EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
IAPP The International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace
Dr Thomas Walsh, Chairman, Universal Peace Federation In February 2016, UPF launched the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace, building on the foundation of work with parliamentarians over the past decade. The launch of the IAPP represents an effort to provide an informal network of parliamentarians who can work together collaboratively for the sake of peace and human development. The regional-level launch of the IAPP has been held in 2016 through International Leadership Conferences in venues around the world, including Nepal, Burkina Faso, the United Kingdom, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Zambia, Japan, and concluding in the United States. In February 2017, the Inaugural World Assembly was convened in Seoul, Korea. National inaugural conferences are currently being held on every continent. Parliamentarians are uniquely qualified to serve as advocates for peace and human development. As representatives of the people, they stand as mediators between government and civil society. Their experiences with the practical challenges related to law-making and public policy give them a unique set of skills and insights that are required in building a world of lasting peace. IAPP will provide a forum for parliamentarians from all nations and political parties, allowing them to come together in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation to search for solutions to local, national, regional, and global problems.
Inaugural meeting of IAPP Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East House of Commons of the British Parliament, London, United Kingdom | September 7-9, 2016 EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
IAPP PROGRAMME
Saturday, September 23 Sessions I and II are held at the Parliament Building 15:00 Session I: A Shared Cultural Heritage, a Common Base for Peace & Stability in the Balkans MC: Mr. Jack Corley, Chairman, UPF Eurasia Welcoming remarks »» Hon. Kadri Veseli, Chairman, Kosovo Parliament »» Dr. Thomas Walsh, Chairman, UPF International Speakers: »» H. E. Alfred Moisiu, President of Albania (2002 – 2007) »» H. E. Stjepan Mesić, President of Croatia (2000 – 2010) »» H. E. Fatmir Sejdiu, President of Kosovo (2006 – 2010) »» Dr. Vladimir Petrovsky, Expert, Russian International Affairs Council, Russian Federation »» Dr. Walther Lichem, former Director, Dept. of International Organizations, Austrian Foreign Ministry 17:00 Break 17:30 Session II: Inter-Parliamentary Diplomacy and Regional Cooperation: the Parliamentarians for Peace Initiative MC: Mr. Jacques Marion, Vice President, UPF Europe Speakers: »» Dr. Katsumi Otsuka, Regional Chairman, UPF Europe, Eurasia and Middle East »» Hon. Jakup Krasniqi, President of the Assembly, Republic of Kosovo (2008 – 2014) »» Hon. Talat Xhaferi, President of the Assembly, Republic of Macedonia »» Hon. Anto Domazet, former Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament, Bosnia and Herzegovina »» Hon. Slobodan Petrović, Member of Parliament, former Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Kosovo »» Hon. Dashamir Shehi, Member of Parliament, Republic of Albania 20:00 dinner Program Speakers: »» Hon. Hydajet Hyseni, former Member of Parliament; former UPF Chair, Republic of Kosovo »» Hon. Hatixhe Hoxha, former Member of Parliament; Chairwoman, UPF Kosovo »» Hon. Gaqo Apostoli, former Minister of Transport and Public Works; Chairman, UPF Albania »» Cultural program EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
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Sunday, September 24 Sessions III and IV are held at the Nartel Hotel 09:00 Session III: Strengthening the Family, Core of the Balkans’ Cultural Heritage MC: Mr. Giuseppe Cali, Honorary President, UPF Italy Speakers: »» Dr. Saemira Pino, former Deputy Minister of Education; Deputy Chair, UPF Albania »» Mrs. Carolyn Handschin, United Nations Offices Director, Women’s Federation for World Peace »» Prof. Daut Demaku, Founder, Positive Thinking Kosovo, Vice Chairman of UPF Kosovo »» Mr. Jack Corley, Chairman, UPF Eurasia 10:30 Break 11:00 Session IV: Building an Environment of Shared Prosperity for Future Generations MC: Mr. Ali Laçej, Coordinator, Albanians’ Peace Council Speakers: »» Hon. Ismajl Kurteshi, Member of Parliament, Republic of Kosovo »» Hon. Sead Šahman, Member of Parliament, Republic of Montenegro »» Ms. Anita Mitić, President, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Republic of Serbia »» Mr. Gani Rroshi, Secretary General, UPF Albania 12:30 Closing »» Closing remarks: Mr. Jacques Marion, Vice President, UPF Europe »» Ambassadors for Peace appointment 13:00 Lunch and departures EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
IAPP IAPP BALKANS INAUGURAL RESOLUTION
In February 2016, UPF launched the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace (IAPP) at the National Assembly in Seoul, Korea, and subsequently convened IAPP programs throughout the world. On February 4, 2017, the Inaugural World Assembly of IAPP was convened as part of the World Summit 2017. We, the participants in the Inaugural Conference of the International Association of Parliamentarians for Peace, Balkans, • Recognizing that it is time for humanity to embrace universally shared values, to pursue a path of mutual cooperation leading to mutual prosperity, and • Acknowledging that government officials, and especially parliamentarians, as representatives of the people, have a very significant role to play in contributing to peace and human development, • Centering on the vision of UPF and its Founders, Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon,
Hereby affirm and resolve to uphold the following principles and objectives: • Promoting practices of good governance, including transparency, accountability, collegiality, and public service • Working for the common good of all people, going beyond barriers of nationality, culture, ethnicity, race, gender, religion, and political ideology • Seeking solutions to the critical challenges of our time, including territorial disputes, religious and racial conflict, environmental degradation, violent extremism, poverty, hunger, nuclear proliferation and corruption • Living for the sake of others, and for the sake of future generations • Building a world of lasting peace, a world in which all people live as members of one universal family, or as one family under God.
