BMW Group, UNAOC award 10 with Intercultural Innovation Award
The BMW Group and the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) have bestowed ten organizations from ten countries with the Intercultural Innovation Award (IIA) for their outstanding social commitment.
The award ceremony took place at EXPO 2020 Dubai (German Pavilion), coinciding with the themed week on Tolerance and Inclusivity, and the International Day of Tolerance. The awards ceremony was attended by Her Excellency Minister of State for International Cooperation of UAE and Managing Director of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau.
The IIA honours people and projects that promote diversity, tolerance and inclusion in a particularly creative way, that move us forward as a society and as a company Ms. Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Labour Relations Director, and patron of the award said.
Diversity and understanding – for strong civil societies worldwide.
The BMW Group and UNAOC, through the IIA, have been promoting intercultural understanding and strengthening civil societies for the past ten years. This year, 1,100 organizations from 120 countries applied to the open call. With the support of an International Jury, 10 organizations from 10 different countries were selected: Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Switzer-land.
The awardees will each receive financial support of 20,000 US Dollars. They will also receive professional mentoring from the BMW Group, UNAOC and consulting firm Accenture. Among other things, the selected organizations will benefit from business and strategic project support and become members of the Intercultural Leaders network.
Since its inception, the IIA has been conferred to 71 organizations, reaching more than five million people worldwide with their projects. The BMW Group and UNAOC have very recently agreed to continue their successful partnership in the years to come.
The award winners (in alphabetical order):
- Initiatives of Change International – International Trust Building (Switzerland)
- La Cana, Productos Con Causa – Knitting a Better Future (Mexico).
- Mediterranean Youth Foundation – Dialogue on the Human Fraternity Document (Egypt).
- MITTI Social Initiative Foundation – MITTI Café Inclusion with Every Meal (India).
- Peacegeeks Society – Arrival Advisor (Canada).
- Place Network – Emerging Leaders (France).
- Politize! Civic Education Institute – Politize! Ambassadors Programme: Promoting Civic Empowerment for All (Brazil).
- Spielen in der Stadt – Always Remember, Never Forget (Germany).
- Street Project Foundation – Creative Youth Boot Camp: Art for Social Transformation (Nigeria).
- Strengthening Youth Leadership Collective – SMART Advocates: For Effective Dialogue to Address Grassroots Conflicts (Sri Lanka).
