"I am honored and humbled to state that I won the Human Rights Prize of Maastricht. It was a very exciting evening and emotions were running high. This year, the topic for the fifth edition of Human Rights Prize of Maastricht was ‘Freedom from Fear’. I saw the poster for the announcement of this completion in the hall of the Faculty of Law where I also continue my Master studies at the moment. I am following the Master Globalization and Law with the specialization in Human Rights. Based on my passion for Human Rights and the chance to participate in this competition with a creative entry such as a poem, I just had to submit my own. This was really hard for me because of my past where I did live in fear for a long time during my youth and the effects of that translated into struggles with mental health in my adult life. Mental health issues are real and I am here to also break the stigma and start the conversation. This prize represents for me, the breaking through my fear, gaining my freedom and speaking up".

Hande Wevers

The Maastricht Human Rights Prize

The goal of the Maastricht Human Rights Prize is for students to reflect on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights during their studies in Maastricht. The competition is open to students from secondary schools, secondary vocational and higher education institutions.