On Volunteer Day, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier awarded eight women and seven men the Federal Cross of Merit for their commitment.
Berlin – He praised them for the fact that they «as free, committed citizens take responsibility for their community», as he said at a ceremony at Bellevue Palace on Friday in Berlin. “You are all a shining example, a beacon in a time when the corona pandemic confronts us in an existential way with the question of the individual’s responsibility for the common good.”
The 15 citizens were honored because they are involved in refugee aid, for the integration of immigrants, for women’s rights, interreligious dialogue and better educational opportunities. Some of them have a refugee or migration history of their own.
“The country with a migration background: You are making it a reality,” Steinmeier told them. He pointed out that immigrants still experience verbal and physical violence and even more often experience many pinpricks of rejection and exclusion.
With their commitment, the award winners turned the dynamic of exclusion into its opposite, so to speak. They cleared the space in the middle of society, which is due to immigrants and their descendants, said Steinmeier. «You encourage them to take this place and to fill it. And by doing that, you are changing our immigration society from within, from within. “
On behalf of the new medalists, the educationalist Yasemin Karakasoglu said that they saw the award not only as a personal appreciation, but as an encouragement for all people who wanted to make their contribution to society with similar commitment. “You feel seen with us, recognized, empowered, encouraged for further work.” (dpa)
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