This year's HanseMerkur Prize for Child Protection, which is endowed with a total of 55,000 euros, goes to five social initiatives: The main prize goes to the Helden-Verein für nachhaltige Bildung und Persönlichkeitsentwicklung (Bielefeld) with its outstanding "Heldenakademie" project, the organizers announced. HanseMerkur thus honored the advocacy of a stable framework of values and norms against threats of (cyber)bullying and violence. Three other institutions - the Saxon association "Aktion Zivilcourage" for the promotion of democracy in children, the nationwide inclusive soccer club "Bananenflankenliga" and the Hessian association "Dup15q e.V." - will receive recognition prizes and will each receive funding of 10,000 euros.
An award will also be presented to an initiative selected by HanseMerkur employees: This time, the choice fell on the "TeamUp" programme run in Hamburg and Berlin by the organization War Child Deutschland, which supports children who have fled and been traumatized by war.
