All three main goals of the association were reflected in the programme. There were constructive professional contacts among the 90 AEJ delegates present in Dublin, from all seventeen active AEJ sections across Europe’s borders; there was a debate on European affairs starting with an inspiring speech by the Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern; and last but not least the AEJ Survey on media freedom a€?Goodbye to Freedom?’ edited by William Horsley (AEJ Media Freedom Representative) was launched to an excellent reception and along with strong debate on the subject with special guests Miklos Haraszti (OSCE), Paul Gillespie (Irish Times) and Manana Aslamazyan (Internews Europe).
The Irish section offered the delegates and partners real Irish entertainment with a very pleasant informal meeting in the Guinness Brewery and a wonderful dinner with charming Irish music and dance at Jameson’s Distillery hosted by the Irish minister of State with Responsibility for Europe, Dick Roche. During the dinner two International AEJ veterans, Juraj Alner (Slovakia) and Andrew Shepherd (Ireland), were honoured by Eileen Dunne. {cms_selflink page=’61’ text=’Click here ’}for the list of sponsors of the Dublin event.