NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--“Buddy Up!” from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland received 3rd place at the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony.
The ceremony was held this year for the first time at United Nations headquarters in New York and chaired by Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and Mr. Bill McAndrews, Vice President BMW Group Communications Strategy, Corporate and Market Communications. See event photo
Through a school-based approach, the “Buddy Up” initiative by the organization Community Relations in Schools (CRIS), engages children, parents and families to build meaningful relationships and friendships while learning and achieving together. The project documents an alternative narrative that is being written by the families who live on either side of one of Northern Ireland’s most divided interfaces.
“We believe that schools are the ideal meeting places to grow a community of togetherness and compassion,” said Lisa Dietrich, Director of CRIS. “Our work with Holy Cross Nursery School, in Ardoyne and Edenderry Nursery School, in the Shankill is already creating the conditions for the removal of barriers. We hope we can expand this work further in North Belfast by engaging more families and share this model across Northern Ireland with the support of the Intercultural Innovation Award.”
The Intercultural Innovation Award supports grassroots initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, thereby contributing to peace, cultural diversity and more inclusive societies.
In addition to a financial grant, CRIS will receive support from UNAOC and the BMW Group to help their project expand and replicate in other contexts. This model of collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector creates deeper impact, as both partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each project. Assistance is customized based on the specific needs of award recipients.
