PER Home Page
About PER
Board and Staff
Council for Ethnic Accord
The Kona Statement
PER in the Balkans
Russia and the Baltics
PER in Hungary
PER in Slovakia
PER in Romania
Central European Series
Euro-Atlantic Series
PER and the Roma
PER and the
Media
PER
Bulletins
Belgrade
Brussels
Bucharest
Moscow
Princeton
Pristina
Tirgu Mures
Announcements
December 13, 2010
Pristina, KosovoThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
###
December 15, 2009
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
###
October 10, 2009
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
###
August 5, 2009
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
###
June 18, 2009
Princeton, New JerseyRead a report on PER's roundtable on the integration of the Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities held on February 9, 2009 in Pristina, Kosovo
###
January 12, 2009
Princeton, New JerseyRead a report on PER's recent roundtable on the integration of the Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities held on October 22, 2008 in Vienna, Austria.
###
October 24, 2008
Princeton, New JerseyPROJECT ON ETHNIC RELATIONS ORGANIZES AN INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE ON RAE COMMUNITY INTEGRATION
On October 22, 2008, the Project on Ethnic Relations with the support of the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights convened an international roundtable on sustainable integration of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians in host countries and in Kosovo itself. The event was held at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. The meeting brought together representatives of European governments, international organizations, Kosovo government, and leaders of Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian communities in Kosovo.
The topics addressed at the roundtable included: prospects for integration of these communities in host countries, the process of return to Kosovo, living conditions for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities in Kosovo, and conditions for integration of returnees in Kosovo.
The Following are some of the major roundtable conclusions and recommendations:
Forced returns policies of host countries are ineffective and unsustainable. Many of those forced to return to Kosovo leave the country shortly afterwards.
Voluntary and informed return can be sustainable, provided that it is well-coordinated with the Kosovo authorities.
Romani participants were against forced return, pointing to the fact that presently there are no conditions in place in Kosovo to ensure sustainable livelihood.
Kosovo authorities generally acknowledged that they have limited resources to provide for successful reintegration of returnees, especially in large numbers.
Participants acknowledged that the situation of the RAE communities in Kosovo has improved but not to the extent necessary for UNHCR to change its current position regarding the protection of these groups. There are still safety-related concerns supporting the recommendations against forced returns.
###
September 18, 2008
Skopje, Macedonia
PROJECT ON ETHNIC RELATIONS GATHERS LEADERS FROM THE BALKANS TO DISCUSS CHALLENGES IN LOCAL GOVERNANCE IN MULTIETHNIC MUNICIPALITIES
U.S.-based Project on Ethnic Relations announced today that it will convene a roundtable of mayors and governance officials from the Western Balkans in Skopje, Macedonia, on September 20, 2008. This roundtable is made possible by the generous support of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland and is conducted in cooperation with the Embassy of Switzerland in Macedonia
The roundtable discussion titled “Managing Multiethnic Municipalities” will bring together mayors of multiethnic municipalities and local government officials from the Western Balkans to address challenges in managing local governance and implementation of decentralization reform in mixed municipalities. The roundtable sessions will examine the benefits of political participation of various ethnic groups in local governance and explore ways of strengthening such participation. Best practices of majority-minority cooperation in running multiethnic municipalities and how to replicate these practices in areas still dominated by ethnic grievances will be discussed as well. The discussion will provide policymakers from the region with an opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas concerning local governance efficiency, implementation of decentralization reform, and municipal regional cooperation aiming to overcome political barriers and focus on concrete common problems.
The meeting will be opened at 9:00 on Saturday, September 20, 2008, by Musa Xhaferri, Minister for Local Self-Government of Macedonia; Lukas Beglinger, Ambassador of Switzerland in Kosovo; Nicole Wyrsch, Ambassador of Switzerland in Macedonia; and Livia Plaks, President of the Project on Ethnic Relations.
While the roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:00 on September 20, at Hotel Holiday Inn in Skopje. A press conference will be held at Holiday Inn at 17:15. Participants will not be available to the press during the roundtable sessions. Please be prepared to present your valid official media credentials before attending the press conference and the opening session. For further information please contact: Shpetim Gashi, Senior Program Officer, at: +40 731 034 376 / Email: per@per-usa.org.
###
July 30, 2008
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
###
July 25, 2008
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
###
July 14, 2008
Princeton, New JerseyRead a report on PER's recent activity on Developing a Governmental Minority Policy in Montenegro held on June 27, 2008 in Podgorica, Montenegro.
###
June 25, 2008
Podgorica, Montenegro
PER AND MONTENEGRO OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS FUTURE STEPS FOR MINORITY INTEGRATION IN MONTENEGRO
Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations announced today that it will convene a roundtable to discuss the future of minority policy in Montenegro.
The roundtable will take place at Restaurant Ribnica on Friday, June 27th, and will bring together government officials, senior representatives of Montenegro’s parliamentary parties, leaders of Montenegro’s ethnic communities, domestic and foreign experts, and foreign diplomats. The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by Minister for Human and Minority Rights Protection Fuad Nimani and PER President Livia Plaks. The roundtable discussions will be co-chaired by PER President Livia Plaks and PER Executive Director, Alex Grigor’ev.
In the past year, Montenegro has moved forward with some of its most important minority rights’ legislation. For example, the new Montenegrin Constitution, adopted in October 2007, allows for the possibility of reconsidering the issue of securing parliamentary representation for minorities. Similarly, Montenegro’s first ever Roma Strategy was passed in November 2007 – this document is often touted as uniquely progressive with regards European Roma policy in that it requires the Montenegrin government to allocate 0.2% of its annual budget for the strict purposes of implementing elements of the strategy. By explicitly allocating a percentage of its national budget to Roma issues, Montenegro’s government declared its firm commitment to prioritizing minority issues, especially those most marginalized.
Additionally, the Croatian, Bosnjak, Roma, Muslim, and Albanian communities have all formed their minority councils -- minority councils are democratically elected institutions with the official mandate to advise the government on issues connected with their community’s education, culture, language usage, etc. Their authority derives from Montenegro’s Minority Law, which was adopted in 2006 as part of the PER project.
The upcoming discussion will focus on how these past steps have improved the daily lives of minorities living in Montenegro, how minority communities can utilize the legislative tools already available to them, and draw attention to future steps needed to secure minority integration in the country.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. PER has a long history of working on interethnic issues, including assisting countries in the region in the development of their framework policies toward minority communities. PER has been actively working on majority-minority relations in Montenegro since 1998. This particular project is funded by the British Embassy in Montenegro through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights Protection of Montenegro.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30 on June 27, at Restaurant Ribnica. A press conference will be held at the same place at 16:00.For further information, please contact Adrienne Landry, Program Officer, at: adrienne.landry@per-usa.org
Attached: Agenda and List of Participants
###
June 4, 2008
Kolasin, MontenegroPROJECT ON ETHNIC RELATIONS GATHERS SENIOR BALKAN POLITICAL LEADERS TO DISCUSS INTERETHNIC RELATIONS IN THE BALKANS
U.S.-based Project on Ethnic Relations announced today that it will convene a high-level meeting of political leaders from Southeast Europe in Kolasin, Montenegro, on June 6-7, 2008.
The roundtable discussion, titled The Balkans in Europe: Challenges of Integrating Multiethnic States, will bring together regional and international political leaders and decision-makers to discuss interethnic relations in the region. The discussion will examine the progress of the Western Balkan countries in accommodating their minority communities, in improving regional political and economic cooperation, and in accelerating Euro-Atlantic integration processes. The objective of the roundtable is to provide policymakers from the region and the international community with an opportunity to exchange ideas and harmonize strategies for internal, regional, and European integration of the Western Balkans.
Participants will come from countries of Southeast Europe, the European Union, and the United States. This is not an intra-state meeting. Participants are invited in their individual capacities as politicians who are capable of making a change in the region.
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 on June 6 by Milan Rocen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro, Pierre Mirel, Director for Western Balkans in European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement, Didier Chassot, Regional Coordinator for South-Eastern Europe of Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, and Livia Plaks, PER President.
This meeting is the tenth regional gathering of its kind organized by PER. This roundtable is funded by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, with supplementary funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and the Romanian Government, and is conducted in cooperation with the Government of Montenegro. Previous sessions have taken place in 2000 in Budapest and Athens, in 2002, 2004, and 2005, in Lucerne, in 2005 and 2006 in Bucharest, and in 2007 in Athens.
PER is a U.S.-based international non-governmental organization with centers and representation in Central and Southeastern Europe and the former Soviet Union that works towards improving ethnic relations in the region. PER has been engaged in facilitated dialogue about sensitive interethnic issues in Southeast Europe since 1991.
