Vitalizing Democracy through Participation -Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011.

Be part of the nomination process for the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011!

This Website gives people from all over the world the opportunity to nominate, discuss and rate projects for the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011. All projects submitted before 22 August 2010 will be taken into account as possible winners. The prize will be awarded in June 2011 in Gütersloh, Germany.

Your support and input will be rewarded!

The person who nominates the ultimate winner will be invited by the Bertelsmann Stiftung to attend the international symposium and prize ceremony, which will take place in June 2011. This all-expenses-paid trip offers the opportunity for you to exchange ideas with other experts in the field and to celebrate the winning project at an exclusive gala event where the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011 will be presented.

Please find more information about the Bertelsmann Stiftung, the Reinhard Mohn Prize and about how to use this platform below.

• What is the Bertelsmann Stiftung?
• What is the Reinhard Mohn Prize?
• What is the scope of the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011 – ‘Vitalizing Democracy through Participation’?
• How do we select the winner of the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011?
• How can this platform be used to nominate and to evaluate projects?

What is the Bertelsmann Stiftung?The Bertelsmann Stiftung is a private operative foundation based in Gütersloh, Germany. It carries out its own project work and does not award grants or support third-party projects. Since being founded in 1977 by Reinhard Mohn, the Bertelsmann Stiftung has invested around 666 million in over 700 projects. Today, it is one of the largest foundations in Germany. The Bertelsmann Stiftung is the majority shareholder of the Bertelsmann AG, a global corporation with more than 106,000 employees in more than 50 countries. In keeping with the longstanding social commitment of its founder, Reinhard Mohn, the Bertelsmann Stiftung is dedicated to serving the common good. 

What is the Reinhard Mohn Prize (formerly known as Carl Bertelsmann Prize)?Since 1988, the Bertelsmann Stiftung has awarded the Carl Bertelsmann Prize to ground-breaking projects in important issue areas. The prize carries a value of € 150,000. In honor of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s founder, Reinhard Mohn, who passed away in October 2009, the prize has been renamed the Reinhard Mohn Prize (RMP) this year.

What is the scope of the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011 – ‘Vitalizing Democracy through Participation’?With the forthcoming prize in 2011, the Bertelsmann Stiftung will focus on the crucial issue of ‘Vitalizing Democracy through Participation’. The prize will be awarded to a governmental institution – possibly in cooperation with a non-governmental actor – which has initiated successful projects (or programs) to vitalize democracy, to integrate underrepresented citizens and to establish new forms of democratic problem-solving capacities through participation. It is crucial that the projects and actions can be adapted to the German context, as the Bertelsmann Stiftung aims to draw on these examples of international best practice as inspiration for possible future projects. Projects including illegal, racist or otherwise inflammatory elements or defamations etc. will automatically not qualify.

The Focus of the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011Democracy is the core of our modern society. It forms the basis for peaceful and self-determined cohabitation and places emphasis on human needs. Strengthening and preserving democracy is one of the most important priorities of our time. During the past decades, our democratic systems have continuously evolved and adapted to new conditions. Growing complexity, heterogeneity and rapid social developments place new demands on democracies. The following three challenges are the most crucial aspects of this development:

1. Growing demands for problem-solving capacities – social developments are complex, heterogeneous and rapid, making it hard to react timely and appropriately to implement reforms effectively and to inform the public successfully about current political issues.
2. New expectations for political participation – classical forms of political participation such as elections, membership of political parties and political associations no longer meet the needs and demands of modern societies. People increasingly prefer issue-based and more direct forms of participation. Therefore, more and more citizens are alienated by the existing political system.
3. Under-representation of disadvantaged groups – migration and the growing gap between rich and poor lead to fewer people being able to participate in political decisions and represent their interests.

How do we select the winner of the Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011?The search for and selection of the ultimate winner will be conducted in three phases:

Phase 1– Submitting, commenting and evaluating projectsThe search for the prize winner is world-wide and it involves comprehensive public participation. People from all over the world are invited to nominate projects via this internet platform until 22 August 2010. All projects submitted to the platform will be taken into account and rated by the following criteria:

1. Impact on problem solving and effectiveness
2. Level of mobilization, representation and scale
3. Strengthening of democratic capacity
4. Inclusion of marginalized groups
5. Efficiency and sustainability
6. Level of innovation
7. Transferability

During this period of time, you are also welcome to discuss and to help us evaluate the submitted projects. Your comments and ratings will play an important role in the selection process!

Phase 2– Discussing and commenting on submitted projectsAfter 22 August 2010 we will select twenty projects for closer evaluation from all the projects submitted – based on their ratings on this platform and additional research. The selection criteria as well as the public evaluation of submissions are transparent. As soon as the short list with its twenty projects has been finalized, it will be presented on this platform. You can then continue to rate and comment on the short-listed projects.

Phase 3– Selection of the final prize winnerOn 6 October 2010, a working committee, comprised of members from all fields of society, will nominate five to ten finalists. These five to ten finalists will be visited and evaluated by our team from October to December 2010. During all that time you can discuss and comment on the projects that have been selected for closer evaluation. In February 2011, a public consultation, involving some 10,000 representatively selected citizens, will decide about the prize final winner. The Reinhard Mohn Prize 2011 will be presented at an award ceremony in June 2011 in Gütersloh, Germany. The person who nominated the ultimate winner will be invited by the Bertelsmann Stiftung to attend the celebrations, in recognition of his or her contribution to the project.

How can this platform be used to nominate and to evaluate projects?This platform can be used to nominate projects by submitting interesting cases via our web formula during the nomination phase (until 22 August 2010) After registration you can submit projects by clicking on Submit Projects in the top menu and filling in the necessary information. Your submission will then be checked by our team and presented on our platform – as long as it is in scope and in line with our terms of use. To rate and discuss projects, simply click on View Projects, choose the project you want to rate or discuss and add your rating or comment via the given interfaces.