The Carinthian association Aspis is one of the winners of the Bruno Kreisky Human Rights Prize, which is endowed with a total of 700,000 euros.
Aspis specializes in helping victims of torture and traumatized people.
Several clubs awarded
The prize for services to human rights was awarded to the "West Eastern Divan Orchestra" on Friday evening at the Musikverein in Vienna. The orchestra consists of young Israeli and Arab musicians and stands for the coexistence of the different parts of the population in the Middle East.
In addition to Aspis, the Esra psychosocial center and the Hemayat association also received awards for caring for survivors of torture and war.
The Bruno Kreisky Prize
The Bruno Kreisky Prize for services to human rights is awarded at irregular intervals by a foundation that was established on the occasion of the 65th birthday of the then Austrian Chancellor in 1976 and endowed with 700,000 euros.
The longtime leader of the SPÖ and head of government has himself suffered from human rights violations. He had been imprisoned by the Austrofascist regime for 15 months in 1935 and for five months by the Nazis in 1938.
He was also driven into exile in Sweden, from which he only returned in 1951.
Aspis takes care of refugees from Chechnya
Aspis, an independent institution at the University of Klagenfurt, provides psychotherapeutic and psychosocial help for traumatized people. In particular, today's victims of torture and survivors of Nazi terror. In Carinthia, Aspis primarily looks after refugees from Chechnya.
In Carinthia, you don't get a cent subsidy and you're often insulted, Maria Lind von Aspis regretted in her acceptance speech: "And today we're being honored for exactly this work - that makes us proud."
kaernten.ORF.at; 16.6.10
In Carinthia there are more and more asylum seekers from Chechnya, incidents are increasing. The ASPIS association takes care of many traumatized people. Aggression often comes from old traditions and the strict code of honor.
Association takes care of Chechens
http://kaernten.orf.at/stories/516905/, 20.06.2011