Berlin Pupils‘ Prize "Buddies for Peace" awarded

In the presence of the patroness Sawsan Chebli, State Secretary for Civic Engagement and International Affairs in the Senate Chancellery of Berlin, the Foundation „Bürgerstiftung Berlin“ presented the award "Buddies for Peace – Pupils' Award for Peaceable Education" to students of three schools for the first time on September 8 2020 at the Tierpark Berlin.

In addition to State Secretary Chebli, the award ceremony was also attended by the Chairwoman of the Bürgerstiftung, Vera Gäde-Butzlaff, as well as the director of Berlin’s Tierpark Andreas Knieriem and the initiator of the prize-donating Buddy Bears, Eva Herlitz.

The award-winning projects, which are largely supported by Berlin children, aim to support peaceful and non-violent coexistence. The first-placed Carl-von-Linné-School received not only prize money but also a 2m Buddy Bear, which will be designed together with the children under the guidance of an artist or art teacher.

The aim of the "Buddies for Peace" prize is to support school and extracurricular activities with and by pupils, to develop projects and ideas for a non-violent, respectful approaches to conflicts and to show examples of possibilities for solution-oriented, pacifying conflict resolutions.

All school types and grades in Berlin can apply for this pupil award with their projects and initiatives. From October 1 2020, the application form for next year's prize will be available online at www.buergerstiftung-berlin.de