User:M.Borra/Constance Council Prize

The '''Constance Council Prize. Prize for European Encounters and Dialogue' (German: Konstanzer Konzilspreis. Preis für europäische Begegnungen und Dialog'') is awarded in Constance every two years to personalities or initiatives who have made a special contribution to a Europe of Encounters and dialogue on Europe and its future. The Constance Council Prize was awarded for the first time in 2015 as part of the 600-year jubilee of the Council of Constance and is endowed with €10,000. The prize is awarded primarily for commitment in the fields of civil society, science, art and culture, politics and business.

The date of the award ceremony is always around the 5th of November, thus reminding of the beginning of the Council of Constance on the 5th of November 1414. The idea of the Constance Council Prize is that a sponsor known throughout Europe appoints a prize winner who has been little known until then and helps him or her to gain more attention through the sponsor's prominence.

History
The Constance Council Prize was initiated in 2014 by the City of Constance as part of the five-year anniversary celebrations of the 600th anniversary of the Council of Constance. With the Council of Constance, the largest congress of the Middle Ages and the founding of the World Alliance for International Friendship Through the Churches a few days before the beginning of World War I, Constance has repeatedly been a place of discussion and development of the European idea.

From 1414 to 1418 people from all over Europe gathered in Constance for the Council of Constance to put an end to the Western Schism, which had divided the Church. Church and faith were the only institutions of that time which enjoyed boundless recognition throughout Europe. Without knowing today's idea of a united Europe, the members of the church sought agreement across principalities and imperial borders. To this end they followed the conciliar path of encounter and dialogue. The Council of Constance is linked to present-day Europe by the idea of overcoming borders through encounter and understanding, stimulating intercultural exchange and strengthening the awareness of a shared European identity.

The awarding process
For each presentation of the Constance Council Prize, the board of trustees appoints a sponsor. This person then names the prize winner. The sponsor presents the award to the prize winner, holds a speech in his or her honour and is supposed to open the way to media attention.

The sponsor is a person known for his or her commitment to Europe, who has a public presence, feels a connection with European history and has a wide reputation. The sponsor chooses the prize winner, helps him or her to attract media attention as a "gate opener " and gives the laudatory speech at the award ceremony.

The prize winner is a living individual, an active institution or a project initiative. He or she shows exceptional commitment to a Europe of encounters and makes a substantial contribution to promoting a united Europe. The prize winner is committed to exchange in Europe and, with his or her contribution, makes a special impact on the discussion of the future of European society.

Board of trustees
The Board of Trustees of the Constance Council Prize consists of 35 personalities from politics, the media, business, science, culture and religion, who contribute their knowledge and contacts on a voluntary basis for the benefit of the Constance Council Prize, promote the further development of procedures and committees and ensure the independence of the award from day-to-day politics.

Design
During the award ceremony, the prize winner is presented with a sash woven from five colourful ribbons. The names of the sponsor and the prize winner are embroidered for each award ceremony, so that the sash over time becomes a testament to European commitment and to the history of the Constance Council Prize. The sash is a unicum that will remain in Constance. It was designed by Michael Huynh as a result of a design contest.