UNAOC And BMW Group Announce Intercultural Innovation Winners

- UN Secretary General lauds winners as contributors to global peace, prosperity

BALI, Indonesia, Aug. 29, 2014 (ANTARA/PRNewswire) -- The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group announced the ranking of the 11 finalists of the 2014 Intercultural Innovation Award (IIA) Thursday at the UNAOC Sixth Global Forum. All finalists will be awarded support to help their project grow.

More than 1,200 participants representing heads of states and governments, foreign ministers, and members of the Alliance Group of Friends attended the Forum.

The IIA Award, jointly awarded by UNAOC and BMW Group, recognizes non-profit organizations worldwide for innovative grassroots programmes that contribute to dialogue, understanding, and acceptance of diversity among differing cultural, ethnic, and religious groups.

The top prize went to the Post-Conflict Research Center (PCRC) - Bosnia-Herzegovina for its "Ordinary Heroes" retrospective. The project recalls individual acts of moral courage responsible for saving lives during times of ethnic violence and genocide, which are used to inspire dialogue leading to understanding and individual acceptance of differences.

In his award ceremony remarks, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon lauded the creative efforts of the IIA winners, citing them as contributors to global peace and prosperity.

In addition to monetary prizes, all 11 finalists will receive a year-long programme of consulting help tailored to their unique needs. Winners include:

Second, All Together Now (Australia). "Everyday Racism" app for smart phones exposes users to prejudice experienced by culturally disadvantaged groups
Third, Manav Seva Sansthan "SEVA" (India). Safe migration project promotes rights and aids prevention of human trafficking along Nepal border
Fourth, Welcoming America (USA). Welcome plans create attractive environments for talented immigrant arrivals
Fifth, Arcenciel (Lebanon). Marginalised youth from differing backgrounds achieve mutual understanding through performing arts

IIA honourable mentions in alphabetical order include:

Africa e Mediterraneo (Italy). Immigrant comic-strip artists
Association for Cultural Child and Youth Education (Germany). Women tell their stories of gender discrimination
Department of Culture and Leisure, Municipality of Simrishamn (Sweden). Intergenerational card game
Fundacion CONSTRUIR (Bolivia). Promotion of a multicultural understanding of laws as adjudicated both by state and indigenous authorities
Wapikoni mobile (Canada). Workshops and short film production focusing on cultural identity
Youth Service Organization (YSO) (Rwanda). Tradition of dance and music to bring people together