In a solemn ceremony that was held at AAB Theatre “Faruk Begolli” AAB College honored with the International Award for Human Rights, the Ambassador William Walker,the head of the OSCE Verification Mission in Kosovo, during 1998-1999, with the motivation for outstanding contribution to international public awareness of the massacres and war crimes during the Kosovo war.
Rector for science and research atAAB College, HasanSaliu, during speech said that Ambassador Walker is a symbol of freedom for the people of Kosovo.
“Dear Ambassador Walker, AAB is confirmation and promoter of universal values. Values such as democracy, human rights and individual opportunities are basic principles on which AAB is governed by, investing on them and seeking to influence the Kosovar society for a wider application of these values. Your Excellency, dearambassador you had also strongly supported those principles when on January 15, 1999 declared that “this is a great crime against humanity ‘, and clearly identified the perpetrators of the massacre in Racak. At that time, you asked the mandatory against the massacre; however, you declared clearly that the perpetrators were Serbian government forces. Your statement was our salvation. It touched the conscience of the democratic world. Political calculations were ended. Humanity triumphed. You paved the way humanitarian military intervention, which led to the collapse of the criminal regime that committed so many atrocities not only in Kosovo. Dear Ambassador, the people of Kosovo has already set up a symbol of freedom. You also loved freedom as much as the people of Kosovo did, because you loved universal principles of human rights at any cost. Dear friend of us, great Ambassador Walker, on behalf of the students and staff of AAB, please accept our grateful appreciation for your great contribution to human rights, to remember the lives lost in protection of universal rights and humanity, “said vice-rector Saliu.
He informed Ambassador Walker and other participants in the ceremony for the capacity of AAB College, saying that this institution is the largest investment of the higher education sector nonpublic, which operates education and research since 2002.
On the other hand, the ambassadorWilliam Walker, having received the International Prize for Human Rights, said that he is impressed with the facilities and conditions that saw the AAB College.
Walker said that in Kosovo after 18 years there have been positive developments, university and pre-university education is one of the major achievements of women and representation of Kosovo in all institutions of the country, but, according to him, there are some deficiencies as well.
“Kosovo is not going on the right way. I’ve been here and I’ve seen when Independence Day was declared, everyone was excited when it was signed the declaration of independence. Many people have said ‘thank you Mr. Ambassador, now it is our turn to take the country forward. Expectations have been high at the time, but there is still hope to bring the country in the right place. What encourages me is the field of education, seeing AAB College, seeing theyouth;I keep saying thatuniversity and pre-university education are on the good way. In the economic field things are not developing properly “, said among others Ambassador Walker.
He said that Kosovo needs new generation in politics and that Kosovo cannot wait long for that to happen.
“I have always said that these politicians should stay in politics for 4 or 5 years. I think that Kosovo cannot wait anymore. Old people as I do not want to wait for long periods of time. I do not want to die without saying that this is Kosovo that Kosovars have desired, “said Walker.
He advised the students of AAB College to get as much knowledge of this institution in order to build a Kosovo with strong fundamentals stable for years.
With such Prize for Human Rights, besides Ambassador Walker was also honored former of NATO spokesman, Jamie Shea.
