Patronage 2010

Austria

Dr Johanna Rachinger

President of the Austrian National Bank
“We are reluctant to deal with the fact that there are people in our immediate neighbourhood who live in dire financial and social straits. When we see pictures on TV, we think of faraway countries – but not of poverty and suffering at our doorstep. But nobody is immune to becoming one day marginal or member of a “minority”, nobody is immune to becoming sick, in need of care, or simply old. Social commitment and social professions continue to be the poor cousins of our welfare society.”
 

Dr Fritz Panzer

CEO of Carl Ueberreuter Publishing House
“We often only discover how much we need people who dedicate their energy and time to the weaker and weakest members of society, when we ourselves get into a state where we need the help of others. Those who for altruistic motives get involved or who by vocation do work in the social field, merit our highest recognition.
Innovation and creativity must not only count as parameters of economic progress – thinking along these terms is essential also in the social realm.”

„For this reason we support the SozialMarie awards – they not only draw our attention to societal imbalances, but also offer monetary support to important projects.”

Dr Johanna Rachinger and Dr Fritz Panzer supported the project Let the World Enter - I Want - To Be Me (Lasst die Welt herein - ich möchte - mich sein). The question of autonomy and self-determination of old people, especially those suffering from dementia, was determining in getting them involved in this project. On 14th of October 2010, they invited the inhabitants of the geriatric centre and their carers to a special guided tour of the Austrian National Library and a reception.
 

Hungary

Miklós Vámos

Miklós Vámos, born in Budapest in 1950, is a learned lawyer. He was a dramaturgist and Director of a Publishing House. He has written theater plays and scenarios for several films. Miklós Vámos has lived for some time in the USA and speaks several languages. On Hungarian TV, he is nowadays the host of his own talk show “Lehetetlen“ (Impossible). He is a member of the Hungarian Pen Club. He has one daughter and two sons and presently lives in Budapest.
Miklós Vámos’ family saga “The Book of the Fathers”, which covers more than 300 years of Hungarian history, has been translated into several European languages.

Miklos Vámos intends to make a film with the project Magdi that is to promote this project.