The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung has been awarding the FES Human Rights Award annually since 1994. The prize is given to individuals or organisations worldwide who have made outstanding contributions to human rights. This year, the acting Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia - Mr Zoran Zaev - was honoured for his commitment to peace policy in the Western Balkans and his work in promoting multilateralism.
facts and fiction developed a hybrid concept for the event on November 16, 2020, which was designed to be attractive for both local and digital audiences.
The dual nature of the event proved to be the greatest challenge, especially in terms of the stage design, as it was not clear until the very end whether all the protagonists would be able to be present due to the pandemic. The key visual was inspired by the so-called "Colourful Revolution" in Northern Macedonia and served as a structuring element. Thus, the stage design had an inspiring and high-quality effect, while its modern layout enabled the production of high-quality camera images.
In addition to the roughly 25 invited high-ranking guests, who were seated in the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung's large event hall in compliance with the rules of distance and hygiene, over 1,000 viewers followed the digital live stream - in German, English or Macedonian. In addition, the event was broadcast live on North Macedonian TV, to ensure that the crucial topic of human rights was prominently placed, especially in the region itself.
Jana Pareigis moderated the afternoon, which included a laudatory speech by the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and the presentation of a specially made medal to Zoran Zaev by Kurt Beck, the Chairman of the foundation. Strengthening human rights and multilateralism was further explored through a dialogue between the prizewinner and Goran Buldioski, Chairman of the Open Society Foundation in Berlin.
facts and fiction also developed a series of video clips that included impressions from the "Colourful Revolution" as well as greetings from prominent politicians such as Alexis Tsipras and Ursula von der Leyen. The program was complemented by musical highlights by the German-Macedonian pianist Hajdi Elzeser.
Pictures: BILDKRAFTWERK GbR