While the roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30 on June 6, at Hotel Lipka in Kolasin. Press conferences will be held at the hotel at 17:00 on Friday, June 6, and at 13:30 on Saturday, June 7. Participants will not be available to the press during the roundtable sessions.
Please be prepared to present your valid official media credentials before attending the press conferences and the opening session. Those without such credentials will not be admitted. For further information please contact: Adrienne Landry, PER Program Officer, at: +40 729 994 319 / Email: per@per-usa.org.
Attached: Agenda and List of Participants
###
May 6, 2008
Pristina, KosovoTHE PROJECT ON ETHNIC RELATIONS CONVENES A ROUNDTABLE ON INTERETHNIC RELATIONS IN THE POST-STATUS KOSOVO
U.S.-based Project on Ethnic Relations announced today that it will convene a roundtable of Kosovo institutions representatives, political party leaders, as well as representatives of the international community in Kosovo. The meeting will be held on Friday, May 9, 2008, from 9:00 to 13:00, at the Government Building, P38, Ground Floor, in Pristina. This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
The discussion will address the future of interethnic relations in the context of the recent developments in Kosovo, namely the declaration of Kosovo’s independence and the subsequent deterioration of relations between Albanians and Serbs. The implications of the upcoming Serbian local elections for the political process in Kosovo will also be addressed. The aim of the meeting is to explore possibilities of resuming the Albanian-Serb dialogue.
The meeting will be opened at 9:00 by PER President Livia Plaks, Deputy Prime Minister Hajredin Kuci, SRSG Joachim Rucker, and Swiss Ambassador in Kosovo Lukas Beglinger. PER President Plaks will chair the meeting.
PER is a U.S.-based international non-governmental organization with centers and representation in Central and Southeastern Europe and the former Soviet Union that works towards improving ethnic relations in the region. PER has a long history of engagement in facilitating dialogue among ethnic communities in Kosovo.
While the roundtable discussion will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:00. A press conference will be held at 13:00.
For further information, please contact Shpetim Gashi, Program Officer, at: per@per-usa.org.
###
May 1, 2008
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new Winter/Spring Bulletin:
April 28, 2008
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
###
April 25, 2008
Princeton, New JerseyRead a report on PER's recent activity on Developing a Governmental Minority Policy in Montenegro held on April 7-9, 2008 in Budapest and Bucharest.
###
April 4, 2008
Princeton, NJPER AND MONTENEGRO DELEGATION TO VISIT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS
IN HUNGARY AND ROMANIAAt the invitation of the Project on Ethnic Relations (PER), Montenegro’s Minister for Human and Minority Rights, Fuad Nimani, and Assistant Minister, Sabahudin Delic, will accompany PER staff on a visit to Hungary and Romania.
In the countries’ two capitol cities, Budapest and Bucharest, PER and the Montenegrin delegation will meet with various parliamentary committee chairmen, commissioners, presidents of local minority self-governments, secretaries of state in the governments of both countries, as well as with experts on minority rights. During the trip, Minister Nimani and Assistant Minister Delic will discuss best minority related practices in Hungary and Romania, as well as present Montenegro’s significant achievements in creating a comprehensive governmental policy for minorities.
In the past year, Montenegro has moved forward with some of its most important minority rights’ legislation. The new Montenegrin Constitution, Roma Strategy, Law on the Minority Fund, and soon to be adopted Minority strategy are just four examples of the Montenegrin government’s increasing commitment and attention to minority communities and their rights. By meeting with government officials from Hungary and Romania, two countries with their own stories of successful minority practices, Minister Nimani and Assistant Minister Delic will have the opportunity to exchange ideas on how to capitalize on Montenegro’s recent progress. They will also discuss how to facilitate and sustain successful administrative bodies capable of addressing minority needs.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. PER has a long history of working on interethnic issues, including assisting countries in the region in the development of their framework policies toward minority communities. PER has been actively working on majority-minority relations in Montenegro since 1998.
This particular project is funded by the British Embassy in Montenegro through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights Protection of Montenegro.
For further information please contact: Adrienne Landry, PER Program Officer, at per@per-usa.org.###
February 15, 2008
Princeton, New JerseyRead a report on PER's recent activity on Interethnic Political Dialogue in Kosovo held on January 31-February 1, 2008 in Pristina.
###
January 25, 2008
PristinaPER CONVENES A NEW ROUNDTABLE ON INTERETHNIC DIALOGUE IN KOSOVO
U.S.-based Project on Ethnic Relations announced today that it will convene its second high-level roundtable of Kosovo Albanian and Serb political leaders as well as representatives of the international community in its initiative on interethnic political dialogue. The meeting will be held on Friday, February 1, 2008, from 9:30 to 14:00, at the Restaurant Puro in Pristina. This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and is conducted in close cooperation with the Swiss Liaison Office in Pristina.
The finalization of Kosovo’s status represents both a challenge and an opportunity for Kosovo. The roundtable will explore ways of turning this status challenge into an opportunity for the future of all Kosovo communities. The discussion will search for ways of strengthening cooperation on issues of mutual interest, such as energy, employment, education, and decentralization. In addition, this dialogue will help both Albanian and Serb leaders to present to each other what they are willing and prepared to do in order to build a functioning multiethnic society in Kosovo.
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu, Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, PER President Livia Plaks, and Head of Swiss Liaison Office in Pristina Lukas Beglinger. PER President Livia Plaks will chair the meeting.
PER is a U.S.-based international non-governmental organization with centers and representation in Central and Southeastern Europe and the former Soviet Union that works towards improving ethnic relations in the region. PER has a long history of engagement in facilitating dialogue among ethnic communities in Kosovo.
While the roundtable discussion sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30. A press conference will be held at 14:20.
For further information please contact Shpetim Gashi, Program Officer, at: per@per-usa.org.
###
December 20, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyRead a report on PER's most recent event "Developing a Minority Policy for Montenegro: A Roundtable Discussion on the Minority Strategy" held on December 14-15, 2007 in Podgorica, Montenegro:
###
December 14, 2007
Podgorica, MontenegroPER AND MONTENEGRO OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS DRAFT OF MONTENEGRO’S
FIRST GOVERNMENTAL MINORITY STRATEGYPrinceton-based Project on Ethnic Relations announced today that it will convene a roundtable to discuss the draft of the minority strategy, as presented by Montenegro’s Ministry for Human and Minority Rights Protection.
The roundtable will take place in Podgorica, December 14-15, and will bring together government officials, senior representatives of Montenegro’s parliamentary parties, leaders of Montenegro’s ethnic communities, domestic and foreign experts, and foreign diplomats. The meeting will be opened on December 14 at 10:00 by Minister for Human and Minority Rights Protection Fuad Nimani and PER President Livia Plaks. The roundtable discussions will be co-chaired by PER President Livia Plaks and PER Executive Director, Alex Grigor’ev.
In the past year, Montenegro has moved forward with some of its most important minority rights’ legislation. For example, the new Montenegrin Constitution, adopted in October 2007, allows for the possibility of reconsidering the issue of securing parliamentary representation for minorities. Similarly, Montenegro’s first ever Roma Strategy was passed in November 2007 – this document is often touted as uniquely progressive with regards European Roma policy in that it requires the Montenegrin government to allocate 0.2% of its annual budget for the strict purposes of implementing elements of the strategy. By explicitly allocating a percentage of its national budget to Roma issues, Montenegro’s government declared its firm commitment to prioritizing minority issues, especially those most marginalized.
Another important step for a more cohesive minority policy began this past summer with the government’s publication of the Rules on the First Formation of Minority Councils, which officially began the process of Minority Council commencement. Since the July announcement, the Minister for Human and Minority Rights, Fuad Nimani, has met with representatives of each minority community in Montenegro, and explained the logistics of this important legislative document.
Riding on the wave of this progress, PER and the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights Protection are convening a discussion on the draft of the Minority Strategy – a document which will not only help Montenegro in its quest for European integration but also represents an important step in strengthening its multiethnic democracy and in improving its all-inclusive democratic governance.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. PER has a long history of working on interethnic issues, including assisting countries in the region in the development of their framework policies toward minority communities. PER has been actively working on majority-minority relations in Montenegro since 1998. This particular project is funded by the British Embassy in Montenegro through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights Protection of Montenegro.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 10:00 on December 14, at the Montenegro Parliament’s Plavi Salon in the Skuptsina Building. A press conference will be held at the same place on December 15 at 15:00.
To attend the opening remarks and press conference, all press must register with Melanija Bultovic, fax: +382-81-404-565.
