Foundation

Michael Radix

Executive Director CIVIS Media Foundation

CIVIS Media Foundation
for integration and cultural diversity in Europe

The aim of the CIVIS Media Foundation is to sensitize journalists in Germany and Europe for the themes of integration and cultural diversity. The organisation contributes to intercultural understanding and to European integration through the activities of the electronic media. CIVIS promotes the innovative and professional treatment of developments in the European immigration society.

CIVIS is awarding the European CIVIS Media Prize for integration and cultural diversity - a special radio and television prize - on an annual basis. We are also awarding the "Young CIVIS Media Prize", a European sponsorship prize for young European journalists, together with students and graduates of film and media colleges, based in Europe. With the "CIVIS Online Prize", CIVIS is offering an additional award for journalistically-presented webpages on the theme of integration and cultural diversity. Since two decades prizes are awarded to programme contributions which handle the themes of migration, integration and cultural diversity in an outstanding fashion. The CIVIS Media Prize 2010 is endowed with a fund of 46,000 euros and is open to entries from all EU member states and Switzerland.

Continuing the established

With 616 programme entries for the 2010 competition, CIVIS has retained its position as the most important European Media prize for integration and cultural diversity. Start of the CIVIS competition 2011 is in November 2010. Closing date is January 20, 2011. The official ceremony and the TV prize-giving of the CIVIS Media Prize will take place at the beginning of May 2011.

Advancing trendsetting developments

Within the context of the new series of events "CIVIS Campus", CIVIS, together with the European Partners is organising a oneday programme conference for radio and television. Programme-makers and producers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland discussed the current image of the immigration society in the media based on programme examples. The main focus was on the question: "Do the radio and TV programmes provide a correct presentation of the reality and can there be "one programme for all?"

The "CIVIS Dialogues" seek, in discussions with highranking politicians and leading representatives of cultural and religious groups, to identify new talking points for the work of the media. The "CIVIS Dialogues 2009" are starting at the suggestion of Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) in Vienna and are dedicated to the theme of "Democracy, Religion and Media". The focus of the joint discussion with the Austrian Federal President Dr. Heinz Fischer, Cardinal Dr. Christoph Schönborn, Mufti Dr. Nedzad Grabus, Chief Rabbi Prof. Paul Eisenberg, WDR Director-General Monika Piel and ORF Director-General Dr. Alexander Wrabetz, among other things, will be on the importance of plural religions for our modern democracies.

"CIVIS Campus" and "CIVIS Dialogues" enjoy an encouraging amount of media attention. It is planned to continue the successful events in 2011.

Efficiently using available potentials

The non-profit-making CIVIS Media Foundation for integration and cultural diversity in Europe, newly founded in 2003, is entrusted with the organisation and implementation of the CIVIS projects. Executive Director of the foundation is the TV journalist Michael Radix. Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), on behalf of the Association of the Public Broadcasting Corporations in the Federal Republic of Germany (ARD), and the Freudenberg Foundation are the partners of the CIVIS Media Foundation.

Chairwomann of the Board of Trustees of the CIVIS Media Foundation is WDR Director-General, Monika Piel. The prominent members of the Board of Trustees work in society as attractive representatives of the foundation. Chairwoman of the CIVIS Advisory Board is Head of WDR Programme Department for Regional Radio Programmes, Jona Teichmann. The Advisory Board consists of leading media experts and has consultative responsibilities.

Decisive for the successful development of the CIVIS project is the lasting partnership of media, politics and civil society.

Second German Television (ZDF), the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF), the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SRG SSR idée suisse), the Slovenian Radio and Television (RTV SLO), the German current affairs and documentary channel PHOENIX, the Franco-German culture channel ARTE, the Deutsche Welle (DW), the European satellite broadcaster 3sat and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are media partners.

The German Savings Banks Association (DSGV), the European Parliament, the German Federal Government Commissioner for Integration, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the WDR mediagroup and the Bavaria Film and Television are cooperation partners.

The CIVIS Media Foundation is member of the Charta of Diversity

Michael Radix
Executive Director
CIVIS Media Foundation