The World Mayor Project The World Mayor Project was established in 2004 to discover, portray and honour exceptional mayors from all parts of the world. The Project has never been about finding the ‘best mayor’ in the world. It would indeed be ludicrous to attempt to do so. Mayors of megacities and those of small towns, mayors of affluent cities and those leading struggling communities, mayors of places at peace and those in war-torn regions require very different mindsets and qualities. Some city leaders can plan for the future with confidence while others struggle to provide basic amenities and safety for their citizens. However, despite all the different challenges, mayors who aim to selflessly serve their communities must do so beyond reproach. They must also possess a genuine love for their fellow citizens and a willingness to share resources and expertise with less fortunate localities. Above all, they must respect the human rights of everyone. In 1958, former American First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wrote: “Where do human rights begin? In small places, close to home, so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of individual people - the communities they live in, the factories, farms or offices where they work. Such are the places where every man, woman and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity without discrimination.” Inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt’s words, the founders of the World Mayor Project decided against establishing a jury of wise men and women to find exceptional mayors but instead opted to give a voice to people from everywhere. Throughout the 20-year history of World Mayor, hundreds of thousands of individual people have spoken and written about their towns and their mayors. Citizens from small communities have always been encouraged to participate. They were assured that their voices were heard and amplified. Mayors to be considered for the World Mayor Prize and Awards are not selected by a jury but nominated and supported by individuals from communities worldwide. The mayors honoured by the 2023 World Mayor Project have all committed themselves to strengthening environments where people can grow up, contribute and eventually be cared for according to their abilities and needs. They also understand that towns and cities, when working together, become forces of peaceful progress. The City Mayors Foundation The philanthropic City Mayors Foundation, an international research think tank dedicated to local government, is maintained by professionals from Europe, Asia and The Americas who work together to promote strong, just and prosperous cities and excellent local government. Established in 2003, City Mayors carries out and publishes original research, provides pro-bono services and establishes guidelines for ethical, open and honest local government. The City Mayors Foundation has no association with any city or organisation and is run on philanthropic lines. Sponsorships, advertising, subscriptions, donations or any other kind of revenue are NOT sought and will be rejected if offered. Code of Ethics The City Mayors Foundation and the World Mayor Project were established in 2003 to promote, encourage and facilitate good local government. To strengthen local government further, a Code of Ethics for city leaders, who wish to perform their duties beyond all reproach, has been devised. All mayors wishing to be considered for the World Mayor Prize are expected to agree with the Code of Ethics. They are also encouraged to measure themselves against a catalogue of universal qualities demanded from mayors. World Mayor Dialogue Since the inception of World Mayor in 2004, millions of people from across the world have taken part in the bi-annual project. They nominated and voted for mayors who, in their opinion, deserved to be honoured. They discussed their chosen mayors’ merits but also mentioned any shortcomings. The discussions among World Mayor participants have provided a fascinating insight into the varied challenges faced by cities and mayors in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa. When the rules for the World Mayor Project were established, the City Mayors Foundation emphasised that the strength of argument expressed in endorsements carried more weight than their actual numbers. By stressing the significance of well-argued testimonials, the organisers aim to ensure that project participants think carefully about the merits of their chosen mayors. The rules also enable mayors from smaller towns and even villages to compete on equal terms with those from large metropolises. A selection of the most interesting testimonials is regularly published on the World Mayor website. Timeline 2023 / 2024 Phase 1 of World Mayor ran from January until the end of June 2023. During Phase 1, members of the public and organisations were invited to nominate and support mayors and cities who, in their opinion, are dedicated to friendship, partnership and cooperation between towns and cities at home and abroad. A final longlist was published in May 2023. The shortlist of 25 mayors from 21 countries was released in July 2023. Phase two of World Mayor ran from July to the end of October 2023. During phase 2, members of the public voted for mayors, from the shortlist. The nine World Mayor Finalists for 2023 were announced on 2 November 2023. The winners of the 2023 World Mayor Prize and Awards were announced on 30 January 2024. Honours 2004 to 2021 In 2023: Winner of the World Mayor Prize: Elke Kahr (Graz, Austria): Awards: Tony Keats (Dover, NL, Canada); Stefan Fassbinder (Greifswald, Germany); Manuel De Araújo, (Quelimane, Mozambique} In 2021: Joint Winners of the World Mayor Prize: Ahmed Aboutaleb (Rotterdam, Netherlands) and Philippe Rio (Grigny, France); Awards: Leila Mustapha (Raqqa, Syria); Mansur Yavas (Ankara, Turkey); Peter Kurz (Mannheim, Germany); Ricardo Rio (Braga, Portugal); Matús Vallo (Bratislava, Slovakia); François Decoster (Saint-Omer, France); Aldo D'Achille (San Bellino, Italy) In 2018: Winner of the World Mayor Prize: Valeria Mancinelli (Ancona, Italy); Commendations: Ros Jones (Doncaster, UK); Nathalie Appéré (Rennes, France); Charlotte Britz (Saarbrücken, Germany); Beng Climaco (Zamboanga City, Philippines) In 2016: Winner: Bart Somers (Mechelen, Belgium); Runner-up: Wolfgang G Müller (Lahr, Germany); In third place: Georgios Kaminis (Athens, Greece) In 2014: Winner: Naheed Nenshi (Calgary, Canada); Runner-up: Daniël Termont (Ghent, Belgium); In third place: Tri Rismaharini (Surabaya, Indonesia) In 2012: Winner: Iñaki Azkuna (Bilbao, Spain); Runner-up: Lisa Scaffidi (Perth, Australia); In third place: Joko Widodo (Surakarta, Indonesia) In 2010: Winner: Marcelo Ebrard (Mexico City, Mexico); Runner-up: Mick Cornett (Oklahoma City, USA); In third place: Domenico Lucano (Riace, Italy) In 2008: Winner: Helen Zille (Cape Town, South Africa); Runner up: Elmar Ledergerber (Zurich, Switzerland); In third place: Leopoldo López (Chacao, Venezuela) In 2006: Winner: John So (Melbourne, Australia); Runner up: Job Cohen (Amsterdam, Netherland); In third place: Stephen Reed (Harrisburg, USA) In 2005: Winner: Dora Bakoyannis (Athens, Greece); Runner-up: Hazel McCallion (Mississauga, Canada); In third place: Alvaro Arzú (Guatemala City, Guatemala) In 2004: Winner: Edi Rama (Tirana, Albania); Runner-up: Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico City, Mexico); In third place: Walter Veltroni (Rome, Italy) World Mayor winners Mayor of Graz | Mayor of Dover | Mayor of Greifswald | Mayor of Queliomone | World Mayor essays Essays by: Mayor of Dover | Mayor of Graz | Bürgermeisterin von Graz | Mayor of Greifswald |Oberbürgermeister von Greifswald | Mayor of Oliveri | Sindaco di Oliveri | Mayor of Quelimane | Mayor of Utrecht | Burgemeester van Utrecht | World Mayor commendations Commendations for mayors of: Braga | Bristol | Dover | Graz | Greifswald | Kyiv | Malmö | Oliveri | Quelimane | Tremblay-en-France | Utrecht | ON OTHER PAGES: Front page | The 2023 Finalists | About World Mayor 2023 | The 2023 Shortlist | The 2023 Longlist | World Mayor History | World Mayor Sculpture | Code of Ethics | Universal qualities of mayors | Press & Media |
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