Kadri Bekteshi, Keeping the Albanian Tradition Alive in Germany

By: Albina Makolli    January 30, 2014

Kadri Bekteshi doesn’t stop. He is always on the move, enthusiastic about engaging Kosovo’s diaspora youth in intellectual activities. Although it has been some time, it is worth telling the story of a competition he organized.

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This event consisted of Albanian classrooms competing against each other for intellectual glory, as well as raising awareness for the Albanian community in Germany. The diaspora in Germany has the potential to offer great things for Germany, Kosovo, and Europe as a whole. The Chair of the EU Foreign Affairs Committee, Elmar Brok, was present for the event. He was honored by the association Kosovo 81, lead by Kadri Bekteshi. Bekteshi always looks out for new opportunities to engage EU politicians in his social activities, especially when it may present new opportunities for the Albanian community in Germany. Mr. Brok stressed the importance of cherishing Europe’s cultural wealth and encouraged young Albanians to remember their language, culture, and traditions.

The competition covered several disciplines: Geography, Albanian grammar, society, literature and history. Out of nine schools, two schools currently share the first place, a school from Bielefeld and a school representing Viersen. Those ‘Albanian schools’ as referred to in this post, are small groups of Albanian students who attend German schools, and decide to additionally attend Albanian lessons after their regular school hours.

Albina Makolli

Albina Makolli is a blog contributor. She fled Kosovo when she was four; she grew up in Germany. Albina received her under graduate degree in European studies, and then continued with a graduate program in Public Policy and Human Development at the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance. Within the framework of her graduate program she specialized in Migration studies. Last summer (2012), Albina visited Kosovo for the purpose of conducting research for her Master thesis. The data that she gathered helped her to learn more about young Kosovars’ emigration plans and concerns about their country’s economic development. This summer she returned to Kosovo to work for the IOM and UNDP joint project 'Diaspora Engagement in Economic Development'. The purpose of the study is to facilitate and incentivise Diaspora investments in Kosovo.

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