Plant-for-the-Planet awarded with the Prize of Westphalia Peace

Planting trees has a two-fold effect: it buys the world time in the fight against the climate crisis and creates peace because it secures the future. This mission has been driving us children and youth of Plant-for-the-Planet since the establishment of our foundation in 2007. On August 28, 2021, the Wirtschaftliche Gesellschaft für Westfalen und Lippe (WWL) honored us for this with a very special award: the International Prize of Westphalia Peace 2020.

Our ambassador Paul was live on site in Münster and captured the impressions with his camera. He also interviewed some representatives of the Prize of Westphalia Peace, e.g. Dr. Reinhard Zinkann, CEO of Miele and chairman of the board of WWL, or Sarna Röser, national chairwoman of the association ‘Die jungen Unternehmer’ and laudator for Plant-for-the-Planet at the Peace Award.

In her laudatory speech, Sarna Röser described our global commitment to climate justice with the following words: “Felix Finkbeiner and his initiative tackle the problem like a good entrepreneur would do. And what is at least as important, they learn from mistakes: fall down, get up, keep going – that is the road to success to make their project better and better. […] The young people have developed their own digital platform, so everyone can digitally track their own restoration project with location, time, tree species, even name of the planter. […] A start-up that has made it to world class.”

Together with Felix, our ambassadors Jana and Mathilda accepted the award in the atrium of the LWL Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kultur in Münster on behalf of the 92,000 children and young people of the worldwide Plant-for-the-Planet movement.

With a total value of 100,000 Euros, the Peace of Westphalia Prize is awarded every two years in two categories of equal value: It is awarded to personalities or representatives of states who have become role models for peace work in Europe and the world. The Youth Prize is awarded to young people or youth groups who act in an exemplary manner for balance and peace and who are committed to sustainability and the future of their generation. The other winners of this year’s award are Alexis Tsipras and Zoran Zaev. The award ceremony was postponed by almost a year due to the pandemic.

If you would like to re-watch the entire award ceremony online, you can find it in the ARD Mediathek.

For more information on the International Prize of Westphalia Peace, visit the WWL homepage (German only).

Overview of media coverage: here