Berlin Honours Diversity Champions

Alliance Honors Efforts Against Hate and Discrimination - Berlin Honours Champions of Diversity and Human Rights

Berlin is honouring individuals and initiatives that promote understanding, diversity, and human rights. The Alliance for Courage and Understanding is presenting awards at a ceremony in the Rotes Rathaus, with Governing Mayor Kai Wegner delivering opening remarks. The event recognises those combating exclusion and hatred in the city and Brandenburg.

Hudhaifa Al-Mashhadani, head of the German-Arab Ibn Khaldun School in Berlin-Neukölln, is being honoured for his commitment to a democratic society and human rights. The Oberhavel CSD Initiative is being recognised for promoting queer visibility in rural Brandenburg and opposing far-right hostility.

This year, 76 nominations were submitted for the Ribbon for Courage and Understanding award. The AHA-Berlin association is receiving the award for its long-standing volunteer work promoting visibility and solidarity for queer communities and advocating for a diverse society. The Bernau Network for Open-Mindedness is being recognised for fostering respectful coexistence and advancing diversity and democratic participation in Brandenburg.

The Alliance for Courage and Understanding was founded in response to the violent attacks on migrants in Hoyerswerda, Saxony, in 1991. It recognises individuals like Ines Stürmer, who is being honoured for her work integrating refugees, particularly supporting young girls, through her volunteering with the Straßburger Straße Initiative in Berlin’s Pankow district.

The awards ceremony, attended by Brandenburg’s Minister-President Dietmar Woidke and other supporters, highlights the importance of unity, understanding, and courage in combating exclusion and hatred. The recipients' work reflects their commitment to a diverse, inclusive society in Berlin and Brandenburg.