Liz Mohn Gives Laudatory Speech For Queen Of Sweden And Receives Euriade Badge Of Honor
Within the framework of the annual festival, the Martin Buber Plaque of the “Stichting Euriade” was conferred on Queen Silvia of Sweden in Kerkrade, Netherlands, for her special services to humanity. Liz Mohn, who received the Euriade badge of honor in gold, gave the laudatory speech for the award winner.
In addition to her many charity activities, the Queen of Sweden is the initiator and president of the World Childhood Foundation established in 1999 and “strongly and selflessly commits herself to the protection of children living on the streets, to sexually abused girls and boys and to young mothers”, stated the jury, explaining its decision. Her foundation gives money to places that provide job training and supports the fight against child trafficking and child pornography.
During the festive award presentation ceremony and before 70 guests of honor in the Aula Major of the Rolduc Abbey in Kerkrade, Liz Mohn said, “It is an immense honor for me to be allowed to honor the exemplary commitment and humanity of Her Majesty, Queen Silvia of Sweden, today.” At the same time it was a great pleasure, as well: “First, because it is very easy to say many good things about you; and second, because we have had an amicable relationship for many years. Queen Silvia’s admirable commitment to children and youths brought us together,” Liz Mohn said. As a member of the board of trustees of the World Childhood Foundation for the benefit of children in need worldwide, initiated by the Queen, she has had the opportunity to support the foundation for fifteen years. In addition to many other tasks, facing such a challenge requires a lot of persistence, civic courage and, above all, courage, Liz Mohn said about the award-winner’s commitment.
After the presentation of the Martin Buber Plaque, Liz Mohn was presented the Euriade badge of honor in gold. Past winners of this award include the winner of the Nobel Prize for literature Heinrich Böll, the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his predecessor Hans-Dietrich Genscher, TV presenter Sabine Christiansen and several ministers from the Netherlands and Germany.
About the Euriade Festival
The Euriade Festival has taken place each autumn for almost 35 years as an “International Festival of Dialog” under a specific theme in the cross-border Meuse-Rhine “Euregio” in the tri-border region Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. The key goal of the festival is the meeting with and of people and their cross-generational dialog in various fields of science and culture. In this context, the Martin Buber Plaque has been presented since 2002 to people who “live their lives in this responsible way. They are able to listen to and to give supporting answers to people in need of help.“ The Euriade badge of honor has been presented annually since 1980 within the framework of the culture and dialog festival to people who “recognize the needs of their next” and find “ways to the other”.
