Tirana, Albania - In the latter part of 2013, peace councils met throughout Albania to review activities of the year, elect officers and new members, educate new Ambassadors for Peace about UPF's vision and its work in Albania and internationally, and make plans for the upcoming year. These peace councils sent representatives to the biannual Albania Peace Council, which met this year in Prizren Nov. 16-17.
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DURRES
Around 35 Ambassadors for Peace in Durrës, the second-largest city in Albania, gathered at the city’s Culture Palace on Oct. 26, 2013, to evaluate the work of the Local Peace Council since its establishment one and a half years ago. The Durrës Peace Council comprises around 45 Ambassadors for Peace and includes two other nearby small cites.
Av. Flutura Kona, deputy chair of the Durrës Peace Council and a former state lawyer, moderated the event. Mr. Bajram Ibraj, chairman of the Presiding Council of UPF-Albania; Professor Flamur Shehu, the deputy chairman of the Presiding Council, and Mr. Gani Rroshi, a member of the Presiding Council, attended the event.
Professor Shehu recommended that the Peace Council focus on preserving and promoting family values as the cornerstone of the society. He cited the words of UPF Founder Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon: “God cannot even punish his enemy, because He thinks of his relatives who love him. Therefore He teaches us to love our enemies.”
Mr. Flamur Hidri, chairman of the Durrës Peace Council, gave a detailed analysis of the work done by the Peace Council during the past one and a half years and presented all the local and national activities in which Durrës Ambassadors for Peace had participated.
The event continued with a video about the international activities of UPF and the Founder’s vision for a world of peace in which humanity is One Family Under God.
Mr. Gani Rroshi, a member of the Presiding Council, gave a PowerPoint presentation about local UPF activities. The keynote speaker, Mr. Bajram Ibraj, chairman of the Presiding Council, spoke about the principles of UPF and encouraged participants to take an active role in serving the nation.
After the appointment of eight new Ambassadors for Peace, Mr. Ibraj led the process of electing new council members.
The assembly ended with a group photo of all the newly appointed Ambassadors for Peace, collection of membership dues, and refreshments.
Reported by the Secretariat of UPF-Albania
ELBASAN
On Nov. 2, 2013, an assembly of Elbasan Ambassadors for Peace and the Local Peace Council took place in the Skampa Hotel. The event included the election of new members of the Local Peace Council. The Elbasan Peace Council was established in April 2011 and has been led by Professor Dr. Jani Dode, rector of Elbasan University.
Dr. Dode, the moderator of the event, welcomed the attendees before giving the floor to Mr. Bajram Ibraj, chairman of the Presiding Council of UPF-Albania. Then Mr. Gani Rroshi, a member of the Presiding Council, gave a presentation about UPF activities during the last two years. Rev. Gi Young Shin, special adviser to UPF in Albania and Kosovo, gave a congratulatory address.
Afterward Mr. Ali Lacej, a member of the Presiding Council, spoke about the principles of UPF, and Mrs. Kozeta Zavalani, chair of UPF-Tirana, greeted the audience.
The event was characterized by a warm atmosphere. Four new Ambassadors for Peace were appointed and new members of the Peace Council were elected.
Reported by Ajet Bosi, secretary general, Elbasan Peace Council
FIER
This was the second UPF event in Fier after an event in April 2012 at which 11 distinguished citizens were appointed as Ambassadors for Peace. This time six people accepted the invitation to become Ambassadors for Peace and to support UPF work in this region. Altogether 25 participants attended the assembly.
The moderator was Mrs. Mirela Çepele, chair of the Fier Peace Council. She welcomed everyone warmly and showed a short video about UPF International. Then Mrs. Kozeta Zavalani, chair of UPF-Tirana (Albania’s capital and largest city), explained UPF’s values and principles.
Mr. Sokol Rexhepi, the secretary general of UPF-Albania, gave a PowerPoint presentation on UPF-Albania which provided good examples of what Ambassadors for Peace can do.
After this Mrs. Mirela Çepele, chairwoman of the Fier Peace Council, introduced the new Ambassadors for Peace. Mr. Myzaljen Hoxha, director of Public Relations and Public Administration for Fier, recited a passage from a poem on faith and love: “Rip out, pull out the root of misery that I have in my heart! Give me strength to make my love fruitful in service! Give me strength to never stray from the poor and never kneel down to the cruel and powerful!”
The newly appointed Ambassadors for Peace were congratulated by Mrs. Lavdie Ruci, the chair of the Albanian National Peace Council, who said she was very happy to attend this event for the first time in Fier.
The Ambassadors for Peace re-elected Mrs. Mirela Çepele as Peace Council chair and selected two assistants for her.
