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Media Partners
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Ljubica Markovic, Zlata Kures, Dragan Janjic, BETA-Newsagency,
Belgrade/Serbia
It is a rare pleasure for us to congratulate you on the
10th anniversary of your existence and wish you to mark many more that follow.
It is also an opportunity for us to assure you that you belong to a small circle
of organizations and donors that were able to recognize genuine values among the
Serbian media and support them despite all kinds of risks in the past years.
Your assistance was of vital importance especially during the year 2000, ahead
of the elections in Serbia and Yugoslavia that led to a democratic overthrow of
Slobodan Milosevic. We are also aware that the Medienhilfe understands that the
media in Serbia and the region will need support for some time more, until at
least the minimum of fair conditions and markets to compete in are created in
fragile democracies.
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Blerim Shala, Editor in chief of ZERI, Prishtina/Kosov@
Informative Publishing House "ZËRI", with Daily
and Weekly publications, had very important and fruitful cooperation with
Medienhilfe. Indeed, this cooperation started in a most delicate period for us,
in winter-spring of 1998/1999 period, when we, due to the well-known
circumstances, were facing tremendous problems in Kosova. I must emphasize that
Medienhilfe, together with Swedish Helsinki Committee and Open Society Institute
in Washington and Budapest, played a crucial role while we were in exile in
Macedonia (April - >June 1999), to restart publishing weekly
"ZERI", with immediate financial support. Also, after the war, we
continued with fruitful cooperation. What is important to be mentioned here is
that in case of Medienhilfe, we had not only financial support but also
professional one.
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Enise Demirova, Radio Cerenja, Stip/Macedonia
I think that is very important to support independent
media, especially Roma media. We know this very well, because it our existence
is impossible without any support from outside. Medienhilfe is the first
foundation that helps us our radio to exist. The support from Medienhilfe helps
to produce more quality and a richer radio program, and with that we can satisfy
our listeners. I hope that in the future you will continue to support us.
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Boban Tomic, IRTV Bajina Basta, Drina Network Bosnie
Die Medienhilfe stand während der schwierigsten Zeit für
die Freiheit des Wortes ein. Als die tödliche Krankheit der Xenophobie, Gewalt
und Barbarei unsere Region heimsuchte, hat die Medienhilfe die Kraft und den
Glauben gehabt, in der Schweiz und Europa Menschen guten Willens zu
organisieren, die den Wunsch teilten, die Meinungs- und Redefreiheit zu schützen.
Der Medienhilfe schulden die Medien in Serbien und Bosnien-Herzegowina ganz
besondere Dankbarkeit, da sich diese in den beiden Ländern auch während der
Zeit, als Mörser und Granaten über unsere Köpfe schwirrten, engagierte.
Mir persönlich bedeutete es am meisten, dass die Medienhilfe nicht nur im
finanziellen Bereich und bei der Ausrüstung Unterstützung leistete, sondern
dass ich jemanden hatte, mit dem ich meine Gedanken austauschen und Emails
wechseln konnte. Zu einer Zeit, wo uns hier niemand zuhörte, hatten wir verständige
Leute, die uns anhörten. Die Medienhilfe war für mich oft eine Art
SOS-Telefon. In unserer aller Namen danke ich Euch. Auf dass die Zukunft Euch
alles das bringe, was Ihr von ihr erwartet. Wir sind Euch zu grossem, unendlichem
Dank verpflichtet.
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Snezana Milosevic, Coordinator
ALIM, Head of marketing department of ‘Nezavisna Svetlost’,
Kragujevac/Serbia
Dear friends and
colleagues,
As this year is coming to its end, I would like to use this opportunity on
behalf of Association of Local Independent Media “Local Press” and newspaper
“Nezavisna svetlost” to tell you that it was a great honor to work with you
in the past period. Your help was especially precious during 2000, when you
helped us in the most critical moments, together with other donors. In the
period from September to December, during the election period, with your help,
we managed to realize our plans and intentions. We increased number of pages,
changed our frequency, published extra issues, and result of our joint effort is
contribution to democratization of society in Yugoslavia. We would also like to
emphasize an extremely good cooperation with employees in your organization. We
thank you very much for each advice, opinion and experience that you gave us
till today. Sometimes it was more important than financial support.
