On November 29, the United Nations hosted for the first time the Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony, which celebrates the most innovative grassroots projects that encourage intercultural dialogue and cooperation around the world.
The Award, now in its 4th edition, was established in 2011 by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group with the goal of fostering understanding and peace across cultural and religious borders.
“Mutual respect, diversity, and understanding among civilizations are all values required in peaceful, inclusive and sustainable societies,” said Nassir Abdulaziz Al- Nasser, High Representative for the UNAOC. “Collective efforts with state and non-state actors including the civil society, the corporate sector, religious leaders and the media are crucial to our success. The robust partnership that we forged with BMW Group is a good example of such collective efforts geared towards creating a new successful model for collaboration between the United Nations and private sector.”
This year’s ten awarded organizations were celebrated for their work in the presence of ambassadors and high-level UN officials. In addition to receiving financial grants and increased visibility, awardees will have the chance to participate in training activities as well as to become a part of the exclusive “Intercultural Leaders” network, a skills and knowledge sharing platform for civil society organizations and young leaders.
This year, first place went to the Pakistan Youth Alliance for their Peace Rickshaws Project. Using auto-rickshaws and pop-art, the project spreads messages of tolerance and interfaith harmony to spark conversations about peace in the streets. The project was successfully implemented in Karachi, Pakistan’s most populous city, and will now be replicated in Lahore.
Click here to learn about the innovative projects of this year’s awardees.
Missed the award ceremony? Watch it here.
Source: UNSDN
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