Almost 500 persons attended the solemn Ceremony for the Awarding of Diplomas to the Master’s students of the academic year 2008/2009 and for the official opening of the academic year 2009/2010.

The Ceremony was held in the beautiful Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice on Sunday 27 September 2009 and was hosted by Cà Foscari University of Venice and Arciconfraternita di San Rocco.

Following the welcome message by Prof. Dr. Horst FISCHER, EIUC President, the highlights of the ceremony were:

- the message sent by the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio NAPOLITANO

It is with my deepest ideal participation that I wish to address my salutation to you, Prof. Fischer, as well as to the professors, the international and Italian authorities, the students today receiving their Diplomas of European Masters in Human Rights and Democratisation, and the young students just enrolled in the new academic course, opening in the framework of a continous committment towards the universal realisation of fundamental rights.

In such a delicate and complex field, where the developing international juridical standards need to confront themeselves with daily and systematic violations of the human dignity, the training of highly specialised and qualified professionals, consitutes a precious resource for an efficient planning of programmes and interventions.

This is not an easy path, to the contrary this is a path that requires, first of all, the firm and shared will of all States and supra-national organisations to perform it.

A will which is often driven by the coragious action – if not the ultimate sacrifice – of individuals and groups who have been able to enlighten opinions and consciences.

With the certainty that the activities reflecting the spirit of the European Master’s programme, will always be oriented to fostering international dialogue and mutual tolerance, in full confirmity with the ethical principles inspiring the Universal Decalaration of Human Rights of 1948 – one of the pillars of contemporary juridical civilisation - I formulate to you my best wishes of success for the new academic year.

- the message sent by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Franco FRATTINI

First of all I wish to express the appreciation of the Italian Government, and my personal appreciation, to the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation, which, since long time, delivers important educational programmes and performs research on human rights issues.

Respect and promotion of human rights constitute the fundamental pillars of the Italian and European foreign policy, and are an essential reference-point for our international action. This commitment generates from the conviction that the respect of individual rights is an essential value and, at the same time, one of the pre-conditions for guaranteeing peace, security and economic development worldwide.

In order to achieve the full realization of human rights the role of Governments, even if essential, is however not sufficient if not accompanied by the fundamental contribution provided by the civil society and individuals themselves. It is in fact a duty for each of us to interiorize those rights and principles, by implementing them every-day both as individuals and collectivity. When it comes to human rights, all members of society have a monitoring role.

Thus there is a need to intensify efforts in the field of education, training, and dissemination of the knowledge of human rights. Many steps forward have been made at the international level: there is in fact a growing awareness of the fact that without a solid and rooted culture of human rights in the society, it is far more difficult to obtain a real respect of fundamental rights. In regard to this, I would like to recall that Italy is member of the “Platform for Human Rights Education and Training”, a group of countries committed to promote, in the framework of the UN Human Rights Council, the project for an international convention on human rights education”.

In this same field, EIUC performs a very important role by educating young students who, with courage, have decided to dedicate their future to the realization of a better world. The specialized training of experts on human rights, and in sectors like development cooperation, technical assistance, and peace-building – which are fundamental instruments to promote democracy and human rights – has proved to be an essential element for the effective realization of these principles.

I therefore wish to address my best and warmest wishes to all those of you who are ready to start this enthusiastic period of high education, as well as to all of you who have already acquired the necessary knowledge and are ready to translate it into practice for the common good.

- the welcome message by Arch. Franco POSOCCO, Guardian Grando, Arciconfraternita di San Rocco

- the welcome message by the representatives of local authorities: Ms Anna Maria GIANNUZZI MIRAGLIA, Councillor, Municipality of Venice; Mr. Raffaele SPERANZON, Councillor, Province of Venice

- the keynote speech by Ms Heidi HAUTALA, Chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee of the European Parliament