Monthly Archives: March 2014

Luan Krasniqi urges diaspora youth integration

Luan Krasniqi urges diaspora to make education the main priority for the youth. Luan Krasniqi was present at a boxing night in Winterthur where Albanian rising young boxers shone throughout the matches. Said Xhemaili, Ylber Tahiri and Ardian Krasniqi were competitors within the amateur category.

The main event that evening had been the fight between middle weight boxers Butrint Rama and Achilles Szabo from Hungary. Rama came out victorious with a regular point based win.

Krasniqi had decided to see the young and rising Rama since there have been signs of a promising career. “We are very proud with him, he his disciplined and talented. I am confident that he will soon be conquering stages in Germany and Europe.” said Krasniqi.

The boxing legend, Luan Krasniqi had been quite active throughout various humanitarian and integration promotion events. He had been visiting schools and discussed with the young there on his upward career struggle from the diaspora community to world fame. He emphasized on the social mobility that the German society offers for these youngsters. “I think that being raised in Germany and not speaking German is absurd. Integration is key and knowing the local language is the first step towards it. I had been relatively grown when I had moved to Germany (16 years old). I had finished school here and had managed to learn the language. Thus, I owe much of my success to my integration here. ”

“Educating our youth should be our priority, I feel refreshed and happy when I hear and meet our young people who complete their education in universities here in Germany or anywhere else abroad” continued Krasniqi.

The original article was posted at Albinfo.ch Click here to read the original article

A solution to the business management problems – Goodwerp

Businesses and organizations around the world can now use Goodwerp to manage their tasks and projects, maintain a positive pipeline, chat with their team in real-time, and invoice their clients without the need to switch between several online applications to control their workflow.

Meet Valon Sopi – the founder and the product architect of Goodwerp. The ambitious Kosovar had the fortune to work with several talented people during his career. He has been building an online application for national clients and worked for the National Basketball Association – Oxfam America. Valon also ran a design firm in New Jersey. Today, he loves spending time with his 2-year old toddler. “My main occupation now is teaching colors, numbers, and shapes to an energetic 2-year old toddler who keeps me in check on a daily basis.”

“In 2009, the idea behind Goodwerp started to evolve as an online project management solution that is built specifically for service firms and consultancies around the world” says Valon in an interview with Kosovo Diaspora. “The platform offers all the tools needed for one to run their business. Some of the features are: -teams can manage their projects, invoice their clients and collaborate with one another and also get a feel on the pulse of their business.

This idea evolved as an operating design for a firm which manages several projects. Valon expresses how challenging it can be to manage 30-40 projects and serve demanding clients. The firm used different online applications in such cases but missed a feature that would simplify the process.

Namely, Valon says that “separate apps were in charge of various aspects of the business: management, pipeline, finance, collaboration.” He adds that he “could never get a real-time pulse of what was going on in the business and had to manually gather data through an excel data sheet.”

Goodwerp became what it is as a solution to this problem and as a response to the need to gather all information needed from the entire company and provide the team with useful information to work on. Goodwerp has already influenced many companies and helped them save time and be more productive. The teams behind Goodwerp are working hard on developing it even further with many innovative ideas. The current team consists of six people – Tyler Wetzel, Erman Belegu, Ideal Bakija, Anbullena Krasniqi, Valmir Hazeri and Valon Sopi himself. They all work together on a daily basis and have different backgrounds, from computer science engineering through design and market analysis.

When asked what makes Goodwerp different from other similar platforms Valon says: “Goodwerp is highly accessible and adaptable to users of various skill levels. It helps clients get rid of up to 3 other applications and get a bird’s eye view on their business operations. Its pricing model offers companies scalability based on their needs and usage. The beauty of it all is that a company does not have to install a third-party application and stumble in managing their business. Everything is presented in real-time.”

A solution to the business management problems – Goodwerp

Businesses and organizations around the world can now use Goodwerp to manage their tasks and projects, maintain a positive pipeline, chat with their team in real-time, and invoice their clients without the need to switch between several online applications to control their workflow.