We thank you for your cooperation and we hope that we are going to realize new
projects in future together.
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Aferdita Kelmendi, General Director RTV 21, Prishtina/Kosov@
Medienhilfe was one of the financial and moral supporters
of RTV 21. In the period of building up the human and technical capacities of
RTV 21, Medienhilfe was always there to morally and financially support us. The
cooperation between Medienhilfe and RTV 21 has been build during the most
difficult times for us and we believe that this organization will be a strong
voice for independent medias as one who will work on building a better future
for everybody in this region.
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Zeljko Ivanovic, Director Antena M,
Podgorica/Montenegro
Radio Antena M is
the biggest and the oldest independent radio station in Montenegro, founded in
1994 and ever since then it is widely viewed as an objective, impartial and
valid information source.
The editorial policy of Antena M is to provide accurate, timely, professional
and responsible coverage of the news that shape the lives of people in
Montenegro, the Balkans, and the world. In promoting these ideals of a free and
civil society, Antena M covers daily a wide range of news and topics from
domestic and international politics to the economy and culture.
As the strongest competitor to the official state Radio system, during the last
seven years Antena M’s informative program has become the most listened in the
Republic. Thanks to support of the Swiss NGO Medienhilfe Antena M spread its
signal, improved the quality of the program and strengthened its presence on the
Montenegrin market at the same time.
Antena M was people’s “window to the world” during the time of xenophobia
and the escalation of war in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, when the
official medias left no room for dissent and very often fabricated the news for
war-mongering propaganda.
Antena M has reaffirmed the values of a democratic and developed society
particularly in the areas of politics, economy, culture and human rights. Antena
M is proud to stand for human rights, multiethnic and multicultural society as
well as the critical need for reconciliation in the Balkans.
The assistance of Medienhilfe was not only financial, but advising and
professional.
Projects of education of journalists and technical staff, accomplished in
cooperation with Medienhilfe, have had great impact on our business - especially
because of ever-present lack of professional and educated human resources in
Montenegro.
On the other side, as the most listened and professional radio station in
Montenegro, Radio Antena M intends to continue to pledge its utmost commitment
to free media, for the benefit of democracy and people of Montenegro and Balkans
and, ultimately, to verify its transition from local to national radio station.
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Tomorr Binishi, General Director KohaVision, Prishtina/Kosov@
They say the power of media should not be underestimated.
Especially the independent ones. I emphasized the independent media because of
their freedom of thought. Kosovo’s experience has proved that the independent
media attract young, open minded, individuals who are interested in objective
and thorough reporting, without casting creativity aside always trying to
provoke the mainstream mentality. To Kosova’s information space, the
independent media brought diversity, both in voices heard and issues tackled.
It is with a greatest pleasure that we state how pleased KohaVision is to be
cooperating with Medienhilfe. We found Medienhilfe capable implementer in
providing support in all areas journalism. Medienhilfe has great experience in
grasping the capacity of the media programs that democratization of the our
region – country requires.
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Ekrem Kadriu, Radio VAT, Skopje/Macedinia
Radio VAT is a private independent radio station
broadcasting in the Skopje region, with the main goal to satisfy the need for
independent informing, especially in Albanian Language. In its over seven years
of existence had many ups and downs as a result of the political and economic
situation in the region. The political and social tensions in Macedonia have
dangerously risen in the last two years, culminating with the armed interethnic
conflict. Now, the breakdown of interethnic communication is on the lowest level
ever. For the same reasons, democratic processes are going very slowly and the
economy is almost equal to zero. All these events had direct influence on the
media.
The crisis situation had serious and severe negative impacts on the financial
status of Radio VAT. Against all this geopolitical and economical background
this radio-station is surviving with donors support.
Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien as a participant of International Media Fund was one
of Radio VAT’s main donor organisations for this year and gives a strong
assistance in this crisis period. We hope our co-operation continues in the
future with the main goal to preserve strong independent media sector and to
promote democratisation within the society of Macedonia.
