Youth for Human Rights International and Tim Bowles, its director for International Development, are the latest recipients of the City of Pasadena’s prestigious Models of Unity award.

Conferred by Mayor Bill Bogaard and Nat Nehdar, chair for the Commission on Human Relations, at the City Council’s Jan. 30 meeting, the award recognizes Youth for Human Rights for fostering collaboration on human relations issues “among the diverse community of Pasadena.”

“With their human rights leadership campaign, Mr. Bowles and Youth for Human Rights have inspired and trained thousands of African youth to work for peace in the most trying of circumstances,” Nehdar observed. “Having known Tim for the past couple of years as he works to develop student programs in Pasadena, I am confident his organization will succeed beyond anyone’s imagination. If anyone deserves this prestigious Model of Unity Award it is Mr. Tim Bowles.”

Mayor Bogaard formally presented the award.

“I am proud to present the 2012 Models of Unity award to Tim Bowles for his record of service and his ongoing work in the field of human relations,” the mayor said in part.

“The Youth for Human Rights mission is to educate young people on the 30 articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to equip youth as leaders for mutual responsibility, fair opportunity and social justice,” said Bowles in accepting the award. “It is the task of each generation to guide those that follow to become more competent, more effective and more responsible than their teachers.”

Also present to thank Mayor Bogaard and Commissioner Nehdar for the recognition were Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, South African educator and Youth for Human Rights International founder, Joseph Jay Yarsiah, program director for the organization’s work in Africa, and Marshall Fundamental High students Betty and Aida Ogba, members of that school’s Empowered Leaders Club working with Bowles and Yarsiah on a local youth human rights leadership pilot program.

Youth for Human Rights International is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to worldwide human rights education through the U.N.’s Universal Declaration.

Youth for Human Rights International accepts the City of Pasadena’s 2012 Models of Unity award. From left, Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, YHRI founder, Mayor Bill Bogaard, Tim Bowles, YHRI director, Nat Nehdar, chair, Pasadena Commission on Human Relations, and Joseph Jay Yarsiah, YHRI program director for Africa.