Award of Swiss Re Civilian Service Prize 2008

The Swiss Re Civilian Service Prize (Milizpreis), created by Ulrich Bremi, former Chairman of the Board of Directors, is awarded annually in recognition of people who – besides their professional work – dedicate substantial time and energy to activities for the common good. The prize – consisting of 200 Swiss Re shares - was awarded for the 8th time at the 2008 Annual General Meeting. Peter Forstmoser, Chairman of the Board of Directors, was pleased to honour two winners – or more precisely: two winning families - who were recognized for their long-standing commitment to voluntary work in two very diverse areas of activity.

The first family, Kurt and Irene Pfister with their sons Adrian and Simon Pfister, were honoured for their long-standing commitment to reforestation of rural areas in Ethiopia. Through their Foundation "Green Ethiopia", established in 2000, the family has organised forest replanting activities as well as irrigation and agricultural development projects to help farmers in remote areas.
Kurt and Irene Pfister are serving as foundation board members. Adrian Pfister covers the Public Relations aspects and provides website support, while Simon Pfister serves as managing director of the foundation.

The foundation pursues the goal of helping indigent people in Ethiopia's remote, rural areas to take their future into their own hands; to sustainably enhance the living situation of the predominantly farming people in scant regions of Ethiopia; and to fight soil erosion and the resulting insufficient harvests and its results (malnutrition, hunger dependance on foreign Aid and great indigence)

Since 2000, over 1 million trees have been planted. A centre for the preservation of local bio-diversity is supported, and a framwork for microcredits was established to enable local farmers to further develop their land.

More details: www.greenethiopia.org

The second family, Daniel & Magdalena Elmiger Reutimann, a young bio-farming family from Guntalingen (Canton of Zurich), received the prize for their long-standing, strong commitment to the development of cultural activities in the "Zürich Weinland", in particular the region of the "Stammertal" (which consists of the three communities of Unter- and Oberstammheim, and Waltalingen).

As head of the museum commission of the Museum Stammertal (since 2000), Daniel Reutimann has led the drive to refurbish and revitalize the local history museum. He acquired his museum management skills through a dedicated course offered by the Swiss national museum association. As a special attraction, he organises a special exhibition each year on a theme of local cultural and historical interest. His efforts have greatly contributed to illustrating local life in the region from past to present. Daniel Reutimann also served as Chairman of the local Raiffeisen Bank (1998-2007) and as a board member of the national bio-marketing organisation (2004-2006).

As board member and president (since 2004) of the Lesegesellschaft Stammheim (a local cultural association that is over 150 years old), Magdalena Elmiger Reutimann has been the driving force behind a lively and varied annual programme of cultural events for the local communities of the Stammertal. Activities include summer concerts, a puppet theatre show, literature and poetry readings. In addition, Magdalena Elmiger Reutimann has been contributing actively to a local studio film cinema series, and is currently active in a local dialect dictionary project, and as a contributing editor to an updated local history of the Stammertal communities.

Even though it is not always easy, the family – with their two (soon three) small children - manages very well to blend in their multiple cultural and community service tasks with the vagaries of sometimes challenging weather conditions and the seasonally changing requirements of their farming schedule.

More details:
Museum Stammertal
Lesegesellschaft Stammheim

Urs Leimbacher, Public Affairs
18th April 2008

 

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