On October 18, 2022, the Auschwitz Institute (AIPG) celebrated the official launch of its Mediterranean Basin office in Bucharest. The celebration included a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities of prevention organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania (MFA), followed by a reception attended by AIPG’s partners in Romania and the region. After five years of programming in Romania and Southeastern Europe, the Bucharest office joins AIPG’s regional offices in New York (USA), Kampala (Uganda), Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Oświęcim (Poland).
The panel discussion entitled “Advancing a Sustainable Genocide and Mass Atrocities Prevention Agenda: Five Years of Partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Auschwitz Institute for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities” took place at the MFA and welcomed secretaries of State, diplomats, and AIPG alumni, as well as special representatives of the Romanian government and the presidency.
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Romania
During the event, panelists highlighted the MFA’s and AIPG’s successful work in protecting and promoting human rights in Romania and worldwide. They also stressed the importance of continuing cross-sectoral cooperation in advancing a prevention agenda, especially in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Romanian Secretary of State for Global Affairs and Diplomatic Strategies, Traian Hristea, opened the panel discussions and acknowledged the importance of building an integrative approach to preventing genocide and mass atrocities by strengthening cooperation among the State, academia, and civil society. Mr. Hristea also commended the Auschwitz Institute’s successful work on education and prevention, highlighting that AIPG’s expertise will prove extremely useful in building regional synergies to support post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine.
In his presentation, Dr. Tibi Galis, AIPG’s Executive Director, emphasized the mission, vision, and trajectory of the organization at the global and regional levels in its endeavors to build a world that prevents genocide and other mass atrocities by explaining AIPG’s successful programming worldwide.
He was followed by Dr. Gabriela Ghindea, AIPG’s Director of the Mediterranean Basin Programs and head of the regional office, who highlighted the key projects and activities conducted by the organization in Romania and the region since 2017.
Dr. Ghindea acknowledged and thanked the MFA and the Romanian government for their consistent support of AIPG’s activities in these endeavors:
Advancing a common prevention agenda has never stopped and remains a priority for the region. I would like to express our gratitude to all State institutions, and especially to our partners present in the panel, to civil society and academia representatives, who have generously supported our efforts. We have found not only institutional reinforcement in organizing joint projects but also professional, dedicated, and enthusiastic dialogue partners who share the same values as AIPG’s team and understand the need for close cooperation.
After the panel event, to celebrate the official opening of its office in Bucharest, AIPG hosted a reception that welcomed high-level representatives from government institutions, embassies, civil society organizations, and academia. The event concluded with time for attendees to meet and connect with each other, providing an opportunity for stakeholders to network and strengthen ties and actions on creating crucial synergies to build a resilient world that prevents further atrocities.
