Grantee of the Year and Civil Partnership Prize
Ökotárs handed over the Real Civil Partnership Prize recognizing the exemplary cooperation of civic organizations
and public bodies for the fourth time in 2009. Just like in previous years, the award went to a local government,
to Kunadacs village. At the same time the annual Grantee of the Year to was also announced – this traditional
award went to “Protect the Future”, represented by Viktor Vida on the ceremony.
With the Real Civil Partnership Prize, based on nominations by NGOs, Ökotárs recognizes the effective and exemplary public-civil partnerships maintained by any public administration body. The evaluation committee invited by Ökotárs decided to give the prize to the Municipality of Kunadacs, after the nomination of Community Workers Association of Upper Kiskunság.
At the event it was said: civil-public cooperation is almost traditional at Kunadacs; the local government had
ad-hoc cooperation with NGOs since 1997, however, since 2002 the municipality initiated structured relationships
and collaboration. By outsourcing public education and cultural services, the municipality strengthened its links
to the Community Workers Association. The municipality has reframed civil partnerships a unique way in the region
and regulated that community spaces shall be operated by civic organizations. Besides reinvigorating local community
life, the cooperation has an effect on the whole region as well (e.g. through installing a regional laundry from
Phare support)
The long-standing Grantee of the Year award was given to Protect the Future in 2009. With this, Ökotárs recognizes the work of its earlier grantees, who besides having implemented successful programs also used their grants in an accountable manner. Protect the Future has run many successful campaigns and actions since it establishment, thus, as a “Lifetime Award” Ökotárs wished to recognize all the work they have done for communities and the environment.
