Joseph Wilhelm
Greeting 2014
This might be due to the fact that injustice and “hotspots” are on the rise in our globalized world. Africa, our neighboring continent to the South and the “Near East” that seems to come closer and closer are especially affected by this development. Unbearable living conditions force growing numbers of people to flee their home countries. Our efforts to protect our prosperous “Island Europe” from the refugees appear more and more ridiculous and futile in this context. The situation will not improve as long as the economic, social and religious causes for the tragic developments will not be dissolved but only repaired and smothered. Against this background, the OWA goals become increasingly meaningful: motivating people to work for a more humane globalization where the advantages are evenly distributed amongst the nations.
One OWA Gold laureate and four OWA Silver laureates
There will be one important change at this year’s OWA ceremony: while there was one OWA laureate and four finalist in the previous years, we will now decorate one OWA Gold laureate and four OWA Silver laureates. The prize money will stay the same: the winner of the OWA Gold Award receives 25,000 Euro and a “Lady OWA Statue”; the winners of the OWA Silver Awards receive 2,500 Euro each and an OWA medal that was inspired by the OWA statue. These changes reflect the jury’s realization that there are so many prize-worthy candidates for whom the title “finalist” would be inappropriate. This year’s selection process was very difficult and gave the jury the agony of choice – therefore the jury decided to split the OWA Gold Award between two equally deserving projects.
At this point I would like to suggest the following to you: let yourself be inspired by the OWA laureates to live your own life in such a way that it will promote the positive sides of globalization: the much-needed, much evoked, global “quantum leap” will only become reality when each and everyone of us develops an awareness for the change – and this is our own responsibility.
With encouraging regards,
Joseph Wilhelm
Initiator of the One World Award,
Founder and Managing Director RAPUNZEL Naturkost
With encouraging regards,
Joseph Wilhelm
Initiator of the One World Award,
Founder and Managing Director RAPUNZEL Naturkost