Addressing these critical challenges of our time: • Resolving conflicts around the world • Protecting and preserving the environment from pollution and degradation • Strengthening the family as the fundamental unit of stable societies • Overcoming various forms of religious, ethnic and racial hostilities • Improving education systems and methods for our youth
We the undersigned affirm and declare on this day our resolve to work toward solutions to critical global problems in order to build a world of universal and lasting peace.
Signed this day, September 23rd, 2017, in Pristina, Kosovo EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
IAPP About the Speakers Short CVs of conference speakers and moderators in the order of appearance
Mr. Jack Corley Chairman, UPF Eurasia A native of Ireland, Mr. Jack Corley has worked with the Unification Movement in Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia, the former Soviet Union and China. Between 1990 and 2005 he worked in the former Soviet region as Vice President of the International Educational Foundation and Secretary General of UPF Eurasia, and organized numerous conferences on character education in the People’s Republic of China. From 2006 to 2009 he served as assistant Secretary General of UPF International. He currently serves as Director of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification and Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation for Eurasia.
Hon. Kadri Veseli Chairman of the Assembly of Kosovo Hon. Kadri Veseli was a leader of the Kosovar students’ movement that fought for the rights of Kosovo Albanians, including the right for independence. During the Kosovo war he led the Counter Intelligence Service, then the Kosovo Intelligence Service, until it disbanded in 2008. In 2012 he formally joined the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), becoming its deputy head in 2013. He was elected Chairman of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo on 8 December 2014. In May 2016, he was unanimously elected as President of PDK. Following the 2017 Kosovan parliamentary election, he was re-elected as Chairman of the Assembly on 7 September 2017.
Dr. Thomas Walsh Chairman, UPF International Dr. Walsh is the Chairman of UPF International and Secretary General of the Sunhak Peace Prize Foundation. He has been a teacher, author, and editor specializing in the areas of interfaith, religious studies, peace studies, philosophy, and social theory. Dr. Walsh serves on the International Council of the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations and the International Coalition for Religious Freedom. He has contributed to and edited more than 30 books related to interfaith, peacebuilding and renewal of the United Nations.
H. E. Alfred Moisiu President of Albania (2002 – 2007) President Moisiu comes from a military background. After his Golden Medal graduation from the Academy of Military Engineering in Moscow in 1958, he served in high positions at the Ministry of Defense and received in 1979 his PhD in Military Science. He served twice as Vice Minister of Defense in 1981 and 1991. By establishing the Albanian North Atlantic Association in 1994, he became a major figure who guided the reform of the Albanian Armed Forces and Albania’s integration into NATO. In 2002 he was elected President of Albania by consensus of both ruling and opposition parties. During his presidency, he was active in solving internal political conflicts and strove to develop regional peace initiatives. He is today a highly respected figure in Albania. EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
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H. E. Stjepan Mesić President of Croatia (2000 - 2010) A Croatian politician, President Mesić served two five-year terms as head of state of his country. He was first elected to the parliament of the Socialist Republic of Croatia in 1967. He served as the President of the Executive Council of SR Croatia (1990) after the first multi-party elections. He was the last President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia (1991) and consequently Secretary General of the Non-Aligned Movement (1991). He served as well as Speaker of the Croatian Parliament (1992–1994), as a judge in Našice and as a mayor of his hometown of Orahovica.