At the end the participants continued their discussions in a nearby café, where they developed ideas for future projects and activities. The event was broadcast by the local news media.
Reported by Zsuzsanna Sulejmani, secretary general, UPF-Fier
KORCE
The assembly of Korçë Ambassadors for Peace and the elections of the Local Peace Council were held on Nov. 2, 2013, in the hall of the Grand Hotel.
The event, moderated by Mr. Niko Faber, chairman of the Korçë Peace Council, started with a congratulatory message from Rev. Gi Young Shin, special adviser to UPF of Albania and Kosovo, who brought the Founder’s message to everybody and encouraged the attendees to live by the principles of UPF. Next Mr. Bajram Ibraj, chairman of the Presiding Council, spoke about the structure and organization of UPF in Albania and its future goals. Then Mr. Faber gave a presentation on the main activities of the Korçë Peace Council over the past two years.
Reported by Ermir Hoxha, secretary general of the Korçë Peace Council
KUKES
On Nov. 1, 2013, UPF-Albania inaugurated another Local Peace Council in the northern city of Kukës. Although there was hardly enough time to prepare, Mr. Bajram Ibraj, chairman of the Presiding Council, had a strong feeling that the Kukës Peace Council should be established before the General Assembly took place in the nearby Kosovan city of Prizren.
UPF-Albania representatives met some key people in Kukës who were ready to take responsibility for the Local Peace Council after it was established. The key person was Mr. Osman Elezi, the former mayor and a well-known and respected leader in the city.
Mr. Elezi, together with Mr. Ibraj, proposed the ones to be invited and also those VIPs who could be appointed as Ambassadors for Peace.
The inaugural assembly was held at the American Library, located in the city’s Culture Palace, which the current mayor of Kukës allowed UPF to use for free. Over 40 people attended the event, which was moderated by Mr. Gago Apostoli, one of the founders of UPF-Albania and a former member of the Global Peace Council of UPF.
Mr. Bajram Ibraj spoke about the UPF principles, the structure of UPF-Albania and its key areas of focus. He also mentioned a few of the main activities of UPF-Albania over the past few years.
The event continued with a video presentation about UPF’s international activities, followed by a report on activities UPF has organized in Albania during the past two years.
Lastly, Mr. Ali Lacej, a former chairman of UPF-Albania, spoke about the development of UPF in the future and its main focus. The participants had several questions which were answered with patience by the panelists.
The event concluded with the appointment of 18 Ambassadors for Peace and the election of leaders for the newly established Local Peace Council.
Reported by Gani Rroshi, member of the UPF-Albania Presiding Council
LEZHE
An assembly of Ambassadors for Peace of Lezhë, along with the election of new leaders for the Local Peace Council, took place on Oct. 19, 2013, in the main hall of the city library.
The Lezhë Peace Council was established on May 23, 2012, on the occasion of the International Day of Families. The council was led by Dr. Tonin Frani, a respected personality in Lezhë, together with Vice Chairs Mr. Gjergj Shyti, director of the city library, and Mrs. Lulzime Celami, a teacher and writer.
Dr. Frani gave the welcoming remarks and introduced Mr. Bajram Ibraj, chairman of the Presiding Council of UPF-Albania, who explained the vision and mission of UPF and its founding principles.
Mr. Ibraj expressed his great appreciation for the work done by the Lezhë Peace Council and all the local Ambassadors for Peace. He emphasized that it was a wonderful coincidence that the assembly was being held on the 10th anniversary of the beatification of Mother Teresa, an ethnic Albanian. Afterward Mr. Ibraj gave a general presentation on UPF, its founders Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon and his wife, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the five core principles of UPF and its areas of work.
The event continued with a presentation on UPF activities over the past two years in Albania and Kosovo, as well as a few main international events, given by Mr. Gani Rroshi, a member of the Presiding Council of UPF. Mr. Rroshi focused especially on events held on Aug. 23, 2013, to mark the one-year anniversary of the passing of Dr. Moon.
Next, a video about the work of UPF and its founders was shown, which emphasized the inclusiveness and practical solutions that UPF presents to this world in crisis.
Mr. Ali Lacej, a former chairman of UPF-Albania, expressed his deep appreciation of the high level of the assembly’s participants and spoke about the vision of UPF-Albania. Although UPF-Albania has been receiving great support from the UPF international headquarters, he said, the time has come for UPF-Albania to stand on its own feet and become a partner with other organizations. God has given the Albanian people the gift to become a nation of Ambassadors for Peace, he said, and they should do it.