Happy 10-th anniversary and we wish you many successful years.
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Angel Zdravkin, TV Zdravkin, Veles/Mazedonia
Venerables, Last year in our media station had the honor
and pleasure to have Yours sincerely support in the frame of realization of the
plans and programs provided by our TV station that we first realized in hard
safety and economic conditions caused from the crisis in the region. In this
context we must say that our intense collaboration with You opened new horizons
in the development of TV Zdravkin as an independent media even in conditions
that appeared almost impossible for the establishment of European standards.
With Gratitude for current cooperation. We felicitate Your annual birthday, many
wishes for new success and future cooperation. And we hope that You continue
existing for the next 10 years.
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Artan Skender, TV Art, Skopje/Macedonia
Congratulations for your 10th
anniversary. I wish you all the best and success in your work.
To create and to give life to an idea, only one man is needed. Two people are
needed so that the idea survives. For the existing and the development of the
idea, YOU, the defenders of the free idea are needed.
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Slavoljub Scekic, Daily Press, Podgorica/Montenegro
In its four year of existence the independent daily Vijesti
has developed in the most circulated and most respected daily in Montenegro,
with good prospects for its autonomous survival and development in market
conditions. The Roto Slog printing plant has become a serious company where
Vijesti, Monitor, Onogost and other independent media are printed. Recently the
printing plant has got new workshop facilities and with it the independent
print media in Montenegro have got their own printing house.
In the conditions of unfair competition, which is an usual thing in the
transitional process, these successes would not have been possible without
additional help. From Medienhilfe we always had help for our project at the
right moment in donations, advice and support with other donors.
We hope we have justified the expectations. You have done more than we expected
and we are immensely grateful for it. We believe that we are the small piece in
the mosaic of evidence that you have justified your existence and that your
mission was more than successful. I am looking forward to future cooperation and
I have no doubts that it will be fruitful as it has been so far.
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Meri Veljanoska, TV Shutel, Skopje/Mazedonien
I want to congratulate you and Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien
for your 10 years existence and quality work, also I wish to you many successes
in the years that comes.
With the great pleasure I want to say that Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien has done a
lot for us, and Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien is still doing that. Our results are
the real proves of the support that Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien is giving to us.
With the financial support from Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien we have survived
these difficult times of crises in Republic of Macedonia. And this is result
from the hard work of Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien.
I want to say that within past 6 months with the support from Medienhilfe
Ex-Jugoslawien, we have put quality into our informative program, and we have no
delays in our payments for the state. Also I would like to say that we have made
some investment in the renovation of our media.
We hope that Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien will continue with successful work,
because the success of Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien is the success of everyone
that works with Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien.
Happy anniversary.
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Stojan Obradovic, STINA News Agency, Split/Croatia
STINA news agency had the great privilege and honour to
cooperate with Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien almost from its very beginning. The
help and support we have received from Medienhilfe Ex-Jugoslawien was crucial
for survival in hard times and the basis for the start of a successful
development.
Throughout the years, STINA especially appreciated being able to develop its
special media projects through cooperation with Medienhilfe, thus enriching its
media work. STINA also appreciated the possibility of participating at the
important conferences co-organized by Medienhilfe which have always provided us
with opportunity to develop cooperation between media and journalists in the
region in order to better participate in regional processes of normalization and
reconciliation.
We hope that Medienhilfe will continue its successful work throughout this
decade, as in the past, and that we will have the opportunity to continue our
successful cooperation.
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Ferhad Saiti, Direktor RTV Nisava
The conditions for operation of independent media in FRY
are still very difficult. Additionally, as Roma broadcaster, we face various
kind of discrimination on a daily basis, which makes our work even more
difficult. We are very satisfied with co-operation with Medienhilfe
Ex-Jugoslawien, because of concrete support for purchasing equipment but because
of other assistance as well. Medienhilfe is the only organizations who almost
immediately replies to our questions and provides us accurate counseling. Just
continue doing it!
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medienhilfe, P.O. Box, CH-8031
Zürich, Switzerland