Munich. The German initiative “Give Something Back to
Berlin” (GSBTB) had the honour of winning first place in the
Intercultural Innovation Award 2016 this year. Ten social projects
from all over the world were nominated for the award with which the
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group
support innovative intercultural concepts. In the presence of H.E.
Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser (High Representative of UNAOC) and Bill
McAndrews (Head of Corporate Communications Strategy, BMW Group
Corporate and Market Communications), the prize was awarded yesterday
evening on the occasion of the 7th Global Forum of the United Nations
Alliance of Civilizations in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Berlin initiative
emerged as the winner amongst almost 1,000 applicants from 120
countries, convincing the six-member independent jury consisting of
representatives from internationally renowned intercultural
educational institutions.
German project wins the Intercultural Innovation Award 2016
On behalf of the large “Give Something Back to Berlin” community,
founder Annamaria Olsson accepted the first prize, which is endowed
with 40,000 US Dollar. In 2013, the Swedish journalist and
New-Berliner had a spontaneous idea that developed into a project
platform and network which mobilises and enables Berlin’s newcomers
from all over the world to channel their time, energy and expertise in
social projects and neighbourhood work. The goal is to create meeting
points for communities that would normally not engage with each other.
In practice GSBTB works on three levels: they send eager volunteers to
local NGO´s all over the city, act as a catalyst where people come
together to develop new ideas and they initiate own GSBTB projects.
GSBTB supports and realises numerous projects with Berlin’s refugee
communities, thereby making a significant contribution towards
sustainable integration and intercultural understanding. Those who
have fled their countries are not only beneficiaries, but also become
an integral part of the Give Something Back to Berlin community.
“On behalf of GSBTB’s community, I would like to thank the BMW Group
and UNAOC for this special award. Thanks to their multifaceted support
we are able to sustainably professionalize our platform and projects.
This prize is also recognition of our hard working volunteer’s
untiring effort. Without them and many others ‘Give Something Back to
Berlin’ would have not become such a crucial meeting place for so many
people from all over the world,” says an enthusiastic Annamaria
Olsson, founder of GSBTB.
Intercultural Innovation Award supports sustainability of
social projects
Each year since 2011, the BMW Group and UNAOC have bestowed the
Intercultural Innovation Award to ten innovative social projects that
promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, thus making vital
contributions to prosperity and peace in global societies. This unique
cooperative model existing between the private sector and UNAOC has a
far-reaching impact, as thanks to their competences, both partners are
able to ensure the sustainability of their chosen projects.
For the period of one year, the team from “Give Something Back to
Berlin” and the nine other finalists receive comprehensive consulting
services from the BMW Group and UNAOC: In addition to a training and
capacity building programme covering topics such as strategy or
planning, they are accepted into the exclusive network of
“intercultural leaders”, thereby profiting from the two global
partners’ extensive networks.
“We are pleased that an initiative from Berlin will receive the first
prize of the Intercultural Innovation Award this year. Together with
UNAOC we will offer ‘Give Something Back to Berlin’ our specifically
targeted support in the development of a business model. The
cooperation with a future-oriented social start-up project is an
honour for the BMW Group and we look forward to a mutual exchange of
knowledge,” explains Bill McAndrews, Head of Communications Strategy,
BMW Group Corporate and Market Communications.
This year’s finalists are (in alphabetical order):
The Blessing Basket Project
– ArtisanYou (USA)
The Coexist Initiative –
Girls Education Equity Project (Kenya)
Give Something Back
to Berlin e.V. – Give Something Back to Berlin (Germany)
International Council
for Cultural Centers – Bread Houses Network (Bulgaria)
On Our Radar – From the Margins
to the Front Page (UK)
Red Dot Foundation – Safecity (India)
Routes 2 Roots – Exchange for
Change (India)
Shine a Light – CanalCanoa (Brazil/USA)
SINGA – SINGA Kiwanda (France)
Unistream – Educating Tomorrow
Leaders Today (Israel)
In the event of enquiries please contact:
Corporate Communications
Milena Pighi, BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs,
Spokesperson CSR
Phone: +49-89-382-66563,
Milena.PA.Pighi@bmw.de
Sabrina Artmann, BMW Group Corporate and Governmental Affairs, CSR
Phone +49 89 382-21248,
Sabrina.Artmann@bmw.de
Internet:
www.press.bmw.de
E-Mail:
presse@bmw.de
BMW Group Social Commitment
Social commitment is an integral part of the BMW Group’s corporate
culture. The main emphasis is placed above all on resource efficiency
as well as intercultural innovation and social inclusion. In the
process, the company gives major priority to projects and concepts
where it can use its core competences to achieve a tangible and
measurable improvement. The commitment focuses on long-term solutions
that can be applied internationally and generate a noticeable
long-term effect based on the principle of “help for self-help”.
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http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/BMWGroup
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http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupview
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United Nations Alliance of Civilizations
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) is an initiative
of the UN Secretary-General which aims to improve understanding and
cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and
religions, and to help counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism.
The Alliance was established in 2005, at the initiative of the
Governments of Spain and Turkey, under the auspices of the United
Nations. On 28 September 2012, H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser was
designated UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations by
the Secretary-General of the United Nations. UNAOC is supported by the
Group of Friends, a community of over 100 member countries and
international organizations and bodies.