For further information please contact: Adrienne Landry, PER Program Officer, at per@per-usa.org.
Attached: Roundtable Agenda and List of Participants###
November 15, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyRead a report on PER's recent activity on Interethnic Political Dialogue in Kosovo held on October 25-16, 2007 in Pristina.
###
October 22, 2007
PristinaPER LAUNCHES A NEW INITIATIVE ON INTERETHNIC POLITICAL DIALOGUE IN KOSOVO
U.S.-based Project on Ethnic Relations announced today that it will convene a high-level meeting of Kosovo Albanian and Serb political leaders in its new initiative on interethnic political dialogue. The meeting will be held in Pristina on October 26, 2007, from 9:30 to 14:00, at the Restaurant Puro. The initiative is funded by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and is conducted in close cooperation with the Swiss Liaison Office in Pristina.
The roundtable titled “Strengthening Interethnic Political Dialogue in Kosovo” will bring together various senior Albanian and Serb political leaders as well as representatives of the international community to discuss the implications of the upcoming elections and the status process for interethnic relations in Kosovo
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu, PER President Livia Plaks, and Head of Swiss Liaison Office in Pristina Lukas Beglinger. PER President Livia Plaks will chair the meeting.
The objective of the upcoming roundtable is to intensify and strengthen the dialogue between Kosovo’s Albanian and Serb political leaders with the aim of reducing interethnic tensions, encouraging consensus on issues of mutual interest, and ultimately helping political elites of all communities to take ownership and responsibility for the future of their constituencies.
PER is a US-based international non-governmental organization with several offices in Central and Southeastern Europe and the former Soviet Union that works towards improving ethnic relations in the region. PER has a long history of engagement in facilitating dialogue among ethnic communities in Kosovo.
While the roundtable discussion sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session. A press conference will be held at 14:15. For further information please contact Program Officer Shpetim Gashi at: shpetim.gashi@per-usa.org
###
September 18, 2007
Princeton, New Jersey
ROMA POLITICIANS' INFLUENCE ON POLITICAL PROCESSES
On September 27, 2007, PER President, Livia Plaks, will moderate a discussion on "Roma Politicians' Influence on Political Processes." The meeting is a joint side event of ODIHR Contact Point for Roma and Senti Issues, Project on Ethnic Relations, and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs.
Participants will discuss the existing barriers for Roma to participate in the political processes of their respective countries, the current challenges and trends regarding participation of Roma in public and political life, and identify the best ways for Roma and Sinti communities to mobilize for political participation and to increase their participation in public life.
###
September 11, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
Confidence Building Measures in Kosovo
###
September 6, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
The Balkans as a Source of Security and Stability in Europe
###
August 3, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyRead a report on PER's most recent seminar and workshop "Developing Montenegro's Government Minority Strategy: Effective Media Relations" held on July 20, 2007 in Podgorica, Montenegro:
###
June 13, 2007
Athens, GreecePROJECT ON ETHNIC RELATIONS GATHERS SENIOR BALKAN POLITICAL LEADERS TO DEBATE SECURITY AND STABILITY
U.S.-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a high-level meeting of political leaders from Southeast Europe and the international community in Athens, Greece on June 15-16, 2007.
The roundtable, titled “The Balkans as a Source of Security and Stability in Europe,” will bring together political leaders and decision-makers to discuss interethnic relations and how they affect prospects for regional peace and security. Participants will come from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, and the United States. Albanian and Serb political leaders from Kosovo, as well as senior officials from the Council of Europe, the European Union, OSCE, and the United Nations will also attend.
The meeting will be opened at 9:45 on June 15th by the Hellenic Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoyannis, and PER President Livia Plaks. Ms. Plaks will chair the roundtable.
This is the ninth high-level Balkan regional roundtable on interethnic relations organized by PER. This particular event is funded by the US Agency for International Development, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under whose auspices it will be held. Previous sessions have taken place in 2000 in Budapest and in Athens, in Lucerne in 2002, 2004, and 2005, and in Bucharest in 2005 and 2006. The last meeting, titled “New Majorities and Minorities in the Changing Balkans” was held in December 2006 in Budapest. Reports of these meetings can be found on PER’s website, www.per-usa.org.
The goal of the upcoming roundtable is to launch a regional dialogue on solidifying peace gains in the region. The agenda will consist of two major parts: 1) Peace and Democracy in the Balkans: the outcome of peace settlements in the Balkans and lessons learned; participation in creating multi-ethnic governance by minorities in the countries where they reside; how to ensure that ethnic moderates are rewarded; 2) From Conflict to Cooperation: strengthening Regional Security and ways of improving the institutional capacities of the Balkans in dealing with interethnic problems; the role of regional actors and outsiders in shaping and preserving regional security.
PER, an international nongovernmental organization with its headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, and several offices in Central and Southeast Europe, has facilitated dialogue about sensitive interethnic issues in this part of Europe since 1991.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:45 on June 15, at the Metropolitan Hotel. Press conferences will be held at the hotel at 17:15 on June 15 and at 13:15 on June 16. THE PARTICIPANTS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS DURING THE ROUNDTABLE WORKING SESSIONS. DURING THOSE HOURS THE CONFERENCE SITE WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PRESS.
Please be prepared to present your valid official media credentials before attending the press conferences and the opening session. Those without official media credentials will not be admitted. For further information please contact: Adrienne Landry, Program Officer at:
adrienne.landry@per-usa.orgAttached: Roundtable Agenda and List of Participants
###
April 12, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyALEX N. GRIGOR’EV NAMED PER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that Alex N. Grigor’ev will become PER’s new Executive Director effective April 12, 2007.
Grigor’ev has been working in various capacities at PER since 1996. Educated in history and international relations and an expert on Balkan politics and ethnic relations, Grigor’ev most recently held the position of PER’s Director for the Western Balkans. During this time he was integral in developing, coordinating, and implementing many of PER’s most successful projects.
In the sixteen years since it was established, the Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) has been involved in crafting several of the most important interethnic agreements in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, making a significant contribution to peace in the region. This unique private institution provides a neutral framework for the off-the-record dialogues and discussions that are essential when political decision-makers and ethnic minority leaders seek ways to avoid interethnic strife.
Widely respected in the field, Grigor’ev was indispensable in the development and implementation of PER’s Montenegro projects which, among other things, resulted in the successful adoption of the country’s first ever Minority Law, and also helped negotiate an agreement between parliamentary political parties and minority ethnic Albanian parties that has significantly reduced interethnic tensions.
In Macedonia, in a joint program with the Swiss Embassy, Grigor’ev has been a key organizer for PER’s regular interaction with the interethnic governing coalition and the opposition parties to discuss the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement and Macedonia’s EU and NATO candidacy, and what they mean for the country’s interethnic relations.
As the Executive Director, Grigor’ev will continue to contribute to PER’s ongoing work to secure peace and interethnic accord in the region.
April 3, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyRead a narrative report related to PER's March 7, 2007 roundtable on Institutional Arrangements for Implementation and Monitoring of the Montenegrin Roma Governmental Strategy:
###
March 27, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyRead a narrative report related to PER's recent roundtable on Developing Montenegro's Government Minority Strategy:
###
March 9, 2007
Becici, MontenegroTHIRD CONFERENCE ON FORMULATING MONTENEGRO’S GOVERNMENT MINORITY STRATEGY TO BE CONVENED IN BECICI
Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a third roundtable discussion in its initiative to encourage development of a government strategy toward ethnic minorities in Montenegro. This project is funded by the British Embassy in Montenegro through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Human and Minority Rights Protection of Montenegro.
The roundtable will take place in Becici on March 9-10, and will bring together government officials, senior representatives of Montenegro’s parliamentary parties, leaders of Montenegro’s ethnic communities, domestic and foreign experts, and foreign diplomats to discuss the development of a comprehensive strategy to improve minority policy in Montenegro. The meeting will be opened on March 9 at 9:30 by Minister for Human and Minority Rights Protection Fuad Nimani, and PER President Livia Plaks. The roundtable discussions will be co-chaired by PER President Livia Plaks and PER Director for Western Balkans, Alex Grigor’ev.
Over the last decade and against the background of ethnic conflict in the region, Montenegro has managed to preserve and even develop its traditionally good interethnic relations. In this regard, it remains a positive example in the Balkans. However, a sound minority policy has yet to be developed in Montenegro. Such a strategy will not only help Montenegro in its quest for European integration but also represents an important step in strengthening its multiethnic democracy and in improving its all-inclusive democratic governance.