Meet Valon Sopi – the founder and the product architect of Goodwerp. The ambitious Kosovar had the fortune to work with several talented people during his career. He has been building an online application for national clients and worked for the National Basketball Association – Oxfam America. Valon also ran a design firm in New Jersey. Today, he loves spending time with his 2-year old toddler. “My main occupation now is teaching colors, numbers, and shapes to an energetic 2-year old toddler who keeps me in check on a daily basis.”

“In 2009, the idea behind Goodwerp started to evolve as an online project management solution that is built specifically for service firms and consultancies around the world” says Valon in an interview with Kosovo Diaspora. “The platform offers all the tools needed for one to run their business. Some of the features are: -teams can manage their projects, invoice their clients and collaborate with one another and also get a feel on the pulse of their business.

This idea evolved as an operating design for a firm which manages several projects. Valon expresses how challenging it can be to manage 30-40 projects and serve demanding clients. The firm used different online applications in such cases but missed a feature that would simplify the process.

Namely, Valon says that “separate apps were in charge of various aspects of the business: management, pipeline, finance, collaboration.” He adds that he “could never get a real-time pulse of what was going on in the business and had to manually gather data through an excel data sheet.”

Goodwerp became what it is as a solution to this problem and as a response to the need to gather all information needed from the entire company and provide the team with useful information to work on. Goodwerp has already influenced many companies and helped them save time and be more productive. The teams behind Goodwerp are working hard on developing it even further with many innovative ideas. The current team consists of six people – Tyler Wetzel, Erman Belegu, Ideal Bakija, Anbullena Krasniqi, Valmir Hazeri and Valon Sopi himself. They all work together on a daily basis and have different backgrounds, from computer science engineering through design and market analysis.

When asked what makes Goodwerp different from other similar platforms Valon says: “Goodwerp is highly accessible and adaptable to users of various skill levels. It helps clients get rid of up to 3 other applications and get a bird’s eye view on their business operations. Its pricing model offers companies scalability based on their needs and usage. The beauty of it all is that a company does not have to install a third-party application and stumble in managing their business. Everything is presented in real-time.”

Kosovo and Albania merge consulates in search for a united representation

Foreign Ministry heads, from both Kosovo and Albania have recently signed an agreement in favor of merging consulates in Milan(Italy) and Canberra (Australia). 

Foreign Minister of Albania, Dimitri Bushati has been paying a visit to his fellow minister from Kosovo, Enver Hoxhaj, whom together signed the agreement. During the meeting, both ministers have discussed the benefits that the diaspora community would gain from the unified presentation of both Kosovo and Albania. Thus, through this step, giving momentum to enhancing a long term strategic partnership.

Both representatives have given their opinion on the impact such an agreement will have towards the European path of both countries. “It is a highly important step, such agreements lead towards a more stable region and with a growing positive influence of Albanian factor and orientation towards European integration” said Mr. Hoxhaj.

While at this stage, the project foresees the merging of consulates only in Milan and Canberra, it is crucially important that such steps are taken in other countries too. The unified representation will  lead towards a growing efficiency and cultural unity among the diaspora abroad.

The original article was posted at Panorama.com.al Click here to read the original article.

Kosovo: the cradle of football talent

Kosovo: the cradle of football talent

A brief analysis of the history of football in the troubled Balkan state. What are the reasons for Kosovo’s ineligibility for international competition? What sets it apart from, for example, Gibraltar? What could be its potential as a hypothetical selection consolidates?

Kosovo was part of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, which unequivocally, brings to life another question: what would have happened if the dismemberment of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia had not happened? At a political and social level, this question raises cruel memories of the worse violence in Europe since World War II: the Balkan Wars of the 90s. When it comes to football, however, it is impossible not to romanticize. Who would not enjoy watching Nemanja Vidic, Adnan Januzaj, Lazar Markovic, Stevan Jovetic, Luka Modric, Mario Mandzukic, Asmir Begovic, Edin Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic, and many others play on the same team? For any good football enthusiast, this idea of a team sounds like a dream.

