Projects

Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011

With the 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize, the Bertelsmann Stiftung wants to bring new momentum to the debate on how democratic systems can be made “future ready” by helping them respond to current and coming challenges. We will therefore be carrying out an international search to identify innovative, exemplary approaches to supporting and strengthening democracy.

Project Description

Focus Areas

Reinhard Mohn Prize awarded to Brazilian citizen participation project

The Brazilian city of Recife has been awarded the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Reinhard Mohn Prize - the first time the prize has been given.

Voting has finished! The winner of the first Reinhard Mohn Prize has been decided

Over the last four weeks some 11,600 German citizens were invited to choose the winner of the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011 from the seven finalists.

The winner of the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011 is: City and school development through the citizens' budget in Recife, Brazil!

Working Committee nominating the finalists

Working committee nominated seven finalists

For two days beginning on October 5, 2010, the working committee of the 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize came together in Berlin to nominate the projects most worthy of receiving the prize. The committee members, who represent all areas of German society, had been furnished in advance with detailed background information and short profiles of the candidates.

Submissions phase for 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize ends

The submissions phase for the 2011 Reinhard Mohn Prize ended on August 22, 2010. In the past nine weeks we received information on a diverse range of interesting, innovative initiatives. In total, 123 projects from 36 countries were nominated, with 665 users leaving 181 comments and 881 assessments on the website www.vitalizing-democracy.org. Overall, 40,000 people have visited the platform in order to learn more about the submitted projects. We would like to thank all of those who took the time to help identify potential prize winners.

Angela Merkel, João da Costa Bezerra Filho, a representative of the Recife Participatory Budget program, Liz Mohn, Gunter Thielen

Guetersloh - 17/06/2011

Reinhard Mohn Prize Awarded to Brazilian Citizen Participation Project

The Brazilian city of Recife has been awarded the Bertelsmann Stiftung's Reinhard Mohn Prize - the first time the prize has been given.

City administrators discuss ideas with members of the public

Gütersloh - 01/04/2011

Reinhard Mohn Prize Awarded for First Time

The Brazilian city of Recife (population 1.7 million) is the initial recipient of the €150,000 Reinhard Mohn Prize, which is being awarded for the first time in 2011. The city is being recognized for its exemplary approach to citizen participation, which uses participatory budgeting processes to give the public a say in how local funds are distributed.

Gütersloh - 25/06/2010

Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011

The 2011 prize is dedicated to the topic “Vitalizing democracy through participation” and, in keeping with the focus on democracy, the search campaign is being organized as a wide-scale, public effort that allows people from around the globe to nominate, discuss and evaluate potential prize winners. Anyone wanting to participate in the process can do so by accessing the website www.vitalizing-democracy.org.

Members of the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board at the annual press conference in Gütersloh

Gütersloh - 30/04/2010

Bertelsmann Stiftung honors Reinhard Mohn’s life work

The Bertelsmann Stiftung will be founding a new business institute and renaming an existing prize to honor the legacy of its late founder, Reinhard Mohn, and keep the memory of his life’s work alive. Dr. Gunter Thielen, chairman and CEO of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, announced that that the Reinhard Mohn Institute (RMI) for Executive Leadership and Corporate Governance would soon open its doors at the University of Witten/Herdecke and that the Reinhard Mohn Foundation, established in 2006, will now take up its work. In addition, the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s internationally recognized Carl Bertelsmann Prize will be renamed the Reinhard Mohn Prize, he said. “Reinhard Mohn will therefore continue to influence our foundation’s organizational culture and the way it carries out its work long after his death,” Thielen said during the presentation of the foundation’s 2009 Annual Report.