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Message to AEOBiH from IFES Washington
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5 December 2000
Dear AEOBiH annual conference participants:
On behalf of the International Foundation for
Election Systems (IFES), I would like to commend you on your success
- you, the Association of Election Officials in Bosnia and Herzegovina
(AEOBiH) - in strengthening democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina
by increasing the professional nature of election management. The
work that you do provides election authorities with on-going opportunities
for professional development, technical training, information resources,
and exchange of experiences while promoting professional standards
in the administration and supervision of elections. It is precisely
this kind of work that provides election officials the knowledge
to ensure that elections are free and fair. The AEOBiH is an important
example of IFES' work in the area of good governance as well as
elections and political processes to increase the transparency of
the election process. It is work like yours that has helped IFES
build its international reputation for the highest quality assistance
and research in support of building and consolidating democratic
institutions.
While Bosnia and Herzegovina is unique as an
association within a state (the only comparable example of which
I am aware is the Russian organization of election officials in
the Volga region), IFES has sponsored similar efforts around the
world. Four such regional associations currently receive IFES support:
The Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials
(ACEEEO), The Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA-Africa),
The Association of Asian Election Authorities (AAEA-Asia), and The
Association of Caribbean Election Officials (ACEO). They each hold
annual meetings, such as this one, which have continued to develop
a greater understanding and an increased exchange of ideas and information
among professional election administrators who are faced with managing,
administering, and mediating electoral events in challenging circumstances.
I hope that you will find this conference provides you with similar
opportunities.
By the way, I would like to add by way of conclusion
that I truly regret being unable to share the experience with you
in person. For one thing, I would really love to see again the wonderful
members of your association that I met in Warsaw last year. While
I expected them to be special, to have that extra degree of commitment
and enthusiasm, a spirit that can only thrive in situations of great
difficulty, I was nevertheless unprepared for their amazing energy
and optimism. I feel very close to them all, even though we met
so very briefly. I am with you in my heart. My warmest wishes to
you all.
Sincerely,
Juliana Geran Pilon
Vice President for Programs
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