That our first recovery took 13 years remains testament today to our persistence. In many ways, Mondex has thrived out of sheer force of will. Despite having no manual to guide us in this work — and a set of obstacles to restitution that was staggering — we carried on, completing our second recovery in two years and our third, in one year. This is the legacy we bring to our clients.
Our client’s joy is what keeps us going—inspiring our commitment to the intellectual challenges that restitution entails.
Mondex founder James Palmer, in discussing the organization’s founding, identifies ‘the desire for meaning’ as his number one driver. ‘I made a promise to myself a long time ago,’ he explains. ‘I was going to do this, and keep working at this, until we achieved success. I had no idea how long it would take, nor that it would help so many and be so wonderfully fulfilling.’
Every member of the Mondex team contributes to the success James describes, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Passion, professionalism, dedication and creativity. These traits, among many others, have enabled us to find creative solutions to encourage possessors, whether they be governmental organizations, museums, foundations, businesses or individuals, to respect the rights of persecuted victims and their families and to honour their moral and legal obligations to restitution.
Throughout, we have practiced compassion. We decided early on to be as personal in our work as we are professional, and to offer a comprehensive suite of services that would accommodate individual needs. Sometimes, this beginning-to-end support has meant adapting to those needs as they make themselves known. Privacy and discretion, for example, are essential at Mondex, but Media Relations has become one of our offerings. This depth and breadth of service are enjoyed by our clients and provide great value, and peace of mind.
For our own peace of mind, we exercise patience. As James says of our work, with its clear moral imperative and multi-jurisdictional legal constraints, ’We are a ship making a very slow turn. We can’t change directions at once, but we are moving in increments — each more successful than the last.’ Those successes have accumulated over nearly three decades, increasingly reflecting what is fair, just, and ultimately meaningful for our clients. For Mondex, this is the legacy that matters.
Mondex Team
Additional International Resources:
Mondex also employs an international team of researchers who speak and read multiple languages to conduct research in private and public archives globally. Our team includes members throughout Western and Eastern Europe as well as in Canada and the United States, and other countries.
