Council of Europe: Social Cohesion Award to Hedona chocolate (Croatia), confectionery company employing mainly people with disabilities

The 2020 Award for Social Cohesion of the Council of Europe Development Bank was bestowed on Hedona d.o.o., a social enterprise producing chocolate and confectionary products in Croatia and employing mainly people with disabilities. According to a statement explaining the decision of the jury, composed of five independent judges and chaired by Snežana Samardžić-Marković, Director General of Democracy at the Council of Europe, the company will receive €25,000 “for significantly contributing to social cohesion in an innovative and effective way”. 84 applications were submitted and seven projects (from Croatia, France, Greece and Turkey), all remarkable, were shortlisted, but Hedona d.o.o. was chosen for its “business model combined with tangible social impact, namely, supporting the inclusion of persons with disabilities”, and because the initiative can easily be replicated in other European countries, Samardžić-Marković explained. For CEB Governor Rolf Wenzel, it is encouraging to see the “number and diversity of projects contributing to social good across our member countries”. The Award ceremony will take place on 27 November 2020 in Strasbourg.
Sarah Numico