UNAOC And BMW Group Announce Intercultural Innovation Winners

Nusa Dua, Bali, Aug. 29 (Antara) - 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, PRNews Wire said in a statement on Friday. 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 All Together Now (Australia), Manav Seva Sansthan "SEVA" (India), Welcoming America (USA) and Arcenciel (Lebanon).