“We have to transcend our differences to transform our future”
Thessaloniki, November 11, 2023 – The 4th Pan-European Empress Theophano Prize was awarded to the United Nations and the UN Secretary-General, António Gutteres, at a ceremony held at the Rotunda monument in Thessaloniki, in the presence of the Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, and leading personalities from Europe and Greece. This year’s prize, more relevant than ever, focused on the humanitarian role of multilateral leadership, and the awarding of the prize to the UN was in recognition of the organisation’s valuable contribution to building bridges between nations, its steadfast commitment to peace and its work in strengthening international cooperation, ideals that are at the heart of the Theophano Foundation’s core principles.
“At this time of division and strife, this award will inspire us to keep striving towards a more just, sustainable, and peaceful future for all”, Mr. António Gutteres mentioned in his message. The UN Secretary-General underlined that the planet is faced with significant challenges, with war returning to Europe, old tensions being rekindled, new risks emerging, democracy under threat, and authoritarianism on the march. He stressed, however, that through the dark clouds he sees rays of hope and the only path forward is by walking together as one human family, by building an alliance for peace. “This spirit of forging unity across geographies and cultures is the legacy of Empress Theophano -and it remains the guiding goal of the United Nations. To bridge divides, repair relations, to rebuild trust. To expand opportunities and leave no one behind. And to renew our commitment to cooperation and nurture the courage to compromise.”
The President of the Governing Council of the Theophano Foundation, Mr. Stavros Andreadis referred to the course of the Empress Theophano Prize, stating that “When this noble initiative was launched in 2019, none of us could have imagined the strides the institution would make in just 3 years” and added that this year’s award finds the planet and especially the wider region of Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean at a truly critical moment for the peace and prosperity of its people. “In this time of global crisis, it is more vitally important than ever to strengthen the league of nations, so that it expresses the worldwide desire for imposing rules and taking actions aiming at humanitarianism and peace.” Addressing Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, Under Secretary-General and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, who received the award, Mr. Andreadis mentioned that his presence is much more than symbolic, representing an institution whose motto is ‘Many Cultures-One Humanity’. “It is up to all of us –and especially up to our leaders– to promote cultural diversity, religious pluralism and mutual respect.”
The United Nations’ journey since its establishment in 1945, which came as a response to the anguished cries of people for peace and security after World War II, but also the challenges and threats of humanity today, were pointed out by the Chairman of the Advisory Council of Theophano Foundation, President Herman Van Rompuy. He praised the awardee’s stand in addressing humanitarian crises, making special reference to the initiatives he took a year ago to allow wheat exports from Ukraine and to tackle the threat of world hunger. “Wars and climate are humanity’s biggest threat. This is what makes our world so dangerous today. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, his staff, and his colleagues in charge of the specialised UN agencies deserve our deep appreciation”. Mr Van Rompuy stated that we need to overcome mistrust and work together at least on essentials for people: climate and food. “The UN is a message and an Organisation. The less the time is ripe for that message the more we have to do to make it ripe. We must be activists for humanity. The Theophano Prize also wants to contribute to that. A simple and noble cause.”
The Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr. Margaritis Schinas, focused on the philosophy and work of the UN and on Europe’s firm adherence to the ideas and values of the United Nations. He recalled that a year ago, the Theophano Foundation awarded Daniel Barenboim, and his initiative to form an orchestra with musicians from Israel, Palestine, and many other Middle East countries. “Musicians share the same score. They acquire a common goal, and to achieve it and play music together, they overcome deep-rooted stereotypes. They find that what unites them is greater and more substantial than what divides them. And they realize in practice that they can achieve much more through dialogue than through parallel monologues. Last year, the prize was awarded to interpersonal multilateralism and those building bridges between people. This year, we honor the quest for transnational multilateralism and those building bridges between states and governments, a mission embodied in the tireless work of the United Nations.”
Mr. Andreadis and President Van Rompuy, together with Mr. Schinas, presented the award to Under Secretary-General and High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos, who expressed his great honour to receive the award on behalf of the Secretary-General and all UN staff working to advance the four pillars of the United Nations: Peace & Security, Human Rights, The Rule of Law and Sustainable Development. He expressed concern about the surge in religious intolerance and hate crimes especially those targeting Jews, Muslims and Arabs around the world in the context of the dangerous escalation of the situation in the Middle East. “I echo the call of the Secretary-General of the United Nations to uphold human dignity and to stand up to the forces of antisemitism, anti-Muslim bigotry and all forms of hate. […] We should firmly reject the dehumanizing language against specific communities, stand up against bigotry, and make every effort to enforce empathy and mutual respect through a meaningful dialogue.”
The First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions, Mr. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, praised the Empress Theophano Prize describing it as a leading institution of worldwide prestige, that decisively contributes to Greece’s extroversion and pointing out that “at this critical moment in time, with two conflicts underway in our broader ‘neighbourhood’, awarding Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres is the most powerful symbolism for the global demand and effort to find just and sustainable solutions that will safely lead to a better period of peace.”
In his statement, Mr. Fokion Karavias, CEO of Eurobank, sponsor of the Award Ceremony for the fourth consecutive year, mentioned: “Since 1945, the United Nations Organisation has consistently served as a platform for easing tensions, building bridges even between warring parties and promoting peaceful coexistence. In turbulent times, the fundamental values of humanism are at stake. As the war in Ukraine drags on and new threats to global peace emerge with the conflagration in the Middle East, along with global challenges, like climate change, that require international cooperation, it is a propitious time for the Empress Theophano Prize to honour the UN for their steadfast commitment to their mandate, even when expectations run higher than reality allows. Eurobank is proud to support an initiative that fully aligns with its own values.”
The ceremony, presented by the Editor-in-Chief of the English edition of ‘Kathimerini’ newspaper, Athanasios Ellis, was concluded with a musical performance: the Dodecanesian Suite, by Greek composer Yannis Konstantinidis was performed by the Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki State Orchestra, Simos Papanas, on violin and the Assistant Professor in the Department of Music Science and Art, University of Macedonia, George-Emmanuel Lazaridis, on piano. During the performance parts of the unique Rotunda mosaics were projected in the niches of the monument, highlighting the humanitarian dimension of the Prize and the image of the Human.
MORE INFORMATION: www.theophano.eu
The Empress Theophano Prize has been created in order to reward individuals or organizations which have made or are making an outstanding contribution to building bridges among people, nations, ideologies, to improving mutual understanding of our diverse roots.
Since the establishment of the Prize in 2019, this initiative expresses in the most noble way the imperative narrative and urgent need for contemporary cooperation: in 2020 the Prize focused on Education, awarded to the Erasmus Program of the EU Commission, and received personally by President Ursula von der Leyen. In 2021 the focus was on Science: Dr. Uğur Şahin and Dr. Özlem Türeci, the scientist couple who developed the first vaccine against the coronavirus, where the recipients of the award for their dedication to the Common Good. Last year, 2022, the Prize highlighted the key role of Art as a common ground for mutual understanding and awarded the world-renowned conductor, Mr. Daniel Barenboim and his initiative of West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, a highly symbolic project for building bridges between peoples.
The Prize is awarded every year in the historic Rotunda in Thessaloniki, a landmark monument and a heritage site signifying the Roman, Byzantine, Orthodox, Ottoman, and Greek influence, historically reflecting the multicultural influences of Europe.
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INFORMATION: Vicky Papadimitriou, Project Coordination | E: info@theophano.eu | T: +30 6937 229858