PRESS RELEASE
International youth projects on peace and understanding receive awards for excellence
Berlin, 16 February 2009. This afternoon, the largest funding programme for international youth projects in Germany, EUROPEANS FOR PEACE, hosts the third such event of its kind: a prize giving award ceremony for the five most successful projects funded by the foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future". Young people from Central and Eastern Europe, Israel and Germany have been concerning themselves for the past year with the question "Which men and women in the 20th century have been particularly courageous in their commitment to peace and humanitarian work?"
Altogether 45 international projects were funded in 2007/2008. The prizewinning projects included an exhibition by young people from Kyrgyzstan and Germany which examines the extraordinary story of Adolph Koop. Koop, the son of German parents, was rescued by Kyrgyzian families during the Second World War. Another award goes to a project group for their creative treatment of the subject of the Holocaust. Participants from Israel, Poland and Germany produced a choreographed performance around the qualities of "courage", "tolerance" and "readiness to help".
The EUROPEANS FOR PEACE patron is the German Foreign Secretary, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who views the programme as an important contribution to international understanding. Young people especially need to learn from the struggle for peace, democracy and human rights. They are the ones who will assume responsibility, step by step, and shape the future.
This year’s prize awards speech will be given by Marianne Heuwagen, Director of the German office of Human Rights Watch. Also present will be historical witnesses, among them survivors of the Nazi regime. The event will be opened in Berlin by Günter Saathoff, member of the board of directors of the foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future". "The EUROPEANS FOR PEACE prize-winners have shown a great deal of commitment and creativity in researching these issues of history. In so doing, they are building bridges between the past and their own responsibility for human rights today, thus making a contribution to international understanding in Europe and Israel", said Günter Saathoff on Monday in Berlin.
Short film portraits offer an insight into the young people’s motivation for this international project work.
EUROPEANS FOR PEACE was set up in 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. Its aim is to maintain and encourage young people’s commitment to peace and reconciliation in Europe. The programme supports young people as they tackle historical issues about World War II and European post-war history. It aims also to encourage links to be made between these historical issues and current questions of democracy and human rights.
So far, total funding of some 3.5 million Euros has been spent on supporting over 280 joint projects between school and youth groups from 25 countries. In 2007/2008 alone, more than 1,200 schoolchildren from 20 countries took part in the funded projects.
The Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future"
The Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" is an expression of the responsibility of the state, industry and society to continue to confront National Socialist injustice and to work for understanding between peoples.
The Foundation supports international projects in the following areas:
- A critical examination of history
- Working for democracy and human rights
- Humanitarian commitment to the victims of National Socialism
The Foundation was established in 2000 to make payments to former forced labourers. The payments were completed in 2007. A total of EUR 4.37 billion was disbursed to more than 1.66 million people in 98 countries. Other victims of National Socialism received altogether EUR 545 million. The Foundation’s capital of DEM 10.1 billion (EUR 5.2 billion) was provided by the German government and German industry.
The courage for peace Prize-winners Event
EUROPEANS FOR PEACE - The funding programme for international youth projects
Monday 16 February 2009
Start 17.00 (ends approx. 19.30)
Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities
[Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften]
Markgrafenstraße 38, 10117 Berlin
(U-Bahn Stadtmitte, near Gendarmenmarkt)
Please let us know if you would like to attend this event: reimer@stiftung-evz.de or send a fax on: 030 / 259297-11.
Contact:
Foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future"
Press and Publicity
Nadine Reimer
Lindenstraße 20-25
10969 Berlin
Phone: +49 (0)30 25 92 97-26
Mobile: +49 (0)174 1767654
reimer@stiftung-evz.de
Download
- Press release (PDF)
