categories.
  • You may nominate more than one person or organization.

C. HOW TO APPLY

Send us an email or a letter that tells us:

  1. WHO your nominee is. Provide a brief biography of the person or organization you are nominating and the work they are doing.
  2. WHY your nominee should get an award. What has the nominee accomplished? How has their work made an impact? What is the broader context of their achievements or contributions? What prompted you to submit your nomination? Provide as much information about their achievements and/or service as possible in relation to the activities mentioned in A (I) & (II)
  3. WHAT award(s) you are nominating the person/organization for.
  4. ATTACH any relevant supporting material such as photographs, newspaper clippings, and links to blogs/websites

Keep it clear and concise. Aim for quality, not quantity. Focus on the work that’s specifically related to the award you are nominating the person or organization for.

 D. JUDGING CRITERIA

The judges in each category of award will be looking for answers to the following questions:

  • Has the nominee contributed to advancing human rights in the area(s) nominated between 1 November 2024 and 1 November 2025 in Samoa?
  • Does the nomination provide specific examples of the nominee’s contributions to the relevant award category?
  • Has the nominee raised community awareness of the human rights issues they work on?
  • What outcomes have the nominee achieved for the communities/individuals they work with?

 

SEND NOMINATIONS TO:        info@ombudsman.gov.ws

OR

Drop off your written nominations to our front desk, located at: 

Level 2 SNPF Plaza, Savalalo

Please direct any questions or enquiries to the Director, Human Rights Unit, Ulugia Rosa Toese on 25394.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE: MONDAY, 1 DECEMBER 2025 at 4:00 PM

Winners will be notified by 5 December 2025.

An awards ceremony will be held on 10 December 2025 at Tanoa Hotel in celebration of International Human Rights Day.

FAAILOGA MO SIAMUPINI O LE AIA TATAU

I le faamanatuina, e le Ofisa o le Komesina o Sulufaiga a Samoa/NNHRI, faatasi ai ma le Ofisa o le Komesina Maualuga o Aia Tatau a Tagata a le Malo Aufaatasi, ua valaaulia ai sui tauva lautogia mo le Faailoga mo Siamupini o le Aia Tatau.

E Lima(5) vaega o aia tatau o lea vaevaeina iai faailoga:

  1. Siamupini o Aia Tatau mo TupulagaTalavou
  2. Siamupini o Aia Tatau a Tagata mo Nuu ma Alalafaga
  3. Siamupini o Aia Tatau a Tagata i Ala Faasalalau
  4. Siamupini o Pisinisi ma Aia Tatau a Tagata
  5. Faailoga a le Komesina o Sulufaiga

A. O AI E MAFAI ONA AVEA MA SUI FAATU?

I. Tagata taʻitoʻatasi poʻo faʻalapotopotoga ua maeʻa galuega i se vaega e tasi (1) pe sili atu foʻi i le vaevaega loʻo i luga e aofia ai le faʻalauiloaina o aia tatau a tagata i Samoa amata mai ia Novema 2024 seia pau mai le 1 Novema 2025. E tatau foʻi ona fesoasoani i galuega nei:

  • Tamaoaiga mautu e lagolagoina le toe faʻaleleia,ma le manuia, ma le malu puipuia aia tatau a tagata tulaga lautele, tamaoaiga, faaupufai ma aganuu; ma/poʻo
  • Sosaiete mautu e faʻamalosia tagata ma faʻalauiloa le avanoa tutusa ma le le faʻailoga tagata, auai ma le amanaia.

II. Isi gaioiga e aofia ai:

  • Faʻalauiloaina o faiga faʻavae tau tamaoaiga ma faiga e tuʻufaʻatasia ai aia tatau a tagata e faʻamautinoa ai o gaoioiga tau tamaoaiga e gafataulimaina ma e le faʻaleagaina ai le mafai o tupulaga o le lumanaʻi e faʻataunuʻuina o latou manaʻoga;
  • Faʻalauiloaina o le tutusa o tupe maua, galuega talafeagai ma avanoa tau tamaoaiga, aemaise lava mo i latou o loʻo lamatia i le tuʻua, e pei o talavou, fafine ma tagata e iai manaʻoga faʻapitoa;
  • Faʻalauiloaina o aia tatau a tagata faigaluega, e aofia ai totogi talafeagai, tulaga saogalemu o galuega ma le tau faasaga i galuega a tamaiti ma le faʻasauā i le galuega.
  • Faʻamautinoa le avanoa i aʻoaʻoga ma le atinaʻeina o tomai;
  • Faʻalauiloaina o le puipuiga lautele;
  • Faʻalauiloaina o le faʻamalosia o le lautele ma le tamaoaiga mo tagata uma e tusa lava po o le a le itupa, faʻatalanoaina o faʻalavelave i le auai atoatoa i vaega uma o le sosaiete;
  • Lagolagoina o faiga faapisinisi e nafa ma le va fealoai e aofia ai aia tatau a tagata.
  • Lagolagoina o le aofia ai o tagata e iai manaʻoga faapitoa i le va fealoai ma/po o le tamaoaiga.

