Stockholm, November 22, 2005
Dear colleagues:
Our Society for Information Services was born on June 27, 2003, with five dreamers
(José Luis Belmar, Francesco Alonzo, Jelena Ivanisevic, Miroslav Hoc and Angelo Tajani), who decided to do something
drastic against the wrong doings, bad manners and harassments, of some members of the Board of the
FPA, and most of all, the lack of professionalism showed by a great majority of the members of the organization,
plus lack of proper information on how and on what the money was spent.
We have fought against the incomprehension
of officials who have denied PROFOCA, up to now, with the same
identification rights entitled to the other organization. Our struggles provoked sympathy towards us and we
finally were recognized by the Foreign Ministry, as a legal and lively organization of professional journalists in Sweden.
Without entry or yearly fees, PROFOCA has been internationally recognized by
organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalist, International Press Institute, the Freedom Forum of the NEWSEUM and
the Society for Professional Journalists, by more than thirty diplomatic missions established in Sweden, and
by the Swedish government, thanks to the now international Stockholm Memorial, the ecumenical service instituted to honour
those colleagues who died, whether in the line of duty or by unknown circumstances, around the world.
During the Journalists Stockholm Memorial 2005, held at the Catholic Cathedral on November
16, with the participation of the Catholic, Lutheran and Serb-Ortodox churches, Pope Benedict XVI willingly associated
himself with PROFOCA's ecumenical memorial by sending a special message with his blessings, through Archbishop and Cardinal
Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State of the Vatican.
The Freedom Forum joined again, in its November 16, 2005 letter, the Professional Foreign
Correspondents Association in honoring and remembering those who lost their lives while reporting the news.
But the ecumenical service, is only one of the many events that PROFOCA, the society for
information services, whose Name Says It All, has arranged during its short existence. Study visits, free trips
to special events, special invitations to opera and concerts, press conferences, etc, have been the seal of our credentials.
In addition of being part of events which makes you feel proud of forming the core
of our organization, PROFOCA has granted each and all of its members, a number of benefits that make their lives more enjoyable while living in Sweden; benefits never granted before to our colleagues.
Furthermore, in the short period of PROFOCA'S existence, the dream of five, step
by step, is becoming a reality with more than thirty members, and some more professional journalists to join
the organization whose Name Says It All: Professional Foreign Correspondents Association.
The task is not fulfilled yet. There are many more things to be done, many more battles
to be won and much more good will to be conquered.
But we are young, strong and stubborn and by being together and fighting together, nobody and
nothing, will ever stop us in the road to fullfill a legitimate dream: becoming the most professional
organization of journalists this country has ever had.
Professionaly yours
The Board
P.S. If you want to
know how to
become a proud member of
PROFOCA
The Name That Says It All
the organization that
keeps on
growing
and
growing
and
growing
You can e-mail us to:
or call to the following telephones:
08 512 924 24
073 960 11 59
08 531 716 43
070 670 02 26
08 676 72 32
070 676 65 49
