The "International Award UCLG-Mexico City-Culture 21" is awarded to Timbuktu (Mali) and Vaudreuil-Dorion (Canada) in the "City, Local or Regional Government" category and to John Hawkes and Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui in the "Individual" category. These projects and personal backgrounds are distinguished for their commitment to culture as social inclusion driver.
The objective of the "International Award UCLG - Mexico City - Culture 21" is to recognize leading cities and people that have distinguished themselves through their contributions toculture as a dimension of sustainable development. The initiative proves the leadership of Mexico City in the area of culture and sustainable development. The deadline for the submission of projects was 15th March 2016.
The Jury was formed by five international experts, highly eminent figures with a proven track record in the cultural world, ensuring the prestige and relevance of the Award. In May 2016, the Jury selected the winners:
- In the category “City, Local or Regional Government”: the city of Timbuktu, with the programme “Cultural heritage and reinvigoration of socio-economic activities in Timbuktu”, and the city of Vaudreuil-Dorion, with the programme “I am… / The adventure of one community in the middle of a transformation”.
- In the “Individual” category: Jon Hawkes and Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui.
The Jury also decided to give a special mention to the following cities:
- Busan (Republic of Korea) – “Historic downtown culture cluster ‘Totatoga’”
- Dakar (Senegal) – “School of Commons”
- Kaunas (Lithuania) – “The Šančiai Cabbage Field Project – small scale seeks big transformation”
- Lake Megantic (Quebec, Canada) – “Rebuilding Lake Mégantic”
- Montevideo (Uruguay) – “Cultural Co-Management Civic Centre: SACUDE”
The communiqué of the Jury is available here. The Awards ceremony will take place in Mexico City in October or November 2016.