Vienna Insurance Group promotes peace through social initiatives
Projects focused on children and young people
Three projects currently sponsored by VIG and other organisations revolve around the subject of peace, and aim to support children and young people: Peace Fleet Mirno More, the VIG Kids Camp and the Alfred Fried Photography Award.
Peace Fleet Mirno More, the world’s largest sailing project for socially and financially disadvantaged children and youngsters, took place in the Split area of Croatia between 15 and 22 September. The Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) once again sponsored one of the fleet’s ships. The Peace Fleet has taken to the seas every year since 1994, wending its way through the islands off the Dalmatian coast. Mirno more means “peaceful sea”, and is also a greeting and a message of good wishes used by Croatian sailors.
By enabling children to navigate a sailing ship together, the week-long trip aims to give them the opportunity to jettison prejudices and make new friendships that transcend ethnic and social borders. Some of the 580 children who took part live in crisis centres, shared accommodation and social education facilities – including some who have been driven from their homes as well as war orphans from the Balkan countries.
“Assuming social responsibility is in line with the company’s philosophy. We are dedicated to supporting a wide variety of projects, especially in the 25 countries in which we operate. Supporting disadvantaged children has been one of our Group’s leading priorities for years now,” commented VIG CEO Elisabeth Stadler. “And Peace Fleet Mirno More is a project that enables us to do this in a wonderful fashion.”
Sponsored by VIG, the safety team ship provides medical treatment and ensures the safety of the total of 965 people who participate. The sponsorship agreement includes funding for a ship, including all related expenses such as the children’s travel and food, mooring fees, and a preparatory meeting and reunion in Vienna.
Photo competition zooms in on freedom
An initiative of Wiener Städtische Versicherungsverein, the VIG Kids Camp took place for the ninth time in 2018, with around 500 children of VIG employees from 23 European countries taking part. A prerequisite for an invitation to the camp is submitting a winning entry in a Group-wide competition, which was titled “Take a photo of peace” this year.
The most creative entries were also entered into the Children Peace Image of the Year prize, part of the 2018 Alfred Fried Photography Award, which VIG supported once again this year. Eight of the roughly 500 submissions from VIG employees’ children made it onto the shortlist for the Children Peace Image of the Year, which comes with prize money of EUR 1,000.