H. E. Fatmir Sejdiu President of Kosovo (2006 – 2010) President Sejdiu was one of the founders of the Democratic League of Kosovo (DLK) in 1989. He became the DLK President in 2006, position he held until 2010. He was elected as Member of the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo in 1992 and 1998. That year he became Secretary General of the Assembly and President of the Committee for Constitutional Issues. He was elected again in 2001 and became a member of the Assembly’s Presidency, then re-elected in 2004. In 2006 he was elected President of Kosovo, position he held until 2010. For 33 years, President Sejdiu has been a professor at the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Political Sciences at the University of Pristina and has published numerous scientific works.
Dr. Vladimir Petrovskiy Expert, Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC), Russia Dr Petrovskiy is a Chief Academic Researcher at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Science. In 2011-2012 he was the ‘RIA Novosti’ Deputy Chief Representative in China, and in 2010 - 2011 the Academic Secretary for Public and Media Relations at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies of the Russian Academy of Science. He is an Expert at the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC). Holder of a PhD in Political Science, he is a Full Member of the Russian Academy of Military Science and a Senior Counselor at the Asian Economic Cooperation Foundation (AECF). He is a member of editorial boards of Diplomatic Service, International Journal of Asian Economics, International Journal on World Peace, etc. He is the author of four books and numerous articles on the theory of international regimes, multilateral security arrangements in Asia-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions, civil-military relations and security sector reform, etc. published in several languages. EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
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Dr. Walther Lichem Former Director, Dept. of International Organizations, Austrian Foreign Ministry Dr. Lichem began his professional career at the UN Secretariat in New York in the field of International Water Resources. He served as Consul General in Ljubljana, SR Slovenija (1976-1980), Ambassador to Chile (1980-1984) and Ambassador to Canada (1993-2000). He assumed responsibilities as Deputy Head of the Department for Security Policy, Deputy Director General of the Austrian Development Cooperation Programme, and Director for international organizations and peace-keeping. He was responsible for Austria’s membership in the Security Council. Dr. Lichem also serves as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the European Training Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Graz, Austria.
Mr. Jacques Marion Vice President, UPF Europe A French citizen, born in Cameroon, Mr. Jacques Marion has worked for 12 years with Unification Movement programs in Northern, Central and Southern Africa. Between 1998 and 2006, he worked in China as a Vice President of the International Educational Foundation, based in Beijing. From 2006 to 2013, he served as Secretary General of the Eurasian chapter of the Universal Peace Federation, based in Moscow. He is currently Vice President of the European chapter of the Universal Peace Federation and the President of UPF France.
Dr. Katsumi Otsuka Chairman, UPF Europe – Eurasia – Middle East Dr. Otsuka is a citizen of Japan. In the 1980s and 1990s, as president of the Japanese branch of the student movement World-CARP, he organized several world conventions and initiated solidarity meetings among students from Japan, Korea, Russia and China He served as president of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification in Japan, as president of the Corporation for Building the JapanKorea Tunnel, and as the leader of numerous other organizations, focusing notably on the reunification of the Korean Peninsula. He has served in top leadership and educational positions in South America, Eurasia and Africa. He is currently overseeing the Universal Peace Federation activities in Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East.
H.E. Jakup Krasniqi Former Chairman of the Assembly, former Acting President of Kosovo A graduate in history from the Faculty of Philology of the University of Pristina, Jakup Krasniqi was an activist in the Kosovo independence movement. During the Kosovo War he was Spokesman for the Kosovo Liberation Army. Later he co-headed the Department for Reconstruction, then became Minister of Public Services. From 2007 to 2014 he served as Chairman of the Assembly of Kosovo. From September 2010 to February 2011, and briefly again from April 1 to 7, 2011, following a constitutional crisis, he served as Acting President of Kosovo. He is the author of numerous books and publications. EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
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Hon. Talat Xhaferi President of the Assembly, Republic of Macedonia A Macedonian Army Officer, Hon. Talat Xhaferi has occupied the functions of Deputy Minister of Defense (2004-2006) and Minister of Defense (2013-2014) of his country. He has served several mandates as a Member of Parliament of the Repubic of Macedonia since 2002, representing the Democratic Union for Integration (DUI). Since April 2017, he serves as President of the Assembly of the Republic of Macedonia.
