The Congress
Romed from Milutin Jovanovic on Vimeo.
Thorbjørn Jagland's Speech at the International Congress of Mediators
17 January 2013
Dear Commissioner Vassiliou,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure, and a true honour, to welcome you to this first ROMED Congress of Mediators. This meeting is an excellent opportunity to review the achievements, to look at the challenges that remain, and to consider the way forward. I am happy to see that many of those directly involved in the ROMED mediation projects are here today: mediators, trainers, managers of the programme and experts – you are very, very welcome.
Commissioner Vassiliou opening the Congress of Mediators
17 January 2013
Dear Commissioner Vassiliou,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to start by thanking Commissioner Vassiliou for her initiative to convene this Congress, which comes at a good moment of the ROMED programme. I regret I could not be with you in person today at the Congress of Mediators, but I know that the Council of Europe is well represented.
Speech of Zeljko Jovanovic, Director of Roma Initiatives Office - Open Society Foundation
17 January 2013
I want to thank the organisers for bringing together all of you and giving me the opportunity to speak with you. Today, I see many people who I have been meeting for many years. Fifteen years ago, as a young student of law, I started seeing some of you raise your voices for the rights of our Roma people. You were the inspiration to change my life plans to become a lawyer and perhaps get a job in public administration. Instead, I became an activist. Having another career, my life would be easier—as it would be for many of you. But this is not a career for many of us. This is a mission..