Costa Carras European Citizens Award for the Safeguard of Endangered Heritage just launched

EUROPA NOSTRA and ELLINIKI ETAIRIA – Society for the Environment and Cultural Heritage are proud to launch the Costa Carras European Citizens Award for the Safeguard of Endangered Cultural and Natural Heritage. For over 50 years, Costa Carras worked tirelessly in favour of Greece’s and Europe’s heritage to create a more sustainable, inclusive and beautiful world for future generations. The Costa Carras European Citizens Award will celebrate the legacy of this iconic champion of Europe’s shared heritage and values, and inspire and encourage citizens to engage in defense of the values he stood for.

November 2017, Ceremony for the Ancient City of Karthaia, Greece

The Costa Carras European Citizens Award will be presented annually to a European citizen, a group of individuals or a civil society organisation based in Europe* for a successful and exemplary campaign to mobilise the public with the view of saving endangered heritage in their country or elsewhere in Europe. The winner of the Award will receive a monetary prize of €10,000 and a certificate.

Costa Carras (1938-2022) was a visionary conservationist, an eminent historian and scholar as well as a distinguished businessman, a humanist and an idealist – a true Greek and a true European. He became Vice-President of Europa Nostra in 1976. Under his guidance, Europa Nostra built a truly pan-European heritage movement based on fundamental human rights and shared European values. Perhaps his most enduring legacy is ELLINIKI ETAIRIA, which he founded with his wife Lydia Carras in 1972.

Costa strongly believed that cultural heritage and the environment are two sides of the same coin, both fundamental for the well-being of human beings and societies. He pioneered and shaped the work of many. He was convinced that a strong civil society role for the protection of cultural heritage and the environment is an integral part of the democratic way of life in Greece and in Europe as a whole”, stressed Lydia Carras, who is the current President of ELLINIKI ETAIRIA.

The Executive President of Europa Nostra, Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger, stated: “Costa Carras’ fighting for the beauty, integrity and authenticity of cultural and natural heritage always went hand in hand with the vital fight for peace, democracy, rule of law and human rights. By naming the European Citizens Award for the Safeguard of Endangered Cultural and Natural Heritage after Costa Carras, we wish to pay tribute to a legendary hero of Europe’s heritage and values, and inspire European citizens and civil society organisations across our continent to follow his power of example. Europa Nostra is proud to establish this prestigious Award together with ELLINIKI ETAIRIA, our country representation in Greece.”

Applications for the first edition of the Costa Carras European Citizens Award for the Safeguard of Endangered Cultural and Natural Heritage can be submitted by 6 April 2023. This Application Form must be completed and sent via email to sepi@ellinikietairia.gr and info@europanostra.org.

The applications will be examined by an International Jury, comprising representatives of Europa Nostra and ELLINIKI ETAIRIA as well as representatives of major heritage and environmental organisations from Europe.

The presentation Ceremony of the Costa Carras European Citizens Award will take place at the end of April 2023, during the Delphi Economic Forum 2023 in the ancient town of Delphi, Greece.

 

* Attributed to citizens, group of citizens or organisations from one of the Member States of the Council of Europe (47 countries). The Award will not be given posthumously.

 

TO FIND OUT MORE

Full press release
Photos of Costa Carras
Farewell to Costa Carras

 

EUROPA NOSTRA
Joana Pinheiro
jp@europanostra.org
+31 6 34 36 59 85

ELLINIKI ETAIRIA
Katerina Stebili
sepi@ellinikietairia.gr
+30 210 32 25 245

Latest articles about Press Releases

Winners of the Costa Carras European Citizens Awards for the Safeguard of Endangered Heritage 2024 announced

Europa Nostra Board and Awards Jury Meetings take place in Potsdam on 21-23 March

Europa Nostra and EIB Institute announce heritage sites in Europe shortlisted for the 7 Most Endangered Programme 2024

More Articles +