Hon. Anto Domazet Former Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament, Bosnia and Herzegovina Prof. Anto Domazet was a Member of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2010 to 2014. A professor at the University of Sarajevo’s School of Economics and Business, he served as Vice president of the Chamber of Commerce of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1993-2001) and as Minister of Finance and Treasury (2001-2003). From 2005 to 2012 he was the Director of the Institute of Economics of Sarajevo, a leading research institution in economics with more than fifty years of research tradition. Globalization and Global Marketing, Transition and Competitiveness are the areas of his scientific and public interest. He is the author and co-author of ten books and more than 150 scientific and professional articles.
Hon. Slobodan Petrović Member of Parliament, former Deputy Prime Minister, Republic of Kosovo A lawyer by profession, Mr. Petrović is the president and founding member of the Independent Liberal Party, founded in January 2006. A member of the Assembly of Kosovo from 2008 to 2011, he became Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government Administration between 2011 and 2015. He is currently the Vice President of the Assembly. Attending numerous international conferences and debates around the world, striving for democratization and a better living standard for all Kosovo citizens, he is a fighter for truth and for respect of human rights. In 2008, he was elected “Politician of the Year” by the Assembly of NGOs in Kosovo. In 2012 he became an Ambassador for Peace.
Hon. Dashamir Shehi Member of Parliament, Republic of Albania Dashamir Shehi was born in Tirana in 1957 and is actually an Albanian senior politician. He holds the Doctor degree in Economics. Dr. Shehu was the first Minster of Labor, Emigration and Social Issues from 1992- 1994. Later, 1994-1996 he was Minister of Construction and Tourism and Vice Prime Minister of the Republic of Albania. From 1997 till today he is Member of Albanian Parliament for four mandates. From 2001-2005 he was the Chairman of Parliamentary Commission on Defense. Actually he is member of Economics Commission of Albanian Parliament. He is married with two children. EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
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Hon. Hydajet Hyseni Former Member of Parliament, Coordinator of Albanian Peace Council, Kosovo A graduate from the Faculty of Journalism in International Relations, French Language and Literature, Hon. Hydajet Hyseni began his career as a journalist at the “Renaissance” newspaper. He was one of the leaders of the Kosovo political scene in the 1990s. He served for 13 years as Member of the Parliament of Kosovo. He is the President of the Association of Kosovo political detainees. He was appointed as a UPF Ambassador for Peace in 2006 and was the first Chairman of the UPF Kosovo chapter. He represented Kosovo in many international conferences. From 2008 Hon. Hyseni serves as a member of Global Peace Council of UPF International.
Hon. Hatixhe Hoxha Former Member of Parliament; Chairwoman, UPF Kosovo Hon. Hatixhe Hoxha has been a lecturer at the Pristina Faculty of Arts since 2002, where she teaches drama. In 2001 she was elected as a member of the Kosovo Parliament where she served until 2007. She is both a politician and civil activist. She holds a Master’s Degree in Philological Sciences and is completing doctoral studies at the University of Pristina. She was appointed Ambassador for Peace in 2006 in Pristina and currently serves as the Chair of UPF Kosovo.
Hon. Gaqo Apostoli Former Minister of Transport and Public Works; Chairman, UPF Albania Hon. Gaqo Apostoli holds graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering and completed postgraduate specializations in Italy. He worked as professor at the Polytechnic University of Tirana. Hon. Gaqo Apostoli was elected Member of the Albanian Parliament in 3 legislatures from 1992 to 2005, served as Member of the Culture, Science and Education Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (2001 – 2005). He served as Minister of Transport and Public Works (1997 – 1998). He is an Ambassador for Peace and was the first Chairman of the UPF Albania, served as Member of the Global Peace Council of UPF (2008-2009).
Mr. Giuseppe Cali Honorary President, UPF Italy An Italian citizen, Mr Giuseppe Cali has led the Italian chapter of the CARP university organization from 1981 to 1985. He worked as a freelance reporter for the Korean newspaper Segye Times between 1989 and 1994. Since 1993, he has taken several leadership positions in the Family Federation for World Peace: as president of the Italian chapter since 1993; as president of the Balkan regional chapter (1999 - 2002), and currently as regional president for Southern Europe. He is the Honorary President of UPF Italy. EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
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Dr. Saemira Pino Former Deputy Minister of Education; Deputy Chair, UPF Albania The holder of a Ph.D. degree, Dr. Saemira Pino (Gjipali) is a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Tirana University and a dean at Marin Barleti University. She served as Deputy Minister of Education and Science and Deputy Minister of Health. Dr. Pino has made a valuable contribution to the women’s movement in Albania, leading one of its political forums. She is a researcher on gender issues, an author and co-author of several scientific publications, textbooks, articles and national strategies in the field of gender equality, education and health. She is an Ambassador for Peace and a member of the UPF National Council and of the Albanian Peace Council.
