Volonteurope: European Citizenship Awards Announced!
A 2016 partnership between the European Civic Forum and Volonteurope, the European Citizenship Awards promote and give visibility to outstanding and inspiring initiatives and individuals who have put European democratic citizenship into practice, and in so doing have had a positive impact on their communities.
The candidates were selected through an international jury and public online voting – which garnered over 4,500 votes – and we can now announce the Laureates for 2016:
Media iniative of the year
United Youth Journalists is an international youth lead project with the vision of raising awareness of what is going on in the world in order to collaborate in building the foundations of peace and sustainability. Through reliable, impartial news sources our aim is to share and learn, writing about the issues taking place in our region of the world.
Volunteer of the year
Bjorn Formosa (Malta) is a 29-year-old from Malta who was diagnosed with terminal ALS last August 2015 and from then onwards he has worked tirelessly to find a cure for ALS and improve sufferers’ quality of life through the ALS Malta Foundation. Bjorn is focused on the Maltese ALS and motor neuron disease and sufferers.
Social enterprise of the year
Agricoltura Capodarco Società Cooperativa Sociale, whichis an organic multifunctional farm on the outskirts of Rome, founded in 1978 as an offshoot of the Community Capodarco of Rome. In 1978 the community was created in Grottaferrata and started agricultural activity with a group of disable and disadvantaged people, making it a model of social farming in Italy and the EU nowadays.
Campaign of the year
Refugee Aid Miksaliste. Given the large number of refugees coming to and through Belgrade since August 2015, on the “Balkan route”, as non-governmental organisations and humanitarian initiatives, NGO Mikser and Vlade Divac Foundation started a campaign to help refugees, by establishing a welcome point, transforming an open air venue, “Miksalište,” into Refugee Aid Serbia’s main support centre.
Besides these outstanding Laureates, the jury decided to reward two other candidates: the Okruženje TV programme from the Media category, as well as Mohamed Al-Saud, who was running for the Volunteer of the Year.
Celebrating London’s status as the European Volunteering Capital for 2016, and in recognition of the support of Team London, the Awards ceremony will be held at London City Hall on 12 September 2016.
Winners will also be invited to present their achievements during the World Forum for Democracy in Strasbourg on 7-9 November 2016.
Many thanks to all the nominees and those who voted.
