Youth-Led Initiative “Unleash Tunisia Venture Bus” Receives the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award.
Young Leaders Entrepreneurs and their “Unleash Tunisia Venture Bus” initiative is one of the ten global grassroots organizations receiving the 2017 Intercultural Innovation Award bestowed by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and the BMW Group.
The Intercultural Innovation Award Ceremony, held this year for the first time at United Nations headquarters in New York, was chaired by Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, and Mr. Bill McAndrews, Vice President BMW Group Communications Strategy, Corporate and Market Communications. See event photo.
“The ‘Unleash Tunisia Venture Bus’ is a project that showcased all that youth can do if empowered to change the existing realities of their country,” says Wajdi Belloumi, Treasurer of Young Leaders Entrepreneurs. “We are grateful that the Intercultural Innovation Award has acknowledged our efforts in a movement led by the youth for the youth”.
Through a training team travelling in a bus all around the country, the “Unleash Tunisia Venture Bus” targets vulnerable youth in remote areas with poor infrastructure. The project promotes entrepreneurship, business skills and a “start-up mentality”, with a particular focus on the success of local businesses. Youth at the brink of extremism are economically empowered to begin their own entrepreneurial projects.
The Intercultural Innovation Award supports grassroots initiatives that promote intercultural dialogue and understanding, thereby contributing to peace, cultural diversity and more inclusive societies.
In addition to a financial grant, Young Leaders Entrepreneurs will receive support from UNAOC and the BMW Group to help their project expand and replicate in other contexts.
This model of collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector creates deeper impact, as both partners provide their respective expertise to ensure the sustainable growth of each project. Assistance is customized based on the specific needs of award recipients.
