The German-Israeli cooperation project “PowHer” of the Berlin Ludwig Wolker Association and the Israeli scout association Tzofim will be awarded the Shimon Peres Prize on October 31, 2024. The award recognizes “PowHer” for its innovative approach to strengthening women's rights and creating networks that transcend ethnic, religious and cultural boundaries.
“The award is not only a great honor for us, but also an incentive to continue facilitating encounters between young people from Israel and Germany in the future,” explained Marcel Hoyer, Chairman of the association, before the award ceremony. “In the tenth year of our cooperation, I would like to thank our Israeli partners for their trust and their openness to new ideas and creative concepts.” Hoyer emphasized that the work to promote understanding is particularly important in the wake of Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel and against the backdrop of the current war.
“PowHer" brought together young women in Berlin, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Deir al-Asad and opened up a space for controversial discussions in which the participants could stand up for equality, fight against sexism and strengthen their leadership skills. The Ludwig-Wolker-Verein and the Israeli scout association Tzofim have a long-standing partnership and have jointly organized over ten international youth encounters. A central component of the cooperation is the promotion of dialog between young people from both countries.
Since 2017, the Shimon Peres Prize has been awarded annually by the Federal Foreign Office in cooperation with the German-Israeli Future Forum Foundation to two cooperation projects. It is endowed with 10,000 euros each for the prize-winning projects. The prize is in memory of the former Israeli President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres. The award, under the patronage of Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, recognizes initiatives and projects by young people who have made a special and joint commitment to the democratic development of German and Israeli society.
