1. khalid Bounouar
In the Artists category
The Board of Trustees particularly praised the humorous approach to the topic of migration. Mr. Bounouar is a comedian of Moroccan origin who depicts everyday life from the perspective of sometimes difficult integration with wonderful humour and whose cheerfulness and profound analysis not only make people laugh but also make them think.
2. mr. Rawed Akl
In the Entrepreneur category
The Board of Trustees considers it particularly outstanding that Mr. Akl has been helping refugees for many years, regardless of their origin. Mr. Akl is a restaurant operator and successful entrepreneur, he employs mainly refugees in his company and enables them to start a new future. He not only takes care of work and housing, but also ensures that their stay is secure, right through to successful naturalization.
3. Markus Reissen and the KHG volunteer team
In the Institution category
The Board of Trustees would particularly like to highlight the work of the volunteers at the KHG, who work in a cross-cultural and networking manner with the support of Mr. Reissen. They have been advising and coaching international students in Aachen for many years, providing help with all problems in all situations and areas of life. Through the work of the volunteers, friendships are formed through language tandems or games evenings that often last beyond their studies. The KHG provides scholarships to help with financial difficulties.
4th Ms. Beate Ergün
In the posthumous honorary award category
The Board of Trustees would like to honor the life's work and memory of Mrs. Ergün with this award. Mrs. Ergün passed away in June 2023 after a short and serious illness. She was a "friend of the Kurdish people". She was a founding member of the Kurdish People's House. Ms. Ergün was available day and night as a contact person for refugees and often helped them overcome bureaucratic hurdles. A very important topic for Ms. Ergün was school and extracurricular education. For Ms. Ergün, integration work was a life's work that she carried out and lived until the end.