September 17, 2010 The Second International „One World Award“ Ceremony: Tribute to the Laureates
	Globalization only has a future if all available resources are divided evenly: material and economic resources as well as mental and social resources. This thought was motivation for Joseph Wilhelm, founder and Managing Director of RAPUNZEL Naturkost, to initiate the „One World Award“. The nominations for the “One World Award” that were submitted by private persons, university professors or politicians such as Bärbel Höhn underlined the fact that there are numerous positive initiatives to discover and to experience. In the end, 29 high-quality applications from Peru to Laos were reviewed by the jury. The extraordinary commitment of each nominee gives globalization a positive edge. Therefore, the members of the jury, the two Right Livelihood Award laureates Dr. Vandana Shiva from India and Tewolde Egziabher from Ehtiopia, IFOAM Vice President Roberto Ugas from Peru and Joseph Wilhelm had no easy task in choosing the award winners. At the end of the selection process, however, five finalists and the winner of the second, international “One World Award” were chosen. Today, almost 500 guests will celebrate the award winners in a festive gala event.   „This award should encourage people to become active instead of falling into passiveness and despondency“, emphasizes Joseph Wilhelm in his function of „OWA“ initiator and jury member. Today, the Swiss entomologist, Dr. Hans Rudolf Herren and the Kenyan peasant Rachel Agola, will receive the artistic OWA statue from Joseph Wilhelm and a cash prize of 25,000 Euro – donated by RAPUNZEL. Dr. Hans Rudolf Herren founded the Biovision Foundation in 1988 with the aim to improve the life of people on the African continent in a sustainable way. The major projects of the foundation are malaria prophylaxis, the development of a peasant information network and the distribution of the „push-pull“ method that helps to fight corn pests. With the implementation of this environmentally-sound cultivation method Rachel Agola improved her corn yield significantly. The principle of the „push-pull“ method is based on intercropping Desmodium and corn. The odor of Desmodium repels the oviparous stemborer moths (“push”). In addition, Napier grass is planted on the edge of the field. Its odor attracts the moths from the corn field (“pull”). The eggs of the stemborer are deposited on the grass, but cannot develop to adulthood and die eventually. Biovision helps people to help themselves. Today, Rachel Agola is responsible for the “push-pull” farmers support group in her native Yenga village. The support group wants to spread new agricultural cultivation methods to other farmers. For her courage and not least for her “woman power” she receives the 2010 „One World Award“. „This year’s laureates and finalists are living proof that commitment for a sustainable and just world makes a difference and brings hope“, says IFOAM President Katherine Di Matteo in her welcome address. In their dual function as patron of the “One World Award” and jury of the „One World Lifetime Achievement Award“, IFOAM honors Bhaskar H. Save for his important role as an ambassador of organic agriculture in India. The staunch organic pioneer shares his vast organic knowledge with other farmers. He authors articles for various publications and invites interested farmers to his farm where he lectures every Saturday about organic cultivation methods.   The so-called „One World „VIP“-Award“ is awarded for the first this year. The acronym VIP stands for „Very Impacting People“. This award is presented to extraordinary individuals who have a global impact. The person to receive this award in 2010 is Nobel Peace Prize laureate Prof. Wangari Matu Maathai from Kenya. Her list of successful achievements for a peaceful society within an intact environment is impressive. 2002 she was appointed Assistant Minister in the Ministry for Environment and became the first African Green politician in power. For the coming decade, she set herself an ambitious goal: she wants to plant one billion trees in Africa. The jury substantiated its decision with the following words: “Wangari Maathai motivates all of us to contribute our part to the common goal of making this world a better place!” This year’s award ceremony is part of an international festival. Guests from all around the world congratulate the laureates, finalists and speakers. The musical backdrop is international too: Anja Seemiller with band and the Sudanese musician Mohamed Badawi present world music at its best. The event is moderated by SWR anchorman Malte Arkona. For more information: www.one-world-award.de About the „One World Award“ The challenge of finding ways to benefit from the opportunities of globalization with the goal of making this world a better and fairer place and to preserve our planet as the basis of all life – this fact inspired organic pioneer Joseph Wilhelm, founder and Managing Director of RAPUNZEL Naturkost, to initiate the international “One World Award” in 2008. The “One World Award” is endowed with a total prize money of 25,000 Euro – donated by RAPUNZEL Naturkost. The International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) took over the patronage The finalists are: Beti Minkin, founder of the Anatolia Foundation in Turkey (www.anatoliafoundation.org), EL CEIBO, a cooperative of 1,200 organic cacao growers in Bolivia (www.elceibo.com), Helmy Abouleish, Director of the SEKEM Group in Cairo/Egypt (www.sekem.com) and Franziska Kaguembèga-Müller, founder of newTree Foundation in Switzerland (www.newtree.ch). Press contact: „One World Award“ c/o RAPUNZEL NATURKOST AG        Heike Kirsten                      Phone.: +49 (0)8330/ 529-1134             E-Mail: heike.kirsten@rapunzel.de organic Marken-Kommunikation GmbH Julia Hameister Phone.: +49 (0)69/ 750 688-14 Cell phone: +49 (0)176/ 20536204 E-Mail: hameister@organic-werbeagentur.de
	© IFOAM - International Federation of Organic Agriculture