Igor Blazevic

"Born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Igor Blaževic graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, Croatia, with degrees in philosophy and comparative literature. Since 1991 he has lived and worked in Prague, Czech Republic. Since 1992, Mr. Blaževic has been engaged with People in Need (PIN), a Prague-based nonprofit, nongovernmental organization established by Czech journalists and former dissidents with the aim "to inspire a largeness of spirit in Czech society by helping others in need, and to promote democratic freedoms for all." PIN is one of the largest organizations of its kind in post-communist Europe and has administered projects in more than 40 countries over the past 16 years. Mr. Blaževic is the director of People in Need´s Human Rights and Democracy Department, which provides assistance to dissidents and pro-democracy groups operating in challenging environments around the world.

"Mr. Blaževic is also the founder of One World, which is the biggest human rights film festival in Europe. Organized under the auspices of former president Václav Havel, One World annually presents 130 high-quality documentaries that take a concerned and often critical look at the present-day world and its transformations. Apart from staging One World in Prague and 28 other Czech cities, PIN is assisting NGOs in other countries to develop their own human rights film events. Ten human rights festivals have been held to date. Mr. Blaževic has also co-directed ten documentaries for Czech Television."

• Steering Committee, World Movement for Democracy