P R E S S R E L E A S E
Chief Minister of Sikkim (India), Shri PawanChamling, is celebrated at the Organic World Congress in Delhi as Grand Prix Winner of the One World Award
Delhi /India , Bonn & Legau /Germany November 8th 2017
The One World Award (OWA) honors people and projects that make the world a better place. The award is the most prestigious international recognition from the organic movement. It is only every three years presented by the German organic pioneer company RAPUNZEL and IFOAM– Organics International. The five winners this year come from Freiburg/Germany, Palestine, Azerbaijan, Zimbabwe and India. Honorable HCM Chamling received as “primus inter pares” together with the United World Colleges (Freiburg & Pune) the Grand Prix Award. The awards come along with a total of 45,000 Euro prize money.
On the occasion of the Organic World Congress of IFOAM – Organics International, which is held in Delhi from 9th to 11th of November, Honorable Chief Minister PawanChamling of the Indian State of Sikkim is going to be felicitated at the opening session of the congress in the presence of the global organic movement. A day before HCM Chamling has met Indian and International media for a press conference jointly organized by IFOAM – ORGANICS INTERNATIONAL, the German organic pioneer company RAPUNZEL which has initiated and is funding the award, as well as Navdanya from India. The OWA winner ShamisoMungwashu from Zimbabwe was present as chief guest.
Mr. Chamling had received a few weeks ago at a very festive Gala the OWA Grand Prix award together with the United World Colleges in Freiburg and Pune/India.
The initiator and founder of OWA and CEO of RAPUNZEL, Joseph Wilhelm, shared his visions and reasons to establish this award 2008, which was now presented for the 5th time: “After a very intense visit to Sikkim as founder and donor of the OWA I'm happy and convinced that the decision of the jury to elect Chief Minister PawanChamling as one of the OWA grand prix award winners has been confirmed as very wise decision. Together with the second grand winner UWC represented by the United World College in Pune we have to outstanding examples of encouraged activities, who will help to create a better future for the planet” .
The activist, scientist, eco-feminist and laureate of the Alternative Nobel Prize, Dr. Vandana Shiva (Navdanya), is not only member of the international OWA jury but also gave the Laudatio speech at the Award Gala, which brought together about 1.000 guests from over 30 countries worldwide. She introduced the OWA laureate by stating among others: “ ShriChamling has done a great service to mother Earth, by striving for years to make his region organic. With one great step taken collectively by the farmers of Sikkim along in with P Chamling have proved that agro-ecological farming is not alternative, but it is the only option for the future. Shri Chamling’s efforts have made Sikkim’s fields and society poison free, and has brought nutrition & food sovereignty to his people, while mitigating climate change. His persistent and success serves as an example to all people of the world.”
Executive Director Markus Arbenz represented at the press conference the OWA partner IFOAM – ORGANICS INTERNATIONAL and highlighted the tremendous impact of the achievements of Chief Minister Chamling and the people respectively farmers of Sikkim with their complete conversion to organic agriculture worldwide . “ The Organic Movement has so many brilliant cases that we contribute to the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) for human development. The One World Award is a “best of… ” initiative to inspire and energize the world to get closer to "Shangri La”. 100% Organic Sikkim in the Himalayas is really the best of the best!”
The shiny example of Sikkim proves not only that a consequent and 100 % conversion organic agriculture is possible and this today, but also inspires to set the ambitious goal to convert all agriculture worldwide to organic farming methods. As a matter of fact has Dr. Vandana Shiva given in her OWA Laudatio speech a goal until 2050.
HCM ShriPawanChamling shared among others ,what the OWA Award means for him , the people and namely the farmers of Sikkim: ““I humbly feel that receiving the prestigious One World Award is the recognition for our work and an acknowledgment of the organic idea that we promoted successfully in the State. We are immensely happy that the achievement we have accomplished has been judged and found worthwhile by the global organic movement. All the people of Sikkim are happy and grateful for this Award. On their behalf, I would like to extend my heartfelt thank to the One World Award partners IFOAM and Rapunzel for this recognition.”
The globally unique success story of Sikkim under the leadership of Mr. Chamling is living proof of the conclusions of the “World Agriculture Report” (IASS Study) that only ecologically sustainable forms of agriculture will provide a future for farmers around the world.
Yet, to reach the new and highly ambitious goal it takes political leaders like HCM Mr. PawanChamling with strong grit and vision. With a generation of such new leaders it is our hope that the “rest of the world” in thirty years will achieve what Sikkim has already accomplished today: 100% poison free Organic fields and farms.
For more information about the One World Award and Chief Minister Chamling:
For further information of India media please contact:IndraShekhar Singh
Phone - 9910589556)
and for International Media is the contact person BernwardGeier