Certificates of Ambassador for Peace in Lezhë region were awarded to the following 15 VIPs: Mr. Marash Ndoka, Mr. Gjokë Jaku, Mr. Qazim Dushku, Mrs. Linda Maçi, Mr. Ndrec Pema, Mr. Salvador Kaçaj, Mrs. Albina Gjini, Mr. Nikoll Nikolla, Mr. Pashko Smaçi, Mr. Ndrek Mhillaj, Mrs. Mukadez Shyti, Mr. Gazmor Dervishi, Mrs. Myzejen Dervishi, Mr. Gjin Ndoka and Mr. Rrok Lelçaj.
At the end the assembly elected seven members of the Local Peace Council who are also members of the National Peace Council. The members of the Lezhë Peace Council elected as their new chairman for the next four years Mr. Gjergj Shyti, the director of the Lezhë city library, and as vice chairs Mr. Viktor Gjikola and Mrs. Lulzime Celami.
Reported by the Secretariat, UPF-Albania
SHKODER
On Oct. 19, 2013, a local assembly of Ambassadors for Peace was held in Shkodër city. Even though the time available to organize everything was very short, the combined efforts of Professor Mit’hat Dibra, a member of the UPF Presiding Council, and some active Ambassadors for Peace resulted in more than 50 people attending the event. The venue was the private school Zani i Shkodrës (“The Voice of Shkodër”), owned by Mr. Dibra, which has become a regular meeting place for UPF activities during the past two years.
The event was moderated by the nationally known dramaturge Mr. Fadil Kraja. Quoting the ancient Greek historian Strabo, Mr. Kraja said, “Let’s make Shkodër a gift of God.”
Mr. Bajram Ibraj, chairman of the Presiding Council of UPF-Albania, congratulated Mr. Dibra for his sincere work and dedication as the chair of the Shkodër Peace Council and then all the Ambassadors for Peace of Shkodër who had been quite active. “To talk about peace, family and love, you cannot but include God and the Holy Scriptures. God is the source of peace, and the Holy Scriptures are the textbooks where we can learn about peace and love,” Mr. Ibraj said.
Mr. Ali Laçej, one of the founders of UPF-Albania and the Shkodër Peace Council, talked about the organizational strengthening of UPF-Albania. UPF-Albania will suggest that the term of office of Peace Council leaders be extended from two to four years, he said, based on past experiences when many ideas and projects couldn’t be realized within two years.
“Besides the harmonious cohabitation of different religious communities we will expand [UPF activities] toward the harmonious cohabitation between those who believe and those who do not believe, between people of science and people of faith, in order to make them give and take with each other. … [H]istory has shown that division between ‘them’ and ‘us’ leads to conflicts and that conflicts end in wars,” Mr. Laçej said.
UPF must be more visible in the written and visual media and should work hard to influence the Albanian society, he said.
Mr. Mit’hat Dibra, chairman of the Shkodër Peace Council, reported on activities done by the council during the past two years and the efforts made by Shkodër Ambassadors for Peace for the success of national and international events.
After a video that explained the work of UPF and its founders, initiatives, areas of work and the sense of inclusiveness and practical solutions UPF presents to this world in crisis, Mr. Gani Rroshi, a member of the UPF-Albania Presiding Council, gave a presentation about UPF activities during the last two years in Albania and worldwide.
Reported by Sokol Rexhepi, UPF-Albania secretary general
VLORE
On Oct. 26, 2013, an assembly of the Local Peace Council was held in the city of Vlorë. After a long time the local Ambassadors for Peace could meet each other again and become informed about the happenings of the past two years. Despite the short notice nearly 40 people attended the meeting.
Dr. Niko Veizaj, whom some people affectionately call the “father” of UPF-Vlorë, moderated the event. Mrs. Lavdie Ruci, chair of the National Peace Council, greeted the participants with a short speech, and then Professor Bilal Shkurtaj, a member of the Presiding Council, reported on the activities of the Vlorë Peace Council from the time he was elected its leader. Next Mr. Sokol Rexhepi, the secretary general of UPF-Albania, gave a presentation on its activities over the past two years. Following him Mrs. Kozeta Zavalani, a member of the Presiding Council, introduced the UPF core principles before the new Ambassadors for Peace were appointed: Armela Panajoti, Frosina Londo, Neime Piero and Pëllumb Binaj. On this occasion the new secretary general of UPF-Vlorë, Mr. Lubin Argjir, was presented.
Part of the program was also the election of the new chief of the Local Peace Council and his deputies. Although Professor Shkurtaj had planned to step down in order to give leadership opportunity to others, the council members unanimously re-elected him. To support him in his work, two very qualified and active Ambassadors for Peace were chosen, again without any opposition: Professor Arta Musaraj and Dr. Eva Çipi.
After the assembly officially ended, there was an informal gathering where the participants could continue their discussions.
Reported by Gabor Vasmatics, former secretary general, UPF-Vlorë