For many, the Balkans were, are, and will always be the cradle of football talent. From the neighborhood of Maksimir in Zagreb to the suburbs of Sarajevo and all the way to Kalemegdan Park in Belgrade – portrayed many times by filmmaker Emir Kusturica in his films – balls continued to bounce off the walls of buildings despite the horror of war and ethnic conflict. These streets were now becoming witnesses of silence not resembling the passion that it once symbolized it while becoming prisoners of a turbulent historical memory. Yet, it still managed to bring joy during the grim 1990s. It was the elegant touch of Prosinecki, and the killer instinct of Pedja Mijatovic. It was that spectacular technique of Dejan Savicevic in the ranks of AC Milan, and the eternal skills of Sinisa Mihajlovic and Dragan Stojkovic. How could someone forget their character, their pride, and above all, their keen abilities on the turf?

Kosovo, a special case

Kosovo was one of the areas hit hardest by war. The Serbian people called Kosovo the cradle of their culture, leading to a difficult coexistence during the Balkan Wars and escalating to a war at the late 1990s. Only when NATO intervened in 1999 did the ethnic cleansing end. The problems for Kosovo continued, however, as Kosovo Albanians sought to secede from Serbia. This goal was realized in February 2008, when Kosovo’s Prime Minister. Hashim Thaçi declared the independence unilaterally.

Due to a deteriorating social conditions and struggles, many people of Kosovo origin sought refugee status in northern and central Europe during the 1990s. Many Kosovars migrated to Germany, the Scandinavian countries and, primarily, Switzerland. That is why the national football teams of these countries have so many Kosovar talents in their ranks. Many of these players were not even born in the countries they represents; rather, they were born in and subject to poor conditions in Prishtina, Mitrovica, Vushtri, and Gjilan, and left with their parents in search of a better future. Such are the cases of Xherdan Shaqiri, the great Bayern Munich winger who was born in Gjilan and Valon Behrami who was born in Mitrovica. Cases like these are numerous, which inevitably leads to the question: what would have happened if Kosovo were accepted in international competitions by FIFA and UEFA? Among other thingsthis remains complicated because of the pressure from countries like Serbia and Russia, which oppose Kosovo’s independence.

Gibraltar, the latest Controversy in the UEFA

On May 24th, 2013, the UEFA granted Gibraltar, a British territory, full membership. The English colony became the 54th member, thanks to the intervention of the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The surprise was great, but the team will not compete until the Euro 2016 in France qualifiers.

Gibraltar has a lot in common with other traditionally weak teams, such as San Marino or the Faroe Islands whose majority of players are amateurs and very few professional football players. For example, the tiny Centro Italic Republic of San Marino holds claims to Andy Selva, a veteran striker who developed much of his career at Serie B, at Grosseto and Hellas Verona. He now spends his football days with SS Cosmos of his native country. In Gibraltar, the only recognizable player is Liam Walker, a 25-year-old left midfielder who decided to take the English adventure, after making a name for himself in the Third Andalusian division and the Spanish Second B Division. Guy Whittingham is another example, trying to get back on track to success after struggling in League One.

1Name (Age/Team/Country)Goalkeeper: 
Jordan Perez (26/Lincoln FC/GIB).
Defenders:
Sean Mascarenhas (26/Laguna FC/GIB).
Jean Carlos García (33/Linense/ESP).
Shea Breakspear (34/Lincoln FC/GIB).
Joseph Chipolina (25/Linense/ESP).
Midfielders:
Colin Ramírez (24/Lincoln FC/GIB).
Christian Sánchez (32/Lincoln FC/GIB).
Liam Walker (25/Portsmouth/GBA).
John-Paul Duarte (31/Lincoln FC/GIB).
Brian Perez (30/Lincoln FC/GIB).
Forwarder:
Douglas Balloqui (29/Lincoln FC/GIB).

Despite its short international experience, the Gibraltan selection will have an opportunity which Kosovo does not. Gibraltar submitted an application for membership in the UEFA in 1997, and Chairman Michel Platini admitted them. However, a new rule in 2001 stated that only those recognized by the United Nations could apply to be members of UEFA. Because Gibraltar already had a team and had applied (I assume), the colony was exempt from this rule. But, Kosovo is not. Kosovo and its federation, headed by Fadil Vokrri, a known footballer of the 1980s, must overcome this obstacle. Gibraltar has moved away from the state’s controversial past, though a game between Spain and Gibraltar remain unlikely in the near future.