Towards this end, PER has supported and cultivated dialogue about a comprehensive minority strategy in Montenegro beginning a first PER hosted roundtable which was held in Przno in October 2005, and produced an accord among Montenegro’s parliamentary parties on remaining points of disagreement over the country’s first ever minority law. In Kolasin in 2006, PER hosted a second roundtable which addressed the implementation of the new law and on the importance of forming Minority Councils in Montenegro. This third roundtable taking place in Becici will address minority protection clauses and mechanisms for the new constitution of Montenegro and its connection with the already adopted minority law, as well as a discussion on the draft of the rules for the protection of Minority Councils.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. PER has a long history of working on interethnic issues, including assisting countries in the region in the development of their framework policies toward minority communities. PER has been actively working on majority-minority relations in Montenegro since 1998.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30 on March 9, in the Queen of Montenegro Hotel in Becici. A press conference will be held at the same place on March 10 at 13:00.###
March 7, 2007
Podgorica, MontenegroFINAL DRAFT OF MONTENEGRO’S FIRST ROMA (RAE) STRATEGY PRESENTED AT PER’S FOURTH ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene the fourth and final roundtable of its initiative to develop a framework government strategy for Roma (RAE) in Montenegro. This project is funded by the British Embassy through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Protection of Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro.
The roundtable will take place in Podgorica on Wednesday, March 7 and will bring together government and parliament officials, Romani leaders and activists, and international experts to discuss Montenegro’s first comprehensive policy to improve the situation of its Romani community. The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by Minister for the Protection of Human and Minority Rights of Montenegro Fuad Nimani, PER President Livia Plaks, British Ambassador to Montenegro, John Dyson, and the President of the organization “Romski Krug Crne Gore,” Nedzmedin Salja. PER President Livia Plaks will co-chair the roundtable along with OSCE/ODIHR Senior Advisor on Roma and Sinti Issues Contact Point for Roma and Sinti Issues, Andrzej Mirga.
The March roundtable follows three previous discussions of a framework strategy on Roma in Montenegro, which took place in September 2005 and February and October 2006, respectively. These discussions resulted in the drafting of Montenegro’s first Roma Strategy produced by Professor Nebojsa Vucinic as part of this project.
After consultation with Roma activists and leading international experts, a second and final draft of the Montenegrin State RAE strategy will be presented and open for discussion at the upcoming roundtable. The roundtable will provide a forum to discuss and strategize on best methods to adopt, finance, and implement this new initiative. It will be the first public discussion of a governmental Roma strategy since Montenegro’s independence in January 2007.
Adoption of a framework government Roma strategy is recommended by the European Commission as well as by the Council of Europe and the OSCE. The integration of Roma into society is an important part of the political criteria for accession to the European Union. Montenegro is the only remaining state in the region without such a policy document, though it is a member of the World Bank and Open Society Institute’s Decade of Roma Inclusion initiative. A comprehensive government strategy will address areas not covered in the Decade, with a particular emphasis on the greater political inclusion of Roma in Montenegro’s public life.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. PER has a long history of working on issues related to the Roma, including assisting countries in the region in the development of their framework policies toward the Roma. PER has been actively working on majority-minority relations in Montenegro since 1998 and is currently involved in helping Montenegro formulate a comprehensive minority policy.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30 on March 7, in the Hotel Podgorica. A press conference will be held at the same place at 17:45.###
March 1, 2007
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new Winter/Spring Bulletin:
January 22, 2007
Harvard Negotiation Journal publishes in its January 2007 issue a case analysis on the work of the Project on Ethnic Relations in the Balkans written by professor Steven L. Burg of Brandeis University.To view the full text of the study follow this link.
December 1, 2006
PristinaPER CONVENES A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON PROSPECTS FOR BUILDING A BETTER EDUCATION FOR ALL COMMUNITIES IN KOSOVO
Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a roundtable discussion on the situation of education serving Serb and Romani communities in Kosovo. The meeting aims to encourage interethnic cooperation on concrete issues that will produce tangible results benefiting all communities.
The roundtable will take place at Hotel Jehona in Kamenica on December 5, and will bring together various officials from Kosovo Albanian, Serb, and Romani communities, as well as representatives of international organizations. Participants will discuss the problems confronting education of non-Albanian communities in Kosovo and seek ideas to remedy the situation.
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by PER President Livia Plaks. Plaks and PER representative in Pristina Leon Malazogu will chair the meeting.
Although the education serving non-Albanian communities in Kosovo has been gradually improving, its integration into Kosovo’s public education system remains a challenge. Among the most crucial issues at stake, which will be addressed in the discussion, are improving access to education, reforming curricula in a way that satisfies the needs of all ethnic groups, financing, mutual recognition of diplomas, and adoption of new education legislation. Improving the system of education would not only improve the position of non-Albanian communities, but would also mark an important step toward ethnic reconciliation.
PER is a U.S.-based international non-governmental organization with several offices in Central and Southeastern Europe that works toward improving interethnic relations in the region. PER has a long history of engagement in facilitating dialogue about controversial interethnic issues in Kosovo.
While the roundtable discussion sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30. A press conference will be held in the meeting room following the roundtable at 16:00.
###
November 30, 2006
Budapest, HungaryPROJECT ON ETHNIC RELATIONS GATHERS SENIOR BALKAN POLITICAL LEADERS TO DEBATE INTERETHNIC RELATIONS IN THE CHANGING BALKANS
U.S.-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a high-level meeting of political leaders from Southeast Europe in Budapest, Hungary on December 2-3, 2006.
The roundtable discussion, titled “New Majorities and Minorities in the Changing Balkans,” will bring together political leaders and decision-makers to discuss interethnic relations in the region as the international community prepares to resolve the issue of Kosovo’s status. Participants will come from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, and the United States. Albanian and Serb political leaders from Kosovo, as well as senior officials from the Council of Europe, the European Union, OSCE, and the United Nations will also attend.
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 on December 2 by the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Kinga Goncz, and PER President Livia Plaks.
This meeting is the eighth regional gathering of its kind organized by the Project on Ethnic Relations. This roundtable is organized by PER in cooperation with the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. Previous sessions have taken place in 2000 in Budapest and in Athens, in Lucerne in 2002, 2004, and 2005, and in Bucharest in 2005 and 2006. (Reports on these meetings can be found on PER’s website, www.per-usa.org.)
It is expected that at the beginning of 2007, the international community will decide on how to settle the status of Kosovo. Kosovo has been waiting for a resolution of its status since the end of the war there in 1999, and the expected settlement of this question will significantly change regional geopolitical dynamics. In Budapest, regional leaders and senior international officials will discuss the state of interethnic relations in the Balkans and especially the changing relations between different ethnic communities in the region, political models of majority-minority accommodation, relations between so-called “mother countries” and kin populations across state borders, ways of strengthening democratic interethnic governance, as well as prospects for building a democratic and multiethnic Kosovo.
PER, an international nongovernmental organization with its headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, and several offices in Central and Southeast Europe, has facilitated dialogue about sensitive interethnic issues in this part of Europe since 1991.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30 on December 2, at the Budapest Hilton Hotel. Press conferences will be held at the hotel at 17:15 on December 2 and at 14:15 on December 3. THE PARTICIPANTS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS DURING THE ROUNDTABLE WORKING SESSIONS. DURING THOSE HOURS THE CONFERENCE SITE WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PRESS.
Please be prepared to present your valid official media credentials before attending the press conferences and the opening session. Those without such credentials will not be admitted. For further information please contact: Alex N. Grigor’ev, PER Director for Western Balkans at +1-609-683-5666.
###
November 22, 2006
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
October 30, 2006
Podgorica, MontenegroPER HOLDS THIRD ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON DRAFTING MONTENEGRO’S GOVERNMENT ROMA (RAE) STRATEGY
Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene the third roundtable it its initiative on developing a framework government strategy for Roma (RAE) in Montenegro. This project is funded by the British Embassy through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Protection of Minority Rights of Montenegro.
The roundtable will take place in Podgorica on Tuesday, October 31 and will bring together government and parliament officials, Romani leaders and activists, and international experts to discuss the development of a comprehensive policy to improve the situation of the Romani community in Montenegro. The first and second roundtables in the series were held in September 2005 and February 2006, respectively.
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by Minister for the Protection of Minority Rights of Montenegro Gezim Hajdinaga, PER President Livia Plaks, and the President of the organization “Romski Krug Crne Gore,” Nedzmedin Salja. Andrzej Mirga, Director of Roma Programs at PER will chair the meeting.
