Mayor Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner (center) with the coordinator and vice president of the European Coalition of Cities against Racism, Evein Obulor and Danijel Cubelic.
The City of Heidelberg and ECCAR have now received the "Thank You Sculpture" for their active advocacy against prejudice and discrimination within the framework of the European Coalition of Cities against Racism and their commitment to diversity, acceptance and equal opportunities:
For the past four years, Dr. Faraj Remmo, who teaches and researches on inclusion, integration and multiple belonging at the University of Bielefeld, has been awarding the "Thank You Sculpture" to institutions and individuals worldwide who have rendered outstanding services to our global society through their work. So far, institutions and individuals from science, politics, culture, media and society have been honored, including, for example, Stephen Hawking, German President Frank Walter Steinmeier, the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma or the writer Saša Stanišić. Now the "Thank You Sculpture" has also been awarded to the city of Heidelberg and the European Coalition of Cities against Racism (ECCAR).
Mayor Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner expressed his gratitude for the recognition: "It is a pleasure for Heidelberg to receive this award, because it shows that our commitment is seen and valued. As a city, we stand for living diversity and openness to the world. By joining the European Coalition of Cities in 2014 and assuming office since 2020, we have taken an active role and committed ourselves to taking action against prejudice and discrimination. Together with 150 cities, we are thus setting an example for a Europe that defends human rights and opposes anti-democratic tendencies."
"Europe's cities are places where living together in diversity is a reality. As the office of the European Coalition of Cities against Racism, we support municipalities throughout Europe to jointly develop successful projects and measures for equal coexistence and against racism," emphasize ECCAR Vice President Danijel Cubelic and ECCAR Coordinator Evein Obulor.
Under the auspices of UNESCO, ECCAR cooperates with numerous research institutions in Europe and works on innovative measures to promote inclusive urban development across Europe. ECCAR is an important partner for the implementation of the 1st European Anti-Racism Action Plan, which was adopted by the European Commission last year. In areas such as anti-Muslim racism, anti-Semitism or anti-Black racism, ECCAR initiates Europe-wide exchange, develops model projects and networks over 150 municipalities in their work against racism and discrimination.