Up to date, Kosovo has been allowed to play international friendlies under certain conditions. Yet, Kosovo is not a UN member yet and therefore cannot participate in FIFA and UEFA organized qualifiers. Kosovo – affiliated players continue to play for other countries, most of them representing Switzerland and national team Albania, which many Kosovars also consider their own.

From Fadil Vokrri to Xherdan Shaqiri

The history of Kosovar football has its roots in the shape of a playmaker with an exquisite game viewing born June 23, 1960 in Podujevo, one of the smaller towns not far from the border with Serbia. It is where, Fadil Vokrri learnt to play football, and became one of the greatest players of Yugoslavia in the 1980s. Vokrri became the main figure of KF Prishtina, best Kosovo team competing within the first Yugoslav division and then landed in Partizan Belgrade in 1986.

Quick and with a powerful shot, he symbolized a star-powered next generation of Kosovar players such as Edmond Rugova and Agim Cana. After Partizan, Fadil Vokrri showed his skills and technique in France and Turkey. Today, his best pupil may be a Bayern Munich football player, Xherdan Shaqiri. Not only because of the quality resemblance, but also leadership. His leadership skills shone, and the young players blossomed under him.

2Vokrri was one of the members of Yugoslavia national team of the mid 80’s, alongside with other illustrious names as Mehmed Bazdarevic or Faruk Hadzibegic. He also shared a dressing room with other Balkan football greats such as Dragan Stojkovic or Srecko Katanec. It was a prelude to the great, but brief, Yugoslavia national team at the end of the decade, which gathered Prosinecki or Boban among others.

These aforementioned players represent only a taste of the football potential that has emerged from Kosovo or of Kosovar Albanian ethnic roots. Now, imagine, for a moment, that all these players playing abroad are gathered to represent the people of their ancestors. It may be very well be an interesting team and display of skills, as shown in the attached table.

3Name (Age/Team/Selection).
Goalkeeper:
Etrit Berisha (24/Kalmar/ALB).
Defenders:
Debatik Curri (29/Gençlerbirligi/ALB).
Lorik Cana (29/Lazio/ALB).
Armend Dallku (30/Vorskla Poltava/ALB).
Midfielders:
Valon Berisha (20/R.B. Salzburg/NOR).
Valon Behrami (28/Napoli/SUI).
Granit Xhaka (20/B. M’Gladbach/SUI).
Almen Abdi (26/Udinese/SUI).
Forwarders:
Emir Bajrami (25/Panathinaikos/SUE).
Fatos Beqiraj (25/Dinamo Zagreb/MNG).
Xherdan Shaqiri (21/Bayern München/SUI).

Based on the analysis, Kosovo could become a team with a large amount of potential, especially upfront. Names such as Lorik Cana, a cutting-defensive midfielder who can adapt to the axis of the rear (the coach is no longer Lazio’s coach) and Valon Berisha, the ball genius to emerge from the Norwegian Vikings are included. Also included are the midfielders Granit Xhaka, Xherdan Shaqiri and Valdet Rama, a skilled football player featuring in the Spanish La Liga side, Real Valladolid;all of them talented athletes forming a strong team.

The Kosovar talent is actually distributed all over the European continent. Astrit Ajdarevic passed through youth ranks from Liverpool to Leicester, and then to Sweden. He currently launches his career at Standard Liege, Belgium. Brothers Njazi and Shefki Kuqi came from Finland and are now playing their final football years for Greek Atromitos and Scottish Hinerbian, respectively.

The younger generation , however, is truly interesting. Names like Veton Berisha (the younger brother of Valon Berisha) plays currently at Viking Stavanger. The fifteen-year-old Zymer Bytyqi has recently signed onto the Austrian Red Bull Salzburg, and young Sinan Bytyqi plays for the U18 squad in Manchester City. Kamer Qaka is a talented young center in the Norwegian Valerenga, and do we even need to mention Adnan Januzaj the latest Manchester United and English Premier League star. The years to come will have a basket full of Kosovar talent.

