ENAfter careful deliberation, the international 11-member jury chose veteran journalist and editor Omer Karabeg, in recognition of his continuous and outstanding contribution to better communication, exchange and cooperation in South East Europe, and especially in the West Balkan region. The jury based its decision on the integrity and personal dedication of Omer Karabeg in carrying out his work.
Omer Karabeg, born on 14 September 1940 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, lives in Prague, in the Czech Republic, and is a journalist with the Radio Free Europe, (RFE/RL) South Slavic and Albanian Language Service program. He is also the founder and editor of the weekly RFE / RL radio show „The Bridge“.
„The Bridge“ is a weekly program launched in 1994 during the war in former Yugoslavia which since its inception has helped foster dialogue between distinguished public persons from different countries in the region, and has tackled highly controversial issues. The most interesting discussions from „The Bridge“ have been published in three books.
During his career, Omer Karabeg has received many awards for his work as a journalist, including the Jug Grizelj prize for promoting friendship and overcoming barriers between people in the region (2001), the award and first prize for editors and producers from the Serbian Union of Journalists for his organization and direction of reporting on the overthrow of Communist rule in Romania (1991), and the prize for best TV news at the festival of Yugoslav Radio and Television (1979 and 1989).
During the Milosevic regime he was blacklisted in 1992 as a ‘traitor-journalist’. The list was broadcast on prime-time news by then state-controlled TV Belgrade.
The Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding is sponsored at a value of 3000 EUR by Dr. Erhard Busek, Jean Monnet Professor ad personam, President of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, Coordinator of SECI – Southeast European Cooperative Initiative, former Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, and President of the European Forum Alpbach.
In 2002, the jury honoured the Croatian journalist, Denis Latin, with the award. In 2003, it was presented to Kemal Kurspahic, former editor-in-chief of the Sarajevo daily Oslobodjenje. Brankica Petkovic, Head of the Center for Media Policy at the Peace Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia, was the recipient of the 2005 award. Danko Plevnik, international relations columnist for the Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija in Split, was the winner of the 2006 award. Milena Dimitrova, commentator for the Bulgarian daily newspaper Trud in Sofia, was the winner in 2007, Brankica Stankovic, editor for TV B92 in Belgrade, Serbia was the winner in 2008, and Boris Bergant the co-founder of the broadcasting project Alpe Adria and former EBU deputy president was last year’s winner.
The eighth Dr. Erhard Busek – SEEMO Award for Better Understanding in South East Europe will be presented on Friday, 15 October 2010, by Dr. Erhard Busek and by Oliver Vujovic, SEEMO Secretary General, at Haus der Musik, Seilerstätte 30, Vienna, Austria. To attend the event, please contact: [email protected]