The main focus of the discussion will be the first draft of a government Roma strategy, which has been produced by Professor Nebojsa Vucinic as part of this project. The roundtable will provide a forum for stakeholders to give their feedback on the draft strategy, and to make suggestions for its improvement. It is the first public discussion of a governmental Roma strategy since the passage of Montenegro’s minority law in May 2006.
Adoption of a framework government Roma strategy is recommended by the European Commission as well as by the Council of Europe and the OSCE, and integration of Roma into society is an important part of the political criteria for accession to the European Union. Montenegro is the only remaining state entity in the region without such a policy document, though it is a member of the World Bank and Open Society Institute’s Decade of Roma Inclusion initiative. A comprehensive government strategy will address areas not covered in the Decade, with a particular emphasis on the greater political inclusion of Roma in Montenegro’s public life.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. PER has a long history of working on issues related to the Roma, including assisting countries in the region in the development of their framework policies toward the Roma. PER has been active on working on majority-minority relations in Montenegro since 1998 and is currently involved in helping the republic formulate a comprehensive minority policy.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30 on October 31, in the Hotel Podgorica. A press conference will be held at the same place at 17:45.
###
October 1, 2006
Pristina, KosovoPER CONVENES TOP KOSOVO LEADERS TO DISCUSS THE STATE OF POLITICAL RELATIONS BETWEEN ALBANIAN AND SERB COMMUNITIES
Acting on recommendations on Kosovo’s top political leaders and leaders of Kosovo’s Serb community, and in a continuation of PER’s long standing efforts to contribute to improving the state of interethnic relations in Kosovo, the Project on Ethnic Relations is organizing a roundtable discussion on the state of political relations between the Kosovo Albanian and Serb communities.
Among the participants are President Fatmir Sejdiu, Lutfi Haziri, Hashim Thaci, Veton Surroi, Ardian Gjini, Oliver Ivanovic, Randjel Nojkic, Goran Bogdanovic, Rada Trajkovic, and others. Among the international diplomats taking part in the roundtable are Joachim Rucker, Verner Wnendt, Tina Kaidanow, and Yvana Enzler. The roundtable will be chaired by PER President Livia Plaks and PER Director for Western Balkans Alex N. Grigor’ev.
In the course of the past summer PER met with a wide spectrum of Kosovo politicians to discuss the situation of the Serb community in Kosovo and the state of relations between the Kosovo Albanian and Serb leaders. Most of our counterparts expressed their deep concern about the state of relations and dialogue between the leaders of Kosovo’s largest ethnic communities, and especially about the absence of confidence between Serb and Albanian politicians.
The main goal of Monday’s meeting is to consider how political relations can be improved at this crucial time for Kosovo, and how to establish grounds for productive cooperation between the leaders of Kosovo’s most numerous ethnic communities.
The project is supported by a grant from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting will take place on October 2, 2006 at the UNHCR headquarters in Pristina. The conference room is located on the 3rd floor. The meeting will start at 10:00 a.m.
The meeting is closed to the press but journalists are invited to take photos and video footage at the opening of the roundtable.
###
September 28, 2006
Pristina, KosovoPER CONVENES A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON REINTEGRATION PROSPECTS FOR ROMA, ASHKALI, AND EGYPTIAN COMMUNITIES IN KOSOVO
Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a roundtable discussion on encouraging interethnic reconciliation and adoption of policies that speed up reintegration of the Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians (RAE) communities into Kosovo society. The project is funded by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
The roundtable will take place at the Grand Hotel in Pristina, on September 29, and will bring together officials from the Kosovo government and political parties, RAE leaders and civil society activists, and international representatives to discuss the development of policies aiming to improve the situation of the RAE communities in Kosovo.
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by President of Kosovo Fatmir Sejdiu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General Joachim Rücker, and PER President Livia Plaks. Andrzej Mirga, PER Director of Roma Programs, will chair the meeting.
Although the situation of the RAE communities has been gradually improving, their full integration into Kosovo’s public life remains a challenge. Among the most crucial issues at stake, which will be addressed in the discussion, are participation in decision making, return and integration of refugees, and interethnic tolerance. The meeting provides a good opportunity to RAE representatives to debate with local and international policymakers in Kosovo the possibility of devising mutually acceptable policies aiming to speed up the process of integration. Such policies would not only improve the position of the RAE communities, but would also mark an important step toward consolidating Kosovo’s newly-created democratic institutions.
PER is a U.S.-based international non-governmental organization with several offices in Central and Southeastern Europe that works toward improving ethnic relations in the region. PER has a long history of engagement in facilitating dialogue about controversial interethnic issues in Kosovo.
While the roundtable discussion sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30. A press conference will be held in the meeting room following the roundtable at 17:15.
###
September 27, 2006
Princeton, New JerseySee a narrative report related to PER's recent roundtable on Reviving Interethnic Political Dialogue in South Serbia.
###
September 26, 2006
Bujanovac, SerbiaLEADERS MEET TO REVIVE POLITICAL DIALOGUE IN SOUTH SERBIA
The Project on Ethnic Relations (PER), in consultation with the Coordination Body for South Serbia of the Serbian Government and in cooperation with the British Embassy in Serbia, is launching a major new initiative on Reviving Interethnic Political Dialogue in South Serbia. The first roundtable in this initiative will take place in Bujanovac at the Local Assembly building on September 27, 2006. The meeting will bring together Serb and Albanian politicians from South Serbia, government officials from Belgrade, and international diplomats. The meeting will be opened by Rasim Ljajic, President of Coordination Body, David Gowan, the British Ambassador to Serbia, Nagip Arifi, Mayor of Bujanovac, and Livia Plaks, President of the Project on Ethnic Relations.
Among the questions for the discussion are: Update on the current interethnic, political, and economic situation in South Serbia. What are the major issues? Is the situation improving or deteriorating? What are the current plans of the Serbian government for development of South Serbia? Is there meaningful cooperation between the government of Serbia and South Serbia’s ethnic Albanian politicians and officials on finding common solutions and improving the situation in the area? What do the local ethnic Albanian and ethnic Serb politicians expect from the government? What does the government expect from the locals? Will it be possible to resolve the current problems of South Serbia without greater participation of ethnic Albanians in Serbia’s political life? If not, how to increase such participation? Have the Belgrade politicians done enough to encourage such participation? Do the latest changes in Serbian election legislation lowering the threshold for minorities ensure future ethnic Albanian representation in the Serbian parliament? Would forming the National Council of Albanians in Serbia help to improve the dialogue with Belgrade?
PER, a U.S.-European international organization, has been active in Central-Southeastern Europe, including Serbia and it southern region, for more than a decade. More information about PER is available at www.per-usa.org.
The Bujanovac roundtable is closed to the press. Journalists are, however, invited to the press conference at the end of the meeting at 18:05 on Wednesday, September 27 at the Bujanovac Local Assembly building. There also will be an opportunity for photos and videos during the opening of the roundtable at 10:30.
###
September 1, 2006
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
Serbs in the Twenty-First Century
###
August 1, 2006
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes a new report:
Romani Politics Present and Future
###
June 19, 2006
Princeton, New JerseySee documents related to PER's recent roundtable on Developing Montenegro's Government Minority Strategy:
###
June 1, 2006
Kolasin, MontenegroPER CONVENES A SECOND CONFERENCE ON
FORMULATING MONTENEGRO’S GOVERNMENT MINORITY STRATEGYPrinceton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a second roundtable discussion it its initiative on encouraging development of a government strategy toward ethnic minorities in Montenegro. This project is funded by the British Embassy in Serbia and Montenegro through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Protection of Minority Rights of Montenegro.
The roundtable will take place in Kolasin, on June 2-3, and will bring together government officials, senior representatives of Montenegro’s parliamentary parties, leaders of Montenegro’s ethnic communities, domestic and foreign experts, and foreign diplomats to discuss the development of a comprehensive strategy to improve minority policy in Montenegro. The meeting will be opened on June 2 at 10:00 by Minister for the Protection of Minority Rights Gezim Hajdinaga and PER President Livia Plaks. The roundtable discussions will be chaired by Livia Plaks and Alex Grigor’ev, PER Director for Western Balkans. Attached please find the agenda for the roundtable, its schedule and the list of participants.
Over the last decade and against the background of ethnic conflict in the region, Montenegro has managed to preserve and even develop its traditionally good interethnic relations. In this regard, it remains a positive example in the Balkans. However, a sound minority policy has yet to be developed in Montenegro. Such a strategy will not only help Montenegro in its quest for European integration but represents an important step in strengthening its multiethnic democracy and in improving its all-inclusive democratic governance. Since 1998, PER has been helping Montenegro with these issues.