Kosovo football team may seem far from taking shape due to obstacles it faces, but one thing is for sure: if these players are brought together, their competiveness will leave no one with everything, but indifferent.

unnamedPablo Varela (Corme, A Coruña, 1989). A historian and researcher turned into a multitasking journalist. He began writing to try to capture on paper what sometimes does not come out in public. He currently combines a degree in Communication and Creative Industries in Santiago de Compostela with his work in some media sports journalism, as VAVEL and in the near future, Perarnau Magazine.

Note this article originally appeared on Offside Magazine/ October 2013

Basketistat: sports, fun and charity for Kosovo

Basketistat have been active for 17 years now and a new generation is already on its way to continue their legacy of sports, fun and charity. Artor Behluli, one of the founding members explains that Basketistat is an informal club who does its bit for charity. “Jokingly, we call ourselves ‘Beer and Basketball Club’. Charity is something we do because we are lucky and privileged enough to be able to do it.”

As the name already suggests, members share at least one common thing: Basketball. “That’s exactly how the story starts. And, as one of our members said, will end with wheelchair basketball.” As Artor explains, the core of the group has been there from the very beginning in 1997. That’s when the Society of Albanian Students was founded, and their sports activities consisted mainly in playing basketball. “We never thought that 17 years later we would be doing the same thing.” The number of Basketista members has remained the same. According to Artor, “it has to do with the number of players on the court, and the size of the tables in the pub. I’m sure you’ve gathered already that these two are our main outlets. Members change as people return to the homeland, but we always manage to find replacements. Modesty aside, we’re quite popular and a very likeable bunch.”

Below is the second part of the interview:

Do you have members that are not Albanian?

“We have guests and associates who are not Albanian. In principle everyone is welcome to join our sessions, as long as they are not too bad (or too good) at basketball, and enjoy a drink or two.”

Do you cooperate with other charity groups?

“We have established a very good working relationship with the Kosovar Red Cross. While we raise the funds and decide on what they’ll be spent, they do all the ground work. We hope to carry on with the partnership, as we’re both very happy with each-other.”

What is it that makes you proud to be a Basketist?

“Never thought of that, but I guess I am proud to belong to a club that has survived for so many years. Someone told me the other day, “Your club is the longest-running establishment in the Albanian community in London”, which really caught me by surprise. We must be doing something right, if that’s the case. What people see in us is camaraderie, support and the bond we have with each-other.”

What would you say about your fellow Basketistat? From which professional background do they come?

“They are all well-educated professionals, coming from various backgrounds like IT, engineering, real estate, retail management, catering etc.”

Do you plan any initiatives in the near future?

“We do our annual charity bash around Albanian Flag Day, but we’ll try to squeeze in couple of other smaller events, like Summer Picnic and such. We’ll probably do a Bike Ride as well, for British Heart Foundation, Cancer Research or Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.”

How do you see your role as a Diaspora member?

“Not sure, really. After spending more than 20 years here, your perception of ‘here’ and ‘there’ tends to get blurry. What I never fail to do in my role as a ‘Diaspora member’, though, is to do my bit as an ambassador for my nation. “Hello, my name is Artor and I’m an Albanian” is the first two things people find out about me. Most of the time the second part does not matter, but I can’t be one without the other. It’s part of my identity. It is who I am.”

What connects you back to Kosovo?

“My parents and brothers live there and I try to visit at least twice a year. I have also friends, most of them who have been in the UK at some point in their lives but have decided to go back.”

What legacy do you want to leave for your fellow Albanians?

“‘Legacy’ is exactly what we are aiming for, and we have already started ‘recruiting’ the new generation of ‘Basketistat’. Most of us have young children, and our dream is to make them feel the connection with each other, and ultimately the land and people of their fathers. Not primarily for some patriotic reasons, but to help them understand who they are, to get them to know their roots and identity.”

Albanian school of music in Bern

Dhruata Lazo, Zija Bejleri, Gjergi Bejko, and Klaidi Sahatçi are scattered throughout Germany and Switzerland, but they are unified by their passion for music. This has now translated into their profession. The four of them are recent guests of the Bernermünster Cathedral in Bern, Switzerland, one of the country’s largest concert halls.

