Presentation of the 5th international One World Award
Festive gala for the winners from around the world


It was touching and emotional when the five winners of the 5th One World Award (OWA) were honored for their work on September 8, 2017 at Rapunzel Naturkost in Legau on occasion of the One World Festival.

The festive gala was attended by nearly 700 guests who had traveled into the Allgäu region from different countries from all over the world. The evening was a celebration with friends, long-term partners, close companions and supporters of the worldwide organic movement. Together they honored the visible achievements of their oftentimes laborious work that includes ecological, economic, social and cultural issues alike and that stands for a positive and fair aspect of globalization.

This year, the OWA Grand Prix and the prize money of 30,000 Euro was shared by two outstanding projects

The center stage, took the winners of the OWA 2017

State Prime Minister Shri Pawan Chamling from India who managed to convert the Indian federal state of Sikkim together with 65,000 farmers to organic agriculture in only twelve years.

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The United World Colleges (UWC) from Freiburg/Germany and Pune/India with their social and sustainable educational programs that correspond remarkably well with the OWA goals.

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The encourager award – a better world is possible!

It took only a few years for the OWA to establish itself as the most important award of the global organic movement. Joseph Wilhelm, founder and managing director of Rapunzel Naturkost and initiator of the OWA, describes the award in his opening address as an “encourager award that honors people and initiatives that promote fair and equitable globalization.” The award is presented by Rapunzel and IFOAM – Organics International every three years.

The German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Dr. Gerd Müller and Joseph Wilhelm presented the awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award that went to the Ethiopian scientist and environmental activist Dr. Tewolde Berhan and his wife Sue Edwards who are the first married couple to receive this award for their extensive life’s work. The laudatory speech for this honorary award gave Markus Arbenz, executive director of IFOAM – Organics International.

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Moving, motivating, changing - Short film clips and interviews showed the audience the great commitment of the winners. The evening was hosted by journalist and book author Dr. Tanja Busse who found empathetic words for a moving and emotional award ceremony. The suitable background music was performed by the well-known guitar soloist Walter Abt.

Azerbaijan, Palestine and Zimbabwe


The laudatory speeches were given by Roberto Ugas (Vice President IFOAM – Organics International), Steffen Reese (Naturland Germany) and Helmy Abouleish (Sekem, Egypt).
Prize money of 5,000 Euro each and an OWA medal each went to:
Soil scientist and founding father of his country’s organic movement: Professor Amin Babayev from Azerbaijan, ...

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The pioneer for fair trade and organic agriculture in the Middle East: Nasser Abufarha (Canaan Project) from Palestine ...

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and the young “Miss Fair Trade” and role model for the entire African continent: Martha-Jean Shamiso Mungwashu from Zimbabwe.

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The OWA Grand Prix


The highlight of the gala, however, was the presentation of the OWA Grand Prix to the two winners: State Prime Minister Shri Pawan Chamling from India and the representatives of the United World Colleges (UWC) from Freiburg/Germany and Pune/India. Each of the two winners received a prize money of 15,000 Euro and an OWA statue created by the Vietnamese-German artist Dao Droste for their outstanding commitment and their extraordinary initiatives. The laudatory speech for the two Grand Prix winners held Right Livelihood Award laureate, Dr. Vandana Shiva, the globally renowned environmental activist and eco-feminist.

Anticipating the OWA 2020


The concluding group picture with all the winners and participants was impressive proof how diverse „one world“ can be and what impact the activities of individual people can have.
Joseph Wilhelm and the OWA coordinator Bernward Geier (coordinator and chairman of the OWA jury) were excited about the great success of the 5th One World Award and were already looking forward to the nominations from around the world for the next OWA that will be awarded in the year 2020.

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