PER’s first roundtable in this series was held in Przno in October 2005. This discussion produced accord among Montenegro’s parliamentary parties on remaining points of disagreement over the republic’s first ever minority law.
In May 2006, Montenegro marked a major milestone with the passage of a law on the protection of minority rights. The next challenge, however, will be ensuring the new law is fully implemented and that its provisions bring tangible benefits to Montenegrin society as a whole. Toward this end, the discussion organized by PER and the Ministry for the Protection of Minority Rights in Kolasin will focus on the formation of Minority Councils in Montenegro. These councils are an important part of the new minority law, and the Kolasin roundtable will consider how they can function most effectively. The experience of Montenegro’s neighbors in this area will be discussed as well.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. More information about PER can be found at www.per-usa.org.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the opening session, which starts at 10:00 on June 2 at the Hotel Bianca in Kolasin. A press conference will be held at the same place at 13:00 on Saturday, June 3.
Attached: Roundtable Agenda and Schedule and List of Participants
###
April 26, 2006
Bucharest, RomaniaPER BRINGS TOGETHER SENIOR BALKAN POLITICAL LEADERS
FOR A ROUNDTABLE ON SERBS AND THEIR NEIGHBORSU.S. Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a high-level meeting of political leaders from Southeast Europe in Bucharest on April 28-29, 2006.
This roundtable discussion, titled “Serbs and Their Neighbors: Paths to Europe” will bring together political leaders and decision makers to discuss regional dynamics and the place of Serbia in the region as the region moves closer to the European Union. The roundtable is a part of a PER series on Serbs in the Twenty-First Century, whose patron is Boris Tadic, the President of Serbia. The series is sponsored by the Government of Romania, the Balkan Trust for Democracy, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Participants will come from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro including Kosovo. Officials from the Council of Europe, European Union, and the United States will also take part. The agenda for the roundtable and the list of participants are attached.
The meeting is the third in a series. The first two roundtables took up the issues of “Serbia and Serbs: Identity and Politics” and “Citizenship and Multi-Ethnicity in Serbia,” and were held in Belgrade and Novi Sad.
PER, which marks its 15th anniversary this year, is an international nongovernmental organization with its headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, and several offices in Central and Southeastern Europe, including two in Serbia and Montenegro and a Regional Center for Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe in Bucharest. PER has facilitated dialogues about controversial interethnic issues in Europe since 1991. More information about PER can be found on www.per-usa.org.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 14:00 on April 28, at the Hotel Hilton Athenee Palace in Bucharest. THE PARTICIPANTS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO THE PRESS DURING THE ROUNDTABLE WORKING SESSIONS. DURING THOSE HOURS THE CONFERENCE SITE WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PRESS.
Attachments: Roundtable Agenda and List of Participants.
###
April 10, 2006
Princeton, New JerseyPER ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIR OF ITS EXECUTIVE BOARD
The Project on Ethnic Relations announced today that effective immediately Dr. David A. Hamburg, the President Emeritus of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, will step down from his position of Chair of the PER Executive Board. Dr. Hamburg had served in this position since 1999, providing the organization with invaluable advice and guidance in its programs on interethnic relations in the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union.
Dr. Hamburg’s successor as Chair is Alfred H. Moses, an attorney, a business executive and former American Ambassador to Romania.
Ambassador Moses brings a wealth of experience to his new role as Chair of the PER Executive Board. In addition to serving as Ambassador to Romania from 1994-1997, he was Special Advisor and Special Counsel to the President of the United States in the Carter White House, and, following his ambassadorial service, he served as President Clinton’s special Presidential envoy for the Cyprus negotiations.
As an attorney, Ambassador Moses has been engaged in the active practice of law since 1956 when he joined the Washington, D.C. law firm of Covington & Burling. He became a partner in 1965. He is now serving as senior counsel to the firm. Ambassador Moses is also vice chairman and co-founder of Promontory Financial Group, a Washington, D.C.-based financial services firm.
Moses was president of The American Jewish Committee from 1991 until 1994, when he resigned to take up his duties as ambassador. He has served as chairman of the Golda Meir Association and as a trustee of the Jewish Publication Society. He is a former member of the Board of Regents of Georgetown University and former trustee of the Phelps-Stokes Fund. He currently serves as chair of UN Watch, Geneva, Switzerland, and as chair of the National Board of Hebrew College, Newton, Massachusetts. He has written and lectured extensively on Central European and Middle East issues with articles appearing in The New York Times, The Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, SAIS Review, The Christian Science Monitor, ABA Journal, and The Jerusalem Report, among other American and foreign publications.
PER is honored to have Ambassador Moses as the new Chair of its Executive Board, and we look forward to continuing our work on interethnic relations under his distinguished leadership.
We also express our sincere gratitude to Dr. Hamburg for his many years of service to PER. His unflagging wisdom, thoughtfulness, and insight into the complexities of inter-group relations have made an essential contribution to PER’s fifteen years of fruitful work. Dr. Hamburg will remain on PER’s Executive Board, and we look forward to many additional years of his guidance as a member of the Board, a valued colleague, and a dear friend.
###
February 21, 2006
Podgorica, MontenegroPER HOLDS SECOND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION ON DRAFTING
MONTENEGRO’S GOVERNMENT ROMA (RAE) STRATEGYPrinceton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene the second roundtable it its initiative on developing a framework government strategy for Roma (RAE) in Montenegro. This project is funded by the British Embassy in Serbia and Montenegro through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Protection of Minority Rights of Montenegro.
The roundtable will take place in Podgorica on Wednesday, February 22 and will bring together government and parliament officials, Romani leaders and activists, and international experts to discuss the development of a comprehensive policy to improve the situation of the Romani community in Montenegro. The first roundtable in the series was held in September 2005.
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by Minister for the Protection of Minority Rights of Montenegro Gezim Hajdinaga, PER President Livia Plaks, and the President of the organization “Romski Krug Crne Gore,” Nedzmedin Salja. Andrzej Mirga, Director of Roma Programs at PER and the Chair of the Council of Europe’s Specialist Group on Roma/Gypsies, will chair the meeting.
Adoption of a framework government Roma strategy is recommended by the European Commission as well as by the Council of Europe and the OSCE, and integration of Roma into society is an important part of the political criteria for accession to the European Union. Montenegro is the only remaining state entity in the region without such a policy document, though it is a member of the World Bank and Open Society Institute’s Decade of Roma Inclusion initiative. A comprehensive government strategy will address areas not covered in the Decade, with a particular emphasis on the greater political inclusion of Roma in Montenegro’s public life.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. PER has a long history of working on issues related to the Roma, including assisting countries in the region in the development of their framework policies toward the Roma. PER has been active on working on majority-minority relations in Montenegro since 1998 and is currently involved in helping the republic formulate a comprehensive minority policy.
While the actual roundtable sessions will be closed to the press, members of the media are invited to be present at the beginning of the opening session, which starts promptly at 9:30 on February 22, in the Hotel Podgorica. A press conference will be held at the same place at 17:45.
###
February 13, 2006
Princeton, New JerseyThe Project on Ethnic Relations publishes three new reports:
###
January 11, 2006
Princeton, New JereseyPER's Director for the Western Balkans Alex Grigor'ev publishes an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal Europe. Read the final edited version of Grigor'ev's Debalkanizing the Balkans from the WSJE January 10 edition.
(Note: this text expresses Alex Grigor'ev' s personal views and does not necessarily reflect the position of the Project on Ethnic Relations.)
###
January 4, 2006
Princeton, New JerseyPER publishes its annual newsletter.
Read the January 2006 PER Bulletin.
###
December 12, 2005
Mavrovo, MacedoniaMACEDONIAN POLITICIANS AND FOREIGN DIPLOMATS MEET AGAIN IN MAVROVO
The Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) and the Embassy of Switzerland in Macedonia announced today that on December 13-14 they will reconvene for the sixth time the Mavrovo Roundtable. The roundtable brings together selected Macedonian senior political leaders and international diplomats for a discussion on Macedonia’s current political issues. The roundtable “Macedonia: Agenda 2006” will be held at the Hotel Makpetrol in Mavrovo on December 13-14, 2005. The meeting will be chaired by PER’s President Emeritus Dr. Allen H. Kassof and by the Ambassador of Switzerland to Macedonia Thomas Füglister.
Among the questions for the discussion are: What are the main tasks for Macedonia in 2006 in connection with the country’s EU candidacy? What are the main challenges? How to assure that all parliamentary parties contribute toward the common goal of joining the EU? What are the lessons of negotiating with the EU in 2005? What needs to be done to make sure that the upcoming parliamentary elections are carried out in full conformity with European norms? What is required of the government? What is required of the opposition?