Sahatçi: From Zurich to Scala to Zurich

“Music enthusiast Zhaklina Dhimojani-Blättler, an Albanian living in Bern, is responsible for us being here,” Sahatçi says. Prior to establishing himself in Zurich, Sahatçi had worked for the Scala Theater in Milano, Italy. “Before that, I was a prime violinist in the Chamber Orchestra of Switzerland. After having spent some time in Milano, I applied for the Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich. There was fierce competition, but I prevailed and have returned to Zurich.”

When asked about differences between his work in Milano and Zurich, Sahatçi points out that he was performing opera music in Milano and intimate, symphonic music now. “Here, I am the prime violin and have the opportunity to play a violin made by Master Stradivari, a rare privilege for any artist.”

What is the secret to success of what can be called “The Albanian School of Music”? Klaidi was asked. His reply: “It is the passion and the sense of sacrifice that separates us from others; the internal forces that we turn into volcano when representing our country.”

Monetary returns to aid humanitarian project for kids in Albania

“The aid collected will be sent to kids in need in Himara, Albania,” states concert organizer, Dhimojani Blättler. She states that she intends to organize another similar event with classical music, with talented Albanian kids abroad.

The Bern concert that atracted a lot of art followers displayed most splendidly the qualities of 4 Albanians, each in their own instrument. Klajdi Sahatçi on violin, Dhurata Lazo-Bejleri and Gjergji Bejko on piano and Zija Beljeri with his soprano sax played pieces of world famous composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Schuber, Donizeti, Bellini etc. Albanian works were not absent in this evening; the concert is given a diversifying flavor with works of Albanian composers like A. Peçi and E. Rushiti.

This Sunday’s agenda included the promotion of the CD “Albanian Memories” with Klaidi Sahatçi and pianist Dhurata Lazo.

The original article was posted at Albinfo.ch Click here to read the original article.

Erza Aruqaj: Social Networks as a Way to Communicate

By Albesa Aliu
Erza Aruqaj was born in a small town in Kosovo, Skenderaj, in 1991. Due to the difficulties of living in Kosovo post war period, Erza and her family migrated to various cities in the northern part of Austria. She graduated from ‘Bundesrealgymnasium Steyr’ grammar school in 2010 and enrolled at the Vienna University of Economics and Business, where she pursued a degree in economics.

Living in Austria was not easy for Erza as she remembers growing up in an environment filled with prejudice towards Albanian women. Erza was discriminated for speaking a different language and for not being native Austrian as most of her friends were. Despite these difficulties, Erza is “aware of the luck and fortune of growing up as a bilingual European today,” and adds that these experiences made her the strong person she is today.

Moving to Vienna was an amazing experience for Erza; this opportunity made her an independent and a strong woman. During her years at the Vienna University, she was politically involved on the Socialist Students organization in Vienna, and later became the political secretary of the organization. This opportunity exposed Erza to learn more about the leftist ideology by through readings and discussions. She also began tweeting as @a_erza, discovering in this manner a way to communicate with people from all over the world. Upon quitting her political involvement activities, Erza also began a blog called “Albanian fear of feminism.” Erza’s involvement and writings on the blog, led for Hana Marku to ask her to join Kosovo2.0 as a contributing writer.

Currently, Erza writes on women’s right and issues in Kosovo’s society and abroad. She is especially interested in the problem of living and growing up in a society where women are told to focus on getting married and creating a family. Erza mentions that she was lucky enough to have a supporting family and a mother who worked hard to offer Erza and her younger brothers a good education and a successful future.

Erza is only 22 but yet her hard work and strong dedication has contributed to her exciting life of a writer and a thinker. She was exposed to firsthand policy making actions while she worked as a trainee at the Ministry of European Integration in Kosovo and was impressed by the number of people who were working for the betterment of our society.

Today Erza continues to write for lajmi.net, which is a source of journalism in Kosovo. She also continues to pursue her passion of communicating with people; discussing different topics and themes with them.

Additionally, Erza works as a teaching assistant in Statistics at the University of Economics and Business Administration while filling a position of a trainee at the National Bank of Austria. She says that economics and statistics are her passion and have inspired her tweeting and blogging.

“My story is a little different from those of the current Albanian diaspora: I am lucky to have a supporting family, but also a chance that opened through the use of social media as a communication platform to get involved in the economic and political development in the Balkans, especially in Kosovo” she says.

