Award of Swiss Re Civilian Service Prize 2010

On 7 April 2010, Swiss Re’s Chairman, Walter B. Kielholz awarded the Swiss Re Milizpreis 2010 to Ms. Garda Alexander for her long-standing strong commitment to organise workshops “Child & Art” for socially disadvantaged children, both in Switzerland and in the Sinai.

English

In 2010, the Swiss Re Milizpreis (Civilian Service Prize) is awarded for the 10th consecutive time. The winner is Ms. Garda Alexander for her commitment to „Child & Art“, an association she founded in 2004. The Civilian Service Prize is awarded to persons who, beside their career, engage in a substantial way in non-career-related commitments over a prolonged period. Garda Alexander links art and interior design. Besides pursuing her career as an artist, she has been an entrepreneur since 2003, managing her own business “Corporate Art”, which is active in interior and exterior decoration.

“Child & Art” organizes intercultural art projects with the objective to enhance the development of children and to improve the condition of children in developing countries by projects based on sustainability.

A very personal experience – contacts with indigenous Bedouins in the Sinai, stands at the beginning of Garda Alexander’s current international project. These natives have a strong relationship with nature and environment. But tourism now confronts the Bedouins and their children with the modern western world. In this context, “Child & Art” organises local creative art workshops together with the natives at their homes. The Sinai city of Dahab is a focus of Garda Alexanders project. Local women accompany the children who, through these art workshops, find an entirely new - and hitherto unexperienced - way to experiment, develop their curiosity, and express themselves through painting and other non-language-based tools.

The project aims at sustainability in planning, realisation and permanent care for children by involving natives at all stages, especially in carrying out the workshops, and also by making the realisation of joint art happenings in the public an integral part of the project. In preparing and implementing its projects, the associaion takes into utmost consideration the native culture.

In parallel with her international project, Garda Alexander organises similar art workshops for children in Switzerland. The “Child & Art” workshops foster children individually and help them develop a sense of togetherness. These workshops in Switzerland thus help support children in developing countries.

Deutsch

Am 7. April verlieh der Verwaltungsratspräsident der Swiss Re, Walter B. Kielholz, den Swiss Re Milizpreis 2010 an Frau Garda Alexander für ihr langjähriges Engagement in der Organisation von Kunst-Workshops für Kinder in der Schweiz und im Sinai.

2010 wird der Swiss Re Milizpreis zum zehnten Mal verliehen. Die Gewinnerin heisst Garda Alexander. Sie erhält die Auszeichnung für ihr Engagement „Kunst & Kind“, einem Verein, den sie 2004 gründete. Der Milizpreis wird an Personen vergeben, die sich nebst ihrer angestammten beruflichen Tätigkeit in substantiellem Masse einem nebenberuflichen Engagement über einen längeren Zeitraum widmen: Frau Alexander verbindet in ihrem Beruf Kunst und Raumgestaltung: Sie verfolgt zum einen ihre künstlerische Karriere. Sie führt zum anderen aber auch als Unternehmerin seit 2003 ihre eigene Firma, Corporate Art, die in der Innen- und Aussenraum-Gestaltung tätig ist.