Press Release
SEKEM Head Office
Cairo, 26 of November 2015
3 Cairo Belbes Road El Salam, Egypt
Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish Receives Staufer Medal Honouring Him for Furthering Intercultural Understanding and Serving as Role Model On 25 November, Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish was awarded the Staufermedaille (literally: Staufer Medal) by the German County of Baden-Württemberg. He was recognised specifically for having strengthened German-Egyptian relations as an outstanding social entrepreneur and for having fostered many close friendships and partnerships with the county and its people, the government’s press release states. „Dr. Abouleish’s vision has created the SEKEM Initiative as a milestone project that has been honoured many times with awards from all over the world. He has also turned it into a model for other nations and their development initiatives“, said State Secretary of the German County of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Klaus-Peter Murawski, when presenting Dr. Abouleish with the recognition. „Luckily, Dr. Abouleish has found strong and committed partners, also from Baden-Wuerttemberg, to realize his vision and who have supported him to this day, for instance through the Association of SEKEM Friends in Germany.” The Staufermedaille is a personal honour presented by the Prime Minister of the County of Baden-Wuerttemberg in recognition of extraordinary achievements by an individual to the benefit of the county. It was inaugurated on the occasion of an exhibition about the history and culture of the influential Staufer family of nobles. The recognition consists of a commemorative medal and a certificate by which the Minister expresses the gratitude and recognition of the county. Intercultural Understanding, Environmental Protection and Sustainability „For decades Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish has been highly committed to the cause of sustainable development, to intercultural exchange, and to furthering environmental protection. By establishing the SEKEM Initiative he has created an oasis in the Egyptian desert where people from different nations and cultures live and work together“, the certificate states. It underlines that SEKEM always considers environmental and personal needs turning the initiative into a role model for the peaceful coexistence of people and cultures.
P.O.Box 2834 El Horreya 11361 Cairo Egypt Tel.: (+20) 2 265 88 124 Fax: (+20) 2 265 88 123 christine.arlt@sekem.com www.sekem.com