Of possible interest is the following received this morning from BMW. It is an example of the parallel paths of corporate social responsibility and public diplomacy:
The BMW Group is pleased to announce its first call for submissions for the Award for Intercultural Commitment. The company is looking for intercultural initiators worldwide whose goal is to motivate people from diverse backgrounds to encounter one another with open minds and to take committed action. With the Award, the BMW Group aims to support the best projects and thus contribute to their lasting success. To this end, the company offers award winners customized support services as well as a financial “jump start”.
The deadline for submissions is 31 May 2010. The award ceremony will take place in Munich, Germany, on 18 November 2010. You will find further information about the Award in the enclosed press release and flyer as well as on www.bmwgroup.com/award.
From the press release (110kb DOC):
“To make intercultural understanding work, it is necessary to establish a multifaceted culture that is open to people from different cultural backgrounds and environments,” emphasizes Harald Krüger, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG and Chairman of the award competition. “The BMW Group Award for Intercultural Commitment is intended to make a contribution by motivating people to enter into an open dialog and pull together.”
See also their flyer (544kb PDF).
Now for the disclaimer: Neither MountainRunner or Matt Armstrong has an affiliation with BMW Group. The information above is provided as an instructive example of a corporation practicing public diplomacy.
See also: