Start of Applications for the Intercultural Innovation Hub 2024: Connecting, Empowering, and Elevating Global Grassroots Organizations Worldwide

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• The Intercultural Innovation Hub (IIH) of UNAOC and the BMW Group, with the support of Accenture, connects people and cultures, empowers grassroots organizations and elevates intercultural innovation.
• Innovative projects championing diversity, integration and social inclusion will be selected to scale up their impact and achieve sustainable growth.
• Participants of the Hub will benefit from a financial grant of up to USD 20,000 in addition to a comprehensive capacity-building program, international workshops, customized support and mentorship, as well as membership to an exclusive global platform.
• Deadline extended: 1 April 2024 at www.interculturalinnovation.org.

New York and Munich, 19 February 2024 – At the forefront of addressing intercultural challenges through social innovations, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group, with the support of Accenture, are pleased to announce the 2024 cycle of the Intercultural Innovation Hub.

Through the Intercultural Innovation Hub (IIH), we continue to connect people and cultures, empower grassroots organizations, as well as elevate and scale up innovative approaches that contribute to inclusive societies.

To this end, we invite grassroots organizations that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding as well as social inclusion, to apply. Selected organizations will benefit from a comprehensive support programme designed to expand the impact of their projects.

The Intercultural Innovation Hub will select up to 10 projects focused on addressing xenophobia and hate speech; preventing violent extremism; promoting gender equality; using sport, art and culture as tools to drive social change and foster social inclusion; and building inclusive and cohesive societies.

Selected recipients will receive:

Financial support for sustainable growth: Each finalist will receive up to USD 20,000 to scale up the sustainability of their project and accelerate the impact of their work.

Year-long capacity-building programme: Selected recipients also will benefit from a year-long series of capacity-building workshops, focused support, and customized mentoring provided by UNAOC and the BMW Group, with the support of Accenture.

Access and membership to a global leadership platform: Recipients will have an opportunity to extend their spheres of influence, collaborate with other changemakers, and take part in regional and international events by becoming part of a global leadership network.

To apply, please read the eligibility criteria and complete your application no later than 5 p.m. EDT (New York time) on 1 April 2024 (extended) at www.interculturalinnovation.org/application-process.

Contact:
Milena Pighi, BMW Group Corporate Communications
Contact +49-89-382-66563
Milena.PA.Pighi@bmw.de

Alessandro Girola, Chief, Programming and Projects Unit, UNAOC
Contact: +1 (212) 963-7179
alessandrog@unops.org

Eva Buch-Erkens, Project Lead
Contact +49-1734075771
e.buch-erkens@accenture.com

United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC)
UNAOC is an initiative of the UN Secretary-General, which aims to improve understanding and cooperative relations among nations and peoples across cultures and religions and help counter the forces that fuel polarization and extremism. UNAOC was established in 2005, at the initiative of the Governments of Spain and Turkey, under the auspices of the United Nations. In January 2019, H.E. Mr. Miguel Ángel Moratinos assumed the position of High Representative for UNAOC, succeeding H.E. Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, who succeeded H.E. Mr. Jorge Sampaio. UNAOC maintains a global network of partners, including states, international and regional organizations, civil society groups, foundations, and the private sector, to improve cross-cultural relations between diverse nations and communities. For more information, visit www.unaoc.org

The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2021 was € 16.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 111.2 billion. As of 31 December 2021, the BMW Group had a workforce of 118,909 employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with approximately 743,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology and leadership in cloud, data and AI with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients reinvent and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. For more information, visit www.accenture.com.