The European Medal of Tolerance is a medal established by the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR) in 2008. The purpose of the prize is to honour and reward extraordinary creative achievements in the promotion of tolerance. The ultimate aim is to draw attention to successful undertakings that can serve as models in the field of tolerance and peace-building. The prize thus recognizes effectiveness as well as vision; impact assessment is a part of the decision process. This prize is dedicated to effective implementation of the Principles of Tolerance in public and private spheres, in particular in the policy making process, legislative action on the national and regional level and law enforcement activities as well as in the arts, education, culture, science and communication. The prize is to be awarded to persons, groups of persons, non-governmental, governmental and intergovernmental organizations and institutions for exceptional contributions to and leadership in, the promotion of tolerance on the European continent and to the fight against intolerance such as xenophobia, anti-Semitism, aggressive nationalism, political extremism and racially motivated hate crime. The prize may be awarded to the families of outstanding individuals who have lost their lives in the struggle against intolerance. The prize is a gold 'European Medal of Tolerance' presented to the recipient as a concrete and lasting token of the award.