The ONCE Catalunya Solidarity Awards have the purpose of recognizing and rewarding those people, entities, institutions, media and administrations that carry out solidarity work and seek the social inclusion of all citizens, normalization, personal autonomy and universal accessibility .
Fundació Surt, the 'Solidaris' program on Catalunya Radio, Viqui Molins, Worldcoo and the Reus City Council are the winners of the ONCE Catalonia 2023 Social Group Solidarios awards, according to the ruling announced this Tuesday. The winners will receive the sculptural work 'SOLIDARIOS' next Wednesday, November 15 at 6 p.m. in an event at the ONCE Catalunya Auditorium (Gran Via, 400, Barcelona).
The winners stand out for their social sensitivity, their career and their dedication to the social rights of the most disadvantaged. Throughout the long history of these awards, held since 2001, leading people and institutions in the defense of human rights have been awarded, such as Miquel Martí i Pol, Josep Maria Espinàs, Pere Casaldàliga, Padre Manel, and the Vicente foundations Ferrer or Pasqual Maragall, among others.
In the category of Institution, organization, entity or NGO, the winner is the Fundació Surt for being a social action entity that works to make effective the economic, social and cultural rights of women and to eradicate discrimination based on sex and gender, with a view to achieving a society with effective gender equality.
In the Program, article or communication project section, Catalunya Ràdio's 'Solidaris' was awarded for being a leading social program on the grid. It is supported by its 15 seasons on air and the way in which social and human rights issues are addressed in the context of a global world. The program, directed and presented by Mercè Folch, is committed to critical, rigorous and reflective journalism.
For a life dedicated to helping the most disadvantaged, that is one of the reasons why Viqui Molins (1936, Barcelona) will receive the 'Solidaris' award for the individual. Molins is a Catalan religious member of the Company of Saint Teresa of Jesus who, as a result of her trips to Nicaragua in 1981, wanted to dedicate herself to volunteering, helping people at risk of social exclusion, prisoners, drug addicts, and acting as a teacher in the Raval neighborhood of Barcelona. She maintains a critical stance with the current Catholic Church, defending, for example, the marriage of priests or asking for a greater presence of women in the church.
In the Company category, Worldcoo is chosen for being a social company that creates the Solidarity Roundup in stores such as Bonpreu and Esclat, Vienna, Condis, Eroski, Caprabo, Areas, General Óptica or Correos, among others. In 2022, it celebrated 10 years of helping different NGOs and foundations obtain financing for their projects.
Finally, the Reus City Council takes the award in the Public Administration category thanks to its 'Reus, Inclusive City' program to promote accessibility in the city. The project's objective is to review sidewalks and pedestrian crossings to define accessible routes for the basic walking mobility network. Priority locations have been identified and physical measures such as tactile paving, guide tiles, widening sidewalks and the installation of acoustic traffic lights have been defined.