B. AIAIGA O AGAVAA

  • E LE agava’a tagata sa manumalo i le 2024 Human Rights Champions Awards mo le filiga o letausaga nei.
  • E tatau i tagata ua filifilia ona avea ma tagatanuu Samoa o lo’o nofo i Samoa PO’O se fa’alapotopotoga po’o se asosi ua resitalaina i totonu o Samoa.
  • E tatau i tagata ua filifilia mo le Siamupini mo Tupulaga Talavou ona 18-35 tausaga le matutua

C. FAATULAI’INA O SUI FAATU

Faailoa mai se imeli po’o se tusi ia i matou:

  • O AI lau sui filifilia.

Tu’uina mai se tala’aga pu’upu’u o le tagata po’o le fa’alapotopotoga o lo’o e filifilia ma le galuega o lo’o latou faia.

  • AISEĀ e tatau ai ona maua se faailoga o lau sui filifilia.

Tulaga na ausia e le sui filifilia; matatia na ausia ma lona sao.

Tu’uina mai fa’amatalaga uma e uiga i matatia na latou ausia ma le taua o le auaunaga.

  • O LE Ā le(ni) fa’ailoga o lo’o e filifili e agavaa iai le sui filifilia.
  • FA’APIPII mai vaega talafegai e lagolago tai e pei o ata, tala mai nusipepa, ma tuatusi i luga o upegatafailagi.

Ia manino ma taula’i i galuega fa’apitoa e feso’ota’i ma le vaega o fa’ailoga o lo’o i luga.

D. VAEGA O LE A FUA IAI LE FAAMASINOINA O SUI

O vaega taua nei o le fua iai le faamasinoina o vaega ta’itasi:

  • Sa saofaga le sui tauva i le fa’alauiloaina o aia tatau a tagata i vaega taua ua filifili mai le aso 1 o Novema 2024 seia pau mai le Aso 1 o Novema 2025 i Samoa?
  • Faamauina i le tusi talosaga ni fa’ata’ita’iga i le sao o le sui tauva e tusa ma vaega o aia tatau ua faatauaina
  • Pe na faatinoina ni fa’alauiloa e le sui tauva mo nu’u ma alalafaga faatatau i mataupu tau aia tatau a tagata latou te galulue ai?
  • O a ni taunu’uga ua ausia e le sui tauva mo nu’u/tagata ta’ito’atasi o lo o latou galulue fa’atasi?

E MAFAI ONA FAATUINA MAI:

  • O oe lava; PO’O
  • le fa’alapotopotoga o lo’o e galue ai; PO’O
  • se tagata po’o se fa’alapotopotoga e te fa’amemelo i ai.
  • E mafai ona filifilia tagata ma fa’alapotopotoga i soo se vaega.
  • E mafai ona sili atu ma le to’atasi le tagata po’o le fa’alapotopotoga ona e filifilia.

FAATOAI MAI SUI FAATUTU I LE:

info@ombudsman.gov.ws

PE

Faailoa mai e ala i se tusi ma momoli mai le matou Ofisa, i lona nofoaga autu:

Fogafale 2 SNPF Plaza, Savalalo

Mo tulaga e faafesiligia, faafetootai sao le Faatonu o le Vaega mo Aia Tatau, Ulugia Rosa Toese ile 25394.

TAPUNIA : ASO GAFUA, 1 TESEMA 2024 ile 4:00 PM

Faailoa manumalo i le Aso 5 Tesema 2025.

Sauniga mo le tufatufaina o faailoa Aso 10 Tesema 2025 ile Faletalimalo Tanoa i le Faamanatuina o le Aso Faamanatu mo Aia Tatau i le Lalolagi.