The BMW Group Award for Intercultural Innovation in support of
the Alliance of Civilizations, under the auspices of the United Nations (The
UNAOC-BMW Group Award for Intercultural Innovation) aims to identify
the most innovative grassroots projects that encourage intercultural
exchange around the world. This highly competitive selection process has
been set in place to guarantee that selected projects are rewarded for
outstanding achievement in creativity, excellence and proven positive
impact.
Intercultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation is a process
whereby people from different cultural backgrounds and systems of
beliefs interact, communicate, negotiate and enrich themselves. In this
process, individuals exchange concepts and perceptions and build a
shared vision of society and the world. Beyond just peaceful
coexistence, interculturality is a dynamic process that helps
individuals and communities to learn about and understand other
cultures. Furthermore, it enables individuals to move away from
isolationist and mistrustful attitudes and it encourages them to embrace
diversity as a core value of peaceful and sustainable societies.
In the past decades, numerous projects and programs around the world
have addressed issues related to cultures in contact with each other.
However, in this fast changing world, where social media and the
Internet are continuously shaping our perceptions and scientific
developments are allowing faster travel and communication, innovation in
the field of intercultural exchanges appears to be essential.
Both the UNAOC and the BMW Group are strongly committed to creativity
and innovation. Indeed, the Dialogue Café initiative or the Rapid
Response Media Mechanism are only two examples of the UNAOC’s commitment
in increasing intercultural understanding through novel methods.
Correspondingly, the BMW Group is a leading innovative company in the
use of new approaches to corporate responsibility.
For that reason, the Award will acknowledge brave initiatives that
dare to think outside the box, rethinking intercultural work and making
an important use of new methods to promote intercultural understanding
and cooperation. The Award represents a unique platform for civil
society organizations committed to the promotion of cultural diversity
and understanding.
The Award
A total amount of 50,000 USD will be split among the ten winners of the Award at the occasion of the Awards ceremony in Doha in December 2011.
Based on a case to case needs assessment, winners will receive during
one year active guidance and support from the WIFI team in order to
replicate and scale up their projects. They will also benefit from
partner organizations that will sponsor Awardees in collaboration with
the UNAOC and the BMW Group. This support may vary depending on the
nature of the project and may include IT support, legal advice,
increasing visibility, etc.
Moreinfo: www.unaoc.org/unaoc-bmwgroup-award