Detailed reports from previous Mavrovo sessions are available on the site of the Project on Ethnic Relations at www.per-usa.org.
###
November 17, 2005
Bucharest, RomaniaPER Convenes a Roundtable of Senior Political Leaders
for a Discussion of EU Accession and the BalkansU.S.-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a high-level meeting of political leaders from Southeast Europe in Bucharest, Romania on November 19, 2005. The meeting is organized by the PER Regional Center for Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, based in Bucharest, in cooperation with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This roundtable discussion, titled “The Balkans and the EU: Challenges on the Road to Accession,” will bring together senior political leaders and decision-makers to discuss EU enlargement and the prospects of Balkan countries for future membership. Participants will come from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, and the United States. Albanian and Serb political leaders from Kosovo, as well as senior officials from the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the United Nations will also attend.
The meeting will be opened at 9:00 on November 19 by the Romanian Foreign Minister, Mihai Razvan Ungureanu, and PER President Livia B. Plaks, who will also chair the discussion.
Though the countries and peoples of the Balkans may have significant disagreements over many issues, there is one point on which they are unanimous: the future is with the European Union. While some states are on the doorstep to EU accession and others have further yet to go, it is clear to all that the road to Brussels is not an easy one. The Bucharest roundtable will stimulate frank dialogue among countries of the region on the next wave of EU enlargement, how to make accession a reality, and the regional implications of future European integration. The questions on the agenda will include: What are the lessons learned in preparing a country for accession to the European Union? How were difficulties overcome? What does the EU notion of “a Europe of regions” mean for the countries of the Balkans? How would this help to resolve outstanding issues of minority-majority relations? How can greater regional cooperation move the states of the Balkans closer to EU integration?
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. More information about PER can be found at www.per-usa.org.
###
November 1, 2005
Princeton, New JerseySee documents related to PER's recent roundtable on Developing Montenegro's Government Minority Strategy:
###
October 20, 2005
Przno, MontenegroPER LAUNCHES A NEW INITIATIVE ON FORMULATING
MONTENEGRO’S GOVERNMENT MINORITY STRATEGYPrinceton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a roundtable discussion as the first element of a major policy initiative on encouraging development of a government strategy toward ethnic minorities in Montenegro. This project is funded by the British Embassy in Serbia and Montenegro through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Protection of Minority Rights of Montenegro.
The roundtable will take place in Przno on October 21-22 and will bring together government officials, senior representatives of Montenegro’s parliamentary parties, and foreign diplomats to discuss the development of a comprehensive strategy to improve minority policy in Montenegro. The meeting will be opened on October 21 at 10:00 by President of the Parliament Ranko Krivokapic, Minister for the Protection of Minority Rights Gezim Hajdinaga, and PER President Livia Plaks. The roundtable discussions will be chaired by Livia Plaks and Alex Grigor’ev, PER Director for Western Balkans. Attached please find the agenda for the roundtable, its schedule and the list of participants.
Over the last decade and against the background of ethnic conflict in the region, Montenegro has managed to preserve and even develop its traditionally good interethnic relations. In this regard, it remains a positive example in the Balkans. However, a sound minority policy has yet to be developed in Montenegro. Such a strategy will not only help Montenegro in its quest for European integration but represents an important step in strengthening its multiethnic democracy and in improving its all-inclusive democratic governance. Since 1998, PER has been helping Montenegro with these issues.
PER has consulted with Montenegro’s President, Prime Minister, President of the Parliament, members of the Montenegrin government and parliament (both governing coalition and the opposition), and civil society representatives on this project. The focus of our effort will be determining practical steps which will result in strengthening majority-minority relations in the republic. In this project PER will work closely with the Ministry for Protection of Minority Rights and the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Freedoms. The initial step, however, is solidifying the legal and political framework for minority protection in Montenegro. Thus, the first roundtable will be devoted to discussing the adoption of the law on the protection of minority rights in Montenegro. PER has been assisting the Ministry for the Protection of Minority Rights in its initial work in the drafting of that law. Most of the parliamentarians and government officials invited to the upcoming roundtable took part in PER’s earlier projects on this issue.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. More information about PER can be found at www.per-usa.org.
###
September 27, 2005
Princeton, New JerseyPER publishes two new reports:
Macedonia: On the Road to Brussels
Kosovo and the Region Prepare for Change: Relations, Responsible Governance, and Regional Security
###
September 20, 2005
Podgorica, MontenegroPER LAUNCHES A NEW INITIATIVE ON DRAFTING MONTENEGRO’S GOVERNMENT ROMA STRATEGY
Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a roundtable discussion as the first element of a major policy initiative on developing a framework government strategy for Roma in Montenegro. This project is funded by the British Embassy in Serbia and Montenegro through the Global Opportunities Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry for Protection of Minority Rights of Montenegro.
The roundtable will take place in Podgorica on September 21 and will bring together government and parliament officials, Romani leaders and activists, and international experts to discuss the development of a comprehensive policy to improve the situation of the Romani community in Montenegro. This will be the first in a series of four roundtable discussions that PER will organize in 2005-2006.
The meeting will be opened at 9:30 by Minister for the Protection of Minority Rights of Montenegro Gezim Hajdinaga, PER President Livia Plaks, the Minister of Labor and Social Policy of Macedonia Stevco Jakimovski, and the President of the Niksic-based organization “Pocetak,” Veselj Beganaj. Andrzej Mirga, Director of Roma Programs at PER and the Chair of the Council of Europe’s Specialist Group on Roma/Gypsies, will chair the meeting.
Adoption of a framework government Roma strategy is recommended by the European Commission as well as by the Council of Europe and the OSCE, and integration of Roma into society is an important part of the political criteria for accession to the European Union. Montenegro is the only remaining state entity in the region without such a policy document, though it is a member of the World Bank and Open Society Institute’s Decade of Roma Inclusion initiative. A comprehensive government strategy will address areas not covered in the Decade, with a particular emphasis on the greater political inclusion of Roma in Montenegro’s public life.
PER is a U.S.-based international nongovernmental organization that works toward improving ethnic relations in Central and Southeastern Europe. PER has a long history of working on issues related to the Roma, including assisting countries in the region in the development of their framework policies toward the Roma. PER has been active on working on majority-minority relations in Montenegro since 1998 and is currently involved in helping the republic formulate a comprehensive minority policy.
###
July 21, 2005
Belgrade, SerbiaPER LAUNCHES A SERIES ON SERBS IN THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURYU.S. Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will launch a series of roundtables on Serbs in the Twenty-First Century.
President of Serbia Boris Tadic is the patron of this PER initiative.
The series will be held in the second part of 2005 and will consist of three roundtables: Serbia and Serbs: Identity and Politics; Citizenship and Multi-Ethnicity in Serbia; and Serbs and Their Neighbors: Paths to Europe.
The first roundtable, titled “Serbia and Serbs: Identity and Politics,” will bring together presidents, vice presidents, and other senior political leaders from Serbia’s main parliamentary parties (DS, DSS, G17 Plus, SPO, SPS, and SRS), Serbia’s leading scholars, political leaders of Serbs from outside of Serbia, and representatives of the United States, EU, and OSCE. It will be held on July 22-23, 2005 in Belgrade. The meeting will be chaired by PER President Livia Plaks.
“We believe that the time is ripe to stimulate a fresh, high-level discussion of Serbia’s and Serbs’ aspirations for the future, one that would offer a respite from the bitter partisan divisions that threaten Serbia’s path to Europe and prosperity,” said Livia Plaks, “Serbs and Serbia can only benefit from an examination of the clashing assumptions and world views that underlie Serbia’s present state, and Serbs themselves must take the lead in such a discussion”.
PER, an international nongovernmental organization with its headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, and several offices in Central and Southeast Europe, including two in Serbia and Montenegro, has facilitated dialogues about sensitive interethnic issues in this part of Europe since 1991. More information about PER can be found on www.per-usa.org.
###
June 28, 2005
Lucerne, SwitzerlandPRINCETON’S PROJECT ON ETHNIC RELATIONS GATHERS SENIOR BALKAN POLITICAL LEADERS TO DEBATE KOSOVO’S FUTURE
Princeton-based Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that it will convene a high-level meeting of political leaders from Southeast Europe together with the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland in Lucerne, Switzerland on July 2 and 3, 2005.
This roundtable discussion, titled “Kosovo and the Region Prepare for Change: Relations, Responsible Governance, and Regional Security,” will bring together political leaders and decision-makers to discuss regional dynamics as the international community prepares to resolve the issue of Kosovo’s status. Participants will come from Albania, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland, and the United States. Albanian and Serb political leaders from Kosovo, as well as senior officials from the Council of Europe, the European Union, and the United Nations will also attend.
