Laureates 2009
Education in tolerance: a priority for the two 2009 awardwinners
The jury for the Foundation P&V Citizenship Award was comprised of around thirty well-known figures from the economic, cultural, social and media spheres from all over the country. This year, the jury decided to reward two associations which, based on initiatives by committed citizens, use their actions to spread the values of tolerance, solidarity and dialogue.
Kif Kif is an intercultural platform. Its mission is to raise awareness among the public and the authorities on the fate of minority groups; it uses innovative methods of communication to inform, raise awareness and change attitudes to make different cultural groups more tolerant of each other. The Antwerp-based association has stations in Brussels and Ghent, and is active throughout the Flemish Community. It has a dynamic, effective and professional approach to fighting inequality. The association calls on volunteers and mainly targets young people.
Kif Kif encourages the inclusion and integration of minorities through its campaigns and its many channels of communication, including its striking website. For instance, it highlights the talents and creativity of young people of various origins by means of its annual Kif Kif Awards, and arranges training programmes and employment bursaries to encourage the employment of young people from different origins.
Les Territoires de la Mémoire (Centre for Education on Tolerance and Resistance) aims to prevent and avoid extremism in our society and fights all forms of xenophobia and racism. The study of history, and more particularly the rise of extremism in Europe in the 20th century, and developing critical faculties are two essential factors in making our society more tolerant and humane. The association keeps alive memories of the past, while remaining open to the present and focusing on the future.
It has a highly professional approach and arranges top-rate exhibitions, publications, educational material and campaigns. Upstream, the team is involved in educational and awareness programmes in the French Community and Europe (as part of the FECM initiative).
