After almost two years Maria Dahle, the Executive Director of the Human Rights House Foundation, is visiting Zagreb again next week. Five years of continuos efforts to set up a Human Rights House in Zagreb finally yield fruit as the emergence of HRH Zagreb reached it´s final stages. (02-JUN-06)

Written by Goran Milakovic, HRH

Latest development
Maria Dahle, accompanied by Nina Therese Luhr, will meet with the NGO´s involved in the HRH Zagreb project, in order to asses latest development on the project and to discuss the possibility of organizing HRH Network Annual Meeting in Zagreb, later this year. In addition, the members of the future HRH Zagreb will submitt a new project proposal on their mutual activities for the coming period.

Meetings with officials
Since the purpose of her stay is, among other things, to facilitate the emergence of the HRH Zagreb, this opportunity will also be used to meet with government and city officials in charge of the premises designated for the HRH Zagreb. The meeting will be attended by the officials from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway in Zagreb, as well.

HRH in Zagreb by the end of 2006?
For five years, the Croatian Helsinki Committee, Women´s Rights Group B.a.B.e. and the Croatian Law Centre have been working together to build up a Human Rights House in Zagreb. During Maria Dahle´s last official visit to Croatia in June 2004, members of the HRH Zagreb received strong support from Vice Prime Minister, Ms. Jadranka Kosor for the realization of the House. Further steps towards the establishment of the HRH Zagreb were made after a valid court decision in 2005 determined that the desirable premises for the HRH is the property of the Republic of Croatia.
-I believe that we shal finally have a Human Rights House by the end of this year. We have been able to maintain solidarity among the three partner organizations and the idea of a HRH is simply too good for things not to work out in the end, said Tin Gazivoda, the initiator of the project in Croatia.