Welcome to IPI Belgrade Congress
Dear IPI Members,
It is my great pleasure to invite you to the IPI World
Congress and 57th General Assembly, which will take
place in Belgrade in June 2008.
The Congress will tackle some of the burning issues facing media in the 21st Century: New Media, New Opportunities, New Threats; Are Profits Killing the News?; The Challenges of Transnational Investigative Journalism; and Reporting America. This year’s program reflects both current world problems and those of South East Europe. We will explore how media perceive the Balkans and relations between neighbours while comparing similar experiences in former and ongoing conflict areas around the world. These will be addressed by prominent speakers, debated by professional circles, and between colleagues and friends, members of IPI.
Simultaneously, Belgrade will host SEEMO Regional Conferences which will certainly attract the attention of our colleagues from all parts of the world.
The Belgrade Congress is organized by the Media Center, an organization that has promoted freedom of press for the last 15 years. Today, it is the principal place where national news is announced to the media and to the general public. In spite of the improved atmosphere for media in Serbia, the Media Center continues to strive for the same principles and shares the same values that are the cornerstone of the International Press Institute.
Belgrade itself is another reason why the Congress will be a memorable event. The city is at the confluence of two great European rivers- the crossroads between East and West- and is an unusual mosaic built up by centuries of overlapping civilizations that is widely known for its hospitality. After a millennium of exciting and often difficult history, Belgrade has recently been nominated as the “City of the Future in Southern Europe”. It is one of the fastest moving cities and the central point of important enterprises in the region. At the same time, behind all this excitement, Belgrade remains a unique and delightful place for leisure and entertainment after a hard day’s work.
With all this in mind, dear IPI Members, I invite you, once again, to our Congress and General Assembly, certain that your stay in Belgrade will be an unforgettable experience. I am sure that you will act in accordance with our slogan and that next year you will – BE IN BELGRADE.
| Hari Štajner Chairman IPI Belgrade Host Committee |
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