The meeting will be opened at 14:00 on July 2 by the Swiss Foreign Minister, Micheline Calmy-Rey, and PER President Livia B. Plaks. The roundtable will be chaired by Dr. Allen H. Kassof, PER President Emeritus and Senior Adviser.
This meeting is the fifth regional gathering of its kind organized by the Project on Ethnic Relations, and the third organized by PER in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Previous sessions have taken place in Budapest in April 2000, in Athens in December 2000, and in Lucerne in November 2002 and May 2004. (Reports on these meetings can be found on PER’s website, www.per-usa.org.)
In early 2005, the international community announced the beginning of a review of the United Nations’ standards for Kosovo that will lead to a determination the future status of the territory. Kosovo has been waiting for a resolution of its status since the end of the war there in 1999. The uniqueness of the Lucerne roundtable is that Kosovo’s immediate neighbors are invited to present their views of the process, and its implications for their countries and the region. These voices typically go unheard, as decisions on Kosovo’s status or debates on the territory’s issues are often carried out by the UN Security Council and the Contact Group. Kosovo’s neighbors, however, have a clear interest in the process of determining its status, and in its outcomes. In Lucerne, regional leaders and senior international officials will discuss the state of interethnic relations in Kosovo, possibilities for a direct dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, and the impact of a new status for Kosovo on regional security. “PER is pleased to assemble this group of regional dignitaries for what promises to be an important conversation with significant regional impact," says PER president Livia Plaks.
PER, an international nongovernmental organization with its headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, and several offices in Central and Southeast Europe, has facilitated dialogue about controversial interethnic issues in this part of Europe since 1991.
###
June 7, 2005
Princeton, New JerseyPER publishes a new report:
Interethnic Relations in Kosovo: Toward Implementation of Standards
###
June 3, 2005
Princeton, New JerseyPER announces staff changes:
###
May 18, 2005
Princeton, New JerseyPER publishes a new report on the Hungarian minorities in Central and Eastern Europe:
###
May 9, 2005
Princeton, New JerseyRead the new paper by Andrzej Mirga, the Chair of PER's Romani Advisory Council and Chair of the Council of Europe's Specialist Group on Roma and Travellers:
(Based on a presentation held at the European Parliament’s Public Seminar “Promoting EU Fundamental Rights Policy: from words to deeds or how to make rights a reality?” organized by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, 25-26 April 2005.)
###
April 20, 2005
Bucharest, RomaniaPER Organizes Informational Trip to Romani Communities
On April 19, 2005 the PER Regional Center for Central, East and Southeast Europe and the Press Monitoring Agency Academia Catavencu organized site visits for journalists. This event put 20 journalists in contact with representatives of Romani ethnic communities near Bucharest.
The goal of the project was to inform journalists about the particularities of the Romani communities in order to improve their understanding of Roma and to improve their ability to present a real, objective image of the Romani communities in the media.
To accomplish these goals, once the journalists arrived on site they were encouraged to interact with community representatives and local authorities. In its work in the past, PER has found that personal interethnic contact is among the best routes to greater cross-cultural understanding and tolerance.
This event was part of a series of meetings and trainings organized by the PER Regional Center for Central, East and Southeast Europe in 2005, under the title “Consolidating Interethnic Tolerance in and through Media.”
###
April 16, 2005
Bucharest, RomaniaPER Holds Third Roundtable Discussion on Draft Minority Law in Romania
The Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) Regional Center for Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe, in collaboration with the Department for Interethnic Relations of the Romanian Government, organized a roundtable in Bucharest on April 15 entitled Minority Law. The Legal Framework of the Rights Granted to National Minorities in Central Europe: The New Minority Law in Romania.
This roundtable was the third of a series of meetings that brought together experts on minority law with representatives of the minority communities, political parties, civil society and the media. During the first two meetings experts took the leading role. These meetings served to gather relevant information and establish a better understanding of the legal status of national minorities under current international provisions and under the national legislation adopted by other Central and Eastern European countries.
At the April 15 talks, debate focused on the draft law proposed by a group of parliamentarians from the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). One of the purposes of this roundtable was to establish through dialogue a consensus between minority and majority representatives on the content of the draft law. The other objective was to initiate a public debate that could lead to the enactment of a modern minority law compatible with Romania’s status as a country heading towards membership in the European Union.
Both the roundtable’s organizers and participants considered the meeting to be a significant moment in the ongoing interethnic dialogue in Romania. Participants were not only able to honestly and openly scrutinize the evolution process of the draft law, but they also found that the PER-sponsored framework gave them an excellent forum for discussing and drafting new proposals meant to improve the provisions of the draft law.
During the first part of the discussion the participants debated the principles of the draft law, focusing on the definitions of its main concepts: national minorities, persons belonging to national minorities, and organizations of national minorities. Participants also focused on clarifying the concepts of representativeness, legitimacy and minority political participation. The last part of the roundtable was dedicated to a discussion on the concept of cultural autonomy, and specifically on the mechanisms and institutions that are necessary for implementing this concept, as well as European practices in this area.
For additional information, please contact the PER Regional Center by email: per@pcnet.ro.
###
April 11, 2005
PristinaPER Reconvenes Its Kosovo Roundtable
On April 12, 2005, at the OSCE headquarters in Pristina, the Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) is reconvening its Kosovo roundtable. This session will bring together heads and senior officials of Kosovo institutions, Kosovo political parties, and leaders of the Kosovo Serb community. PER is a US-based independent institute with offices in the countries of Central and South Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. PER has been organizing discussions on the issue of Kosovo since 1993. Its last meeting was held in November 2004 in Bucharest.
The purpose of this meeting is to discuss progress achieved in the implementation of standards, the state of interethnic dialogue within Kosovo, to look into security in localities where Serbs live, and to start an early review of pilot decentralization projects.
The meeting will be opened by Dr. Ibrahim Rugova, President of Kosovo. Ms. Livia Plaks, President of PER, will chair the meeting. A list of participants is attached.
Although the roundtable itself is closed to the press, there will be a press conference following the meeting, at 14:15 at the OSCE headquarters in Pristina. During the first fifteen minutes of the roundtable, which begins at 9:30, there will also be an opportunity for members of the press to take photos and record videos.
###
January 18, 2005
Princeton, New JerseyPlaks Becomes New PER President
The Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) announced today that Livia B. Plaks will become President effective April 2005, succeeding Allen H. Kassof, who is the founding president.
Plaks, a cofounder of PER, has served as Executive Director since 1991. She is widely recognized for her work in interethnic mediation in Central Europe, the Balkans, and the former Soviet Union. Plaks brings wide-ranging experience and expertise in the region, where she has led a number of key negotiations, and has received citations from governments and ethnic leaders for her work.
Kassof will become President Emeritus and Senior Advisor.
PER, with headquarters in Princeton, New Jersey, has several offices in the region, including a Regional Center for Central, East, and Southeast Europe located in Romania.
In the fourteen years since it was established, the Project on Ethnic Relations (PER) has been involved in crafting several of the most important interethnic agreements in Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, making a significant contribution to peace in the region. This unique private institution provides a neutral framework for the off-the-record dialogues and discussions that are essential when political decision-makers and ethnic minority leaders seek ways to avoid interethnic strife.
Among PER's most notable achievements are the roundtable talks that it initiated in 1991 between the government of Romania and that country’s large Hungarian minority, and that continue to this day. This effort resulted in step-by-step improvements under several successive governments. The resulting agreement between the Romanian ruling party and Romania's ethnic Hungarian party has made Romania's interethnic accommodation an example for the region. PER was also instrumental, in Slovakia, in improving relations with the country’s large Hungarian minority.
PER regularly convenes the principal multilateral discussions among cabinet-level officials from Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Greece, and Kosovar political leaders regarding relations between Albanians and their neighbors.
In Montenegro, PER has successfully negotiated and helped to implement an agreement between the parliamentary political parties and the minority ethnic Albanian parties that has significantly reduced interethnic tensions.
In Macedonia, in a joint program with the Swiss Embassy, PER organizes regular discussions for the interethnic governing coalition and the opposition parties to discuss the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement.
PER pioneered in working with Europe's large, complex Romani (Gypsy) minority to promote their political representation and to combat discrimination.
PER's current supporters include the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Government of Switzerland, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Government of Romania, the Ford Foundation, the Government of Sweden, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the U.S. Department of State, the Council of Europe, and the People Technology Foundation. Funding has also been provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Starr Foundation, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
###