Mrs. Carolyn Handschin-Moser United Nations Offices Director, Women’s Federation for World Peace Mrs. Handschin-Moser is overseeing the development of WFWP (www.wfwp. org) in Europe. Before becoming the Director of the UN Office for WFWPI, she led its advocacy team at the United Nations in Geneva for 19 years, focusing on peace and human rights through the empowerment of women and girls and protection of the family. Her concern for youth led her to found the WFWPI- UN Internship program in Geneva in 2005, where she is the Director. She has been the co-coordinator of the Middle East Women’s Conference Series for 12 years. Mrs. Handschin is also co-founder of the Geneva Interfaith Intercultural Alliance (www.giia.ch), a youth Model UN Interfaith Council Program.
Prof. Daut Demaku Founder, Positive Thinking Kosovo, Vice Chairman of UPF Kosovo Mr. Daut Demaku graduated from Pristina University in Albanian literature and language. From 1992 to 1999 he attended post-graduate studies on “Courses on knowledge refreshment”. He is the author of several books such as: “Say good morning”, “Youth and grandparents”, “Hometown”, “Always say I love you”, “Are you here”. He translated and edited numerous literature, inspirational and philosophical books. The founder and manager of The Center for Positive Thinking, the author and screen writer of “Positive Thinking” TV series on National Public TV and on Radio Kosovo, he is a university and high school lecturer on the “The Art of Positive Thinking”.
Mr. Ali Laçej Coordinator, Albanian Peace Council, Albania Mr. Ali Laçej is the founder of the “ERA” (Economic Relief Agency) NGO. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Tirana University, and became an expert in regional development, designing, leading and coaching different Regional Strategic Plans for Development. He served as the Prefect of the Shkodra Region in 1999. He was appointed a UPF Ambassador for Peace in 2003 and has been leading national and regional chapters of UPF. He is the founder of the Albanian chapter of Friendship Force International (FFI). EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
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Hon. Ismajl Kurteshi Member of Parliament, Republic of Kosovo Hon. Ismajl Kurteshi is currently a Member of Parliament of Kosovo. He has worked for 12 years in TV Pristina then became a teacher of English literature and language in his hometown of Gilan. In 1999 he was elected as City Mayor of Gilan. He was elected as a Member of the Parliament of Kosovo in 2001 and 2014. He is currently a member of the Parliamentary Commission on Education, Science, Technology, Culture, Youth and Sports.
Hon. Sead Šahman Member of Parliament, Montenegro Hon. Sead Šahman is the President of the Youth Forum and the Spokesperson of the Bosniak party of Montenegro. As a member of the Assembly of Montenegro, he takes part in the parliamentary committee for international relations and the parliamentary committee for defense and security. He has attended a number of study visits and seminars organized by public institutions and NGOs to promote parliamentary exchange and democracy in Italy, Serbia, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Iran, Spain, South Korea, etc. He became an Ambassador for Peace in 2017.
Ms. Anita Mitić Director, Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Serbia Ms. Anita Mitic is a graduate of the Faculty of Political Science in Belgrade. She joined the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in 2009 as an activist during the campaign “I’m the heart of Serbia”. She completed the School of new politics in 2011 and the School of transitional justice (Humanitarian Law Center) in 2012, and attended many educational programs related to human rights. She contributed, among others, to the Pristina Youth Summit and the Young Leaders Program for Central Europe. From 2010 to 2014 she led the Youth branch of the Social Democratic Union. In 2013, she worked as a fellow in the World Youth Movement for Democracy at the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington, DC. She became director of the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in 2014.
Mr. Gani Rroshi Secretary General, UPF Albania Mr. Gani Rroshi graduated in Mechanical Engineering from the Polytechnic University in Tirana. After working shortly with the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies, he became an active member of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU). In 2004 he was appointed as the President of FFWPU in Albania, function he still exercises today. He is a Presiding Council member of the Universal Peace Federation in Albania and the Secretary General of the Albanian Peace Council. He has an extensive international experience in the field of peace education and leadership. EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE 23-24 September 2017 - Pristina, Kosovo
IAPP Personal Notes