Legau, Bonn, September 14, 2012: On the occasion of a festive gala on September 14 in Legau/Germany more than 500 guests from around the world paid their tribute to the laureates of the 3rd international One World Award (OWA). The OWA statue and a check over 25,000 Euro – donated by Rapunzel Naturkost – went to Nacianceno M. Pacalioga, Jr., – better known as Mayor Jun – from the Philippines. Mayor Jun was recognized for his ambitious conversion project promoting organic cultivation as the central column of an integrated, successful regional development in the Philippines. The One World Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to scientist and organic pioneer Ana Primavesi from Brazil. The finalists from India, Turkey, Nicaragua and Cuba received a certificate and a check over 2,000 Euro each.
"Even if many fellow human beings, big corporations and governments still try to ignore it: we definitely and ultimately sit in one and the same boat. There is only one world where we all live with the same rights and duties". With these words, Joseph Wilhelm, founder and Managing Director of Rapunzel Naturkost, greeted the 500 invited international guests who had come to the Allgäu region in Bavaria in order to celebrate the laureates and finalists of the One World Award. The award ceremony was accompanied by the Murat Parlak Band and a surprise appearance of finalist Humberto Rios who performed Cuban rhythms together with his son Humbertido. The gala event was moderated by a charming and humorous moderator Severin von Hoensbroech.
Hans Herren, OWA winner 2010 and laureate of the „World Food Prize" held an impressive gala speech about the global food situation and importance of organic agriculture. He left no doubt that o n l y ecological and sustainable agriculture can feed the world in the future.
After an introductory note about the OWA award by Severin von Hoensbroich, the Chairman of the OWA jury, Berward Geier, introduced the finalists to the audience.Nazmi Ilicali from Turkey coordinates thousands of organic farmers in Anatolia thus creating perspectives and alternatives to rural exodus. Premanjali Rao from India initiates ecological and social projects with the focus on poverty alleviation. Elba Rivera from Nicaragua works as educationalist and organic pioneer in numerous projects. Scientist Humberto Rios from Cuba has trained about 2,000 farmers to become seed-savers. The audience enthusiastically applauded the impressive achievements of the finalists who each received the OWA certificate and a check of 2,000 Euro.
Next, jury member and Right Livelihood Award laureate Vandana Shiva from India announced the OWA 2012 winner. The projects and achievements of Nacianceno M. Pacalioga, Jr. from the Philippines were visualized in a short film. The film documents in an impressive way the work of Mayor Jun and his fellow citizens striving towards a sustainable future for their municipality Dumingag and its associated 44 villages. In her speech in honor of the winner, Vandana Shiva underlined the role of the winner with respect to his political function. His visionary commitment and his impressive achievements to promote organic agriculture and a sustainable, rural development are groundbreaking. Mayor Jun from the Philippines is a perfect example of „good governance" in practice". The OWA statue that was created by the Vietnamese descent German artist Dao Droste and the 25,000 Euro cash prize were presented to Nacianceno M. Pacalioga, Jr by Vandana Shiva, Joseph Wilhelm and IFOAM Managing Director Markus Arbenz.
Visibly moved, Mayor Jun thanked the jury for the award that he accepted on behalf of all the people in Dumingag who work towards the common goal. He expressed his hope that this international award will not only be inspiration and motivation for his citizens and himself, but that the award will also contribute to attracting more attention in the Philippines and around the world to their achievements for a sustainable rural development. Hopefully, these projects will inspire many people and especially politicians to follow this good example.
Subsequently, Markus Arbenz took the floor. As patron of One World Award, IFOAM honored the organic pioneer Ana Primavesi for her decisive, pioneering role in promoting organic agriculture in Brazil and Latin America. For more than 50 years, the scientist and activist has been passing her knowledge about organic cultivation and especially about soil fertility to academic circles as well as directly to the farmers. Next to innumerous publications and articles she has also authored important text books about biological agriculture in Latin America. Until today, at the age of 92, Ana Primavesi is totally dedicated to biological cultivation and uses this dedication for modern, social media such as facebook. "Without Ana, the organic world would be deprived of several insights into the relationship between a healthy soil and a humane agriculture", said Markus Arbenz in his speech of honor. Deeply moved, Ana Primavesi expressed her gratitude and stressed the importance of organic cultivation for the preservation of soil fertility and of agriculture in general as well as for the protection of food security. The award is a recognition for her and will inspire her to continue her lobbying efforts for organic agriculture in the future.
With this year’s OWA award ceremony the "OWA family" has grown significantly. Now there are 15 finalists and seven OWA laureates who will network in a more structured way in the future in order to support each other, to exchange opinions and in order to further promote the goals of the One World Award and the goals of their projects.
For more information about the OWA:
www.one-world-award.de
About the „One World Award"
The challenge of finding a way that takes advantage of the opportunities of globalization and at the same time makes the world a better and fairer place while preserving nature as the basis of existence was the motivation for organic pioneer Joseph Wilhelm, the founder and Managing Director of Rapunzel Naturkost, to create the international "One World Award" in the year 2008. The biennial One World Award is endowed with 25,000 Euro – donated by Rapunzel Naturkost – and is under the patronage of IFOAM.
Press contact:
„One World Award"
c/o Rapunzel Naturkost GmbH
Heike Kirsten / Eva Kiene
Phone: +49 (0)8330/ 529-1134
E-Mail:
heike.kirsten@rapunzel.de /
presse@rapunzel.de
organic Marken-Kommunikation GmbH
Julia Hameister
Phone: +49 (0)69/ 750 688-0
Mobil: +49 (0)176/ 20536204
E-Mail:
hameister@organic-communcation.de