M100 Media Award to the Ukrainian people
dr Wladimir Klitschko is one of the most prominent and influential voices in Ukraine. At the beginning of the Russian attack, he gave up his life as a successful entrepreneur and coach in Germany and has been fighting for independence, democracy and freedom in his home country ever since. He uses his international contacts to tirelessly campaign for support for Ukraine among political and business representatives around the world. Stands with his people along with his brother Vitali, Mayor of Kyiv, who received the M100 Media Award in 2014 as a representative of all democratic movements in Ukraine. "We will defend ourselves with all our might and fight for freedom and democracy," said Wladimir Klitschko. "We will fight as long as we live."
The award ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 15 at 7 p.m. in the east wing of the Sanssouci Orangery Palace.
The laudations will be given by the American Ambassador to Germany, Amy Gutmann, and the former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (via video link). Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz will hold the main political speech at the award ceremony.
"The Ukrainian people have been defending themselves against the brutal invasion of Russia for months with heroic courage and indomitable will," said the M100 Advisory Board chaired by Potsdam Mayor Mike Schubert. “No people in the world has demonstrated the value of freedom and its fragile vulnerability as passionately as Ukraine in recent months. The country is fighting a heroic fight for its values: independence and freedom. And defends it day after day, hour after hour under murderous fire. What we take for granted, Ukrainians have been trying to preserve for months, risking their lives. A people who have become a nation in their darkest hours and who strive for democracy in their hardest times. Their suffering is not debatable. It is a war against democracy, freedom and our value system. The people of Ukraine deserve our deepest respect, esteem, support and solidarity. They fight for us too.”
The M100 Media Award has been presented since 2005 as part of the international media conference M100 Sanssouci Colloquium. Lord Norman Foster, Bernard Kouchner, Bob Geldof, Ingrid Betancourt, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, Kurt Westergaard, Vitali Klitschko, Charlie Hebdo, Roberto Saviano, Natalia Sindeeva, Nicola Sturgeon and Alexei Navalny have received awards to date.
At the previous M100 Sanssouci Colloquium this year, the focus will be on Russia's military attack on Ukraine, the resulting consequences for Europe and the role of the media. Russia's invasion of the independent neighboring state is the largest armed conflict on the European continent since the end of the Second World War with enormous consequences for geopolitics, the economy, democracy, society and the environment. Around 70 participants from all over Europe will discuss how Europe and the western world want to defend and strengthen democracy, freedom and freedom of the press and freedom of expression.
M100 is an initiative of Potsdam Media International eV, which is mainly financed by the city of Potsdam. Other sponsors are Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, the Federal Foreign Office, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government.
Sponsors: European Liberal Forum, medienlabor, META, Federal Association of Liberal Professions.
Cooperation partners: AFP, eupinions, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Institute for Media and Communication Policy (IfM), Young Journalists Switzerland (JJS), Media Association of the Free Press (MVFP), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Prussian Castles Foundation and Gardens, The European Network, Meeting Point Europe.