Last month we celebrated Euro Babble’s third anniversary and technically its fifth, as the original idea for Euro Babble was tested already in 2016. But it was not until January 5th 2018, that Euro Babble launched in all of its glory. As we observed our third anniversary, I published an editorial with my thoughts and reflections on the past three years, as well as some insights and statistics on our articles and overall performance of the magazine.
The celebrations were elevated by the announcement that we had won our first ever prize, the ECAS Award 2020. The award celebrates cities and projects that are most friendly to mobile citizens and indeed, the idea of mobile citizenship. At the EFF, we have always valued mobile citizens. That is why when we originally started the organisation, it was set up around local chapters and the ability to move between them freely and exchange knowledge, culture and experience. While we moved away from this structure in 2019 and towards an all-digital presence (ahead of our times?), we did this also with mobility in mind. It does not matter where you are located, so long as you believe in the same values and pursue our common goals together. Euro Babble as our first project, has always exemplified this with its multilingual cross-border character. To receive the ECAS Award and have this mobile DNA recognised, was a great honour for us.
Less than a month later, we have now been awarded the European Citizen’s Prize 2020 by the European Parliament. Receiving the medal of honour is one of the highest honours a project like ours can achieve and we are both speechless and extremely excited for the official ceremony in November 2021.
In the Austrian press release I am quoted as saying:
“In 2016, Euro Babble was little more than the idea of two fellow students in London. In 2020, we have an online magazine that has all content translated between 8 languages and has reached over 35,000 readers worldwide and in every European country. We have worked long and hard on this project and are deeply touched and honoured to have been recognised twice in one year. The European Citizens’ Prize is the highest award for us and gives us the further strength and motivation we need to expand our project even further and to reach and connect many more people in Europe.”
Dominik Kirchdorfer
Euro Babble has come a long way over the last few years and if the prizes and growing reader numbers are any indication, the magazine is ready to stand on its own two feet. The EFF encourages projects to externalise themselves and become their own independent entities, partners in the network, when the time is right. While Euro Babble will always be connected to the EFF and EFF volunteers will also play a big part and be more than welcome in the project, we are now taking the first steps to move Euro Babble out into the world, where it will be able to thrive and grow even further. I believe I speak for everyone at the EFF when I say, we look forward to seeing what other prizes and surprises are in store for Euro Babble over the years.
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