THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
The result of the MoneyGram-sponsored “Afrika! Community Award 2017” is out and four African associations have emerged winners, reports Oliver Behrens.
The number of African associations in Germany is on the rise with over 700 African clubs and organizations committed to supporting projects in Africa, supporting sporting ambitions, the preservation of the African culture and integration in Germany.
MoneyGram, a global provider of innovative money transfer, is the first to highlight the work of these associations. “As a truly multicultural company with employees from almost every country around the globe, MoneyGram is almost as diverse as the African community in Germany. We know how important it is to keep home country’s traditions alive, but also to support friends and families back in Africa. With this award we want to contribute to both of these important aspects”, says Michael Schütze, head of Central & Emerging Europe at MoneyGram International.
African associations had the chance to apply to the afrika! Community Award until 30 June on afrikaportal.eu. A jury comprised of two MoneyGram representatives and three high-ranked personalities from the African communities in Germany selected the winning associations in the following categories: cultural association, sport association, event promoter and aid organization.
The Afrikanischer Verein Stuttgart will be awarded in the category “Sport organization” for its longstanding engagement in the African sports spirit as its annual African football gala will take place for the 23rd time this year. In the category “Aid organization”, the Wiesbaden-based association Diabetes Care West Africa e.V. will be supported for its wide-ranging projects in the prevention, detection and education about diabetes in Africa. In its annual “Panafrikanismus Kongress” in Munich which will take place in September for the 6th time and in further projects, the Arbeitskreis Panafrikanismus e.V. provides a forum for international understanding between Africans, people with African roots as well as people of other national origins. Therefore the organization has won in the category “Events”. Finally, the umbrella organization of all Nigerian associations, the Nigerian Community Germany e.V., completes the list of the winning associations of this year’s edition of the afrika! Community Award 2017 and receives the award in the category “Culture organization”. Every winning association will be awarded with €1,000 each for their engagements.
MoneyGram strengthens its social engagement in Germany and Europe
With the “afrika! Community Award”, MoneyGram intends to connect with the African communities in Germany in a new way: “With our offer, we connect people and cultures all over the world. With the support to the great African organizations here in Germany, we wanted to set a mark as a company that takes up social responsibility by introducing the Afrika! Community Award. There are so many associations that make a difference to the Africans in Germany and we want to honour their efforts,” said Michael Schütze from MoneyGram.
This award aligns well with several successful projects by MoneyGram to promote the achievements of foreigners in Europe. In 2009 for example, the MoneyGram Award was established and to date it is the only national award that recognizes the excellence of companies run by foreign entrepreneurs in Italy. “The MoneyGram Award (…) allowed us to discover many stories of foreign businessmen who did not fear the crisis and managed, with courage and perseverance, to become reference points in various fields of the Italian economy, even in niche and highly technological compartments,” said Massimo Canovi, Head of Southern Europe at MoneyGram International.
