Welcome

Manuel Sarrazin, MP, Spokesperson for Eastern Europe of the Parliamentary Group Alliance 90/The Greens, President of the Southeast Europe Association

Laudations

Peter Beyer, MP, Transatlantic Coordinator for the German Federal Government, Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Vice President of the Southeast Europe Association 

Josip Juratović, MP, Social Democratic Party (SPD), Vice President of the Southeast Europe Association

Award Ceremony

Manuel Sarrazin, MP

Acceptance Speeches

Una Hajdari, Journalist, Kosovo
Dragan Bursać, Journalist and Columnist, Bosnia Herzegovina 

THE SOG’S NEW AWARD FOR JOURNALISTS FROM SOUTHEAST EUROPE

In recent years, the situation of journalists has become even more difficult in many countries in Southeast Europe. Under conditions of high polarisation and politicised media, critical voices are often exposed to hostility or even physical violence. The SOG Solidarity Award is intended to honour courageous journalists from our partner countries, who often expose themselves to great personal danger to report critically, for their outstanding work, and to recognise their contribution to more democracy, more rule of law and more freedom of the press. The award is also intended to contribute to greater symbolic protection of journalists on the ground through the attention it attracts and to recognize the great achievements of the award winners through its endowment. 

THE WINNERS OF THE SOLIDARITY AWARD 2020/2021 

Una Hajdari is a freelance journalist from Pristina, Kosovo, focused on Central and Eastern Europe and mainly reporting for US outlets like The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The New Republic, The Nation, Foreign Policy and others. Her work stands out from the usual reporting from Kosovo because she writes and reports in Albanian and Serbian, a rarity in Kosovo. She reports on all the countries of former Yugoslavia, specializing on nationalism, ethnic minorities, right-wing movements, dealing with the past, media freedom and post-war societies. Addressing these topics means often facing hostility and threats. Against all odds, Ms Hajdari investigates persistently and continues to critically question the local circumstances, fighting against stereotypes and prejudices. Una Hajdari is also involved with Reporters Without Borders and regional journalism initiatives. Her work is committed to press and media freedom, what often comes at a high personal price.

Dragan Bursać. Born in Bihac in 1975, the Bosnian-Herzegovinian former philosophy teacher started his journalistic career at the turn of the millennium at Radio Banja Luka. In 2007, he started working for the independent and well-known BUKA portal, followed by engagements for Al Jazeera Balkans, Radio Sarajevo and Antena M Montenegro from 2016 on forward. He has received various awards for his work, like the Srdjan Aleksić Award, the UNHCR Journalist Award in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the European Press Prize in the "Opinion" category. Bursać focuses in his work on war crimes in former Yugoslavia, dealing with the past and humanity in war. To this day he lives and works in Banja Luka, even as his work has had made him the target of death threats and attacks, limiting his individual freedom. He nevertheless continues his work as a journalist and columnist.