Erza concludes by saying that she is proud of having roots in Kosovo and that even though she is against ethnocentric nationalism; she sees her success story as a motivation for those Kosovars who live abroad and that never forgot their roots.

Shqipe Malushi: Changing One Life at a Time Worldwide!

Shqipe Malushi is a writer, an empowerment coach, a leadership trainer, a visionary and an inclusive lover of people worldwide. Most importantly, Shqipe is an energetic, inspiring and ahead of time human being who is constantly on the move, often times living in the world’s most trouble spots.

Born and raised in Peja, Kosovo during the Cold War, Shqipe always felt and acted somewhat different from her peers. After her father passed away, she strived to break the cycle of tradition and discipline in her patriarchal hometown. At the age of 14 she ran away from home to see and seek the world. Her first itinerary was Istanbul where after a movie-like journey and a month of a hippie life, she was sent back to Kosovo by Interpol. A year of home confinement had Shqipe attempt a suicide which she fortunately survived. Finally, Shqipe was let go to be herself. In spite of many challenges and a faire dose of good and bad adventures, Shqipe has found a way to excel in her constant seeking.

In the professional realm, she has been using storytelling to raise awareness, provide capacity building, strengthen leadership skills, implement change management, and promote vision building and understanding of cross cultural issues.  She works on peace building and strengthening relationships in Afghanistan, Lebanon, India, Kosovo, Albania, and the United States.  She is involved in humanitarian causes, overcoming racial, cultural and religious differences. She motivates, inspires and influences a positive change.

As an Executive Director for Albanian American Women’s Organization (AAWO) in New York, Shqipe empowered refugee women and enabled them to integrate into the cultural fabric of American way of life. Shqipe led Albanian American women through education, cultural exchange, human rights and psycho-social programs. She was a founder and an editor of “Shpresa” (Hope) Magazine. During the conflict in Kosovo, Shqipe provided psycho social counseling, guidance and financial support to the refugees in the camps in Albania. As a writer,Shqipe has been published internationally, including but not limited to a book of poetry “For You” in Albanian, “The Gift of the Prophets“ and among the translations “The Wisdom of Sufism.“

Shqipe has been a catalyst for change in many countries. Some of her successes stories lie on enabling others to achieve their long desired dreams. For example:

Nisrin from Lebanon writes: “I am in Tripoli and I wish I can see you before you leave! You are my Idol. If there are 1% in the world like you it would have been a better World“

Ruqia from Afghanistan writes: “When I write to you, I imagine you are hearing my words. I’m happy I have someone who advises me and gives me positive energy to go ahead.“

Vaishali  fron India writes: “ I’m from India, I just heard your interview on TV. and I really loved it. I called my aunt and told her to switch on the TV and watch it. You changed my mindset. I’m happier and energetic now just hearing you for 30 minutes.“

Shqipe Malushi changes lives wherever she goes. She is an advocate for peace promoting love among people, inclusiveness, and caring for humanity. She holds a Masters of Sciences in Liberal Arts from New York University, including a Bachelor’s of Arts and Sciences from Sarah Lawrence College, N.Y. She is also certified in Leadership and Executive Management from Columbia University.

Gjyle Krasniqi to explore diaspora through “Secondove”

“Tuchlaube” theater will be hosting this years play festival. Gjyle Krasniqi, the co-founder and promoter is excited to talk about “Secondove” and this years theme “Tolerance”. 

Today marks the beginning of the seventh annual theater festival “Secondove” (second generation immigrants) themed “Tolerance”. Up to 15th of March, the public will have the chance to see five different plays and organized events.

Actors from over 20 different nationalities are expected to perform in plays that explore the various problems that foreigners and second generation immigrants experience in Switzerland. All five plays are nominated for the festival’s best, thus encouraging competition between casts from Aarau,Berlin/Kassel,Bochum,Versacio and Zurich. Apart from plays, the festival is intended to host lectures, workshops and debates.

The leader and co founder of the Festival is Gjyle Krasniqi from Kosova, who living for 26 years now in Switzerland has given her the inspiration and dedication to explore the nature of the diaspora and the daily challenges this community faces.

The original article was posted at Kultplus. Click here to read the original article.