Mahshid Najafi receives the City of Offenbach 2023 Integration Award

Mahshid Najafi has been awarded the Integration Prize of the Year 2023 for her outstanding and dedicated volunteer work over many years. "The prizewinner's work and special commitment fulfill the criteria for the award to a high degree," said Martin Wilhelm, Head of the Social and Integration Department and Chairman of the jury, in his statement.

Mahshid Najafi was selected as the winner by the jury because she has been committed to promoting integration and reducing xenophobia since moving to Offenbach in 1985. She has been socially and politically active for years by highlighting the perspectives of immigrants and making a lasting contribution to numerous initiatives on their behalf. These include her involvement in the Bunt statt braun initiative and Naturfreunde Offenbach e.V, her involvement in the interpreter pool of the education office of the adult education centre, the initiation of the Democracy Guides project at the volunteer center, for which she also organized a city walk, the founding of the association Lebenszeiten e.V. of the multi-generational apartment building and the organization of the Repair Café in the multi-generational apartment building at Weikertsblochstraße 58, her work in the city's senior citizens' council and her twenty years of work in the coordination team of the Intercultural Weeks, as well as her many years of work in the former anti-discrimination office of the German Trade Union Confederation in Offenbach. She was also active as a city councillor from 2006 to 2011.

Ms. Najafi has been doing sustainable and outstanding work in the field of integration and democratic coexistence for the citizens of Offenbach am Main for many years.

"With her work and commitment, Mahshid Najafi has rendered outstanding services to cohesion and integration in the city of Offenbach, which is characterized by diversity," was the jury's reasoning for awarding the prize.

Members of the jury:

Representatives of institutions in the city:

• Head of City Council Stephan Färber
• Head of the Integration Department and chairman of the jury Martin Wilhelm
• Chairman of the Foreigners' Advisory Council Abdelkader Rafoud
• Protestant City Deanery Frankfurt and Offenbach
• Catholic Church - Pastoral Area Offenbach
• Offenbach Chamber of Industry and Commerce
• Chairman of the Offenbach Sports Association
• Interest group of Offenbach school principals
• Jewish Community Offenbach
• German Trade Union Federation
• A representative of the mosque communities
• Municipal women's representative
• Municipal integration officer
• Journalism and press

The Integration Prize is endowed with 1,000 euros and is awarded annually.

If possible, it will be presented at a ceremony this year.