Learning from the experience of American international human rights activist Alice Mead

ATRC organized on Jan. 12 a roundtable meeting between the American human rights activist Alice Mead and civil society representatives entitled “Advocacy in Practice – from the experience of an international activist.”

American Human Rights Activist Alice Mead advocated to US Senate, Congress for the release of Kosovo Albanian political prisoners from Serb prisons.

During the meeting, Mead showed her documentary film “Kosova and the Death of Yugoslavia” and discussed advocacy issues with participants. The film documents violations of Kosovo Albanians’ human rights and their demands for equality during the regime of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. Mead used the film to advocate for Kosovo Albanian rights during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

“I am not free, if you are not free,” Mead said at the discussion. “My freedom is not only for me. If we all are not free, we’re not equal. Advocacy is about being equal.”

Mead also wrote a book about Kosovo entitled Adem’s Cross in 1996 and through advocacy contributed to the release of political prisoners and war hostages from Serb prisons. Mead advocated to the U.S. Senate, Congress, and world political bodies for the release of prisoners.