Musa Hajdari from the Athletic club “Roganë” Kamenicë, was declared the best athlete of 2014. He is a Kosovar middle-distance track athlete who specializes in the 800 meters category.
He represented Kosovo at the 2015 World Championship in Athletics and during the Championship in Macedonia. He holds the record for the 1500m category in Kosovo. This year, he will represent Kosovo in the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
Rita Zeqiri has participated in many international competitions and is a multiple swimming champion of Kosovo. She will compete in Rio in the 100 meter backstroke discipline. 
Rita began swimming when she was 10 years old and continues to swim with the same joy and dedication even now, 9 years later. Rita won over 100 awards and has been a champion of Kosovo for the past five years. Her first debut in a major international competition was in Kazan with Rio promising to be another great adventure for her career.
DOKU:TECH Special Edition will take place on July 21, 2016 in The National Library of Kosovo and will bring an astonishing range of topics with scientific value and emerging technologies. DOKU:TECH Special Edition will feature Laura Mersini – Houghton, the Albanian-American cosmologist, who will present unrivalled theory of the universe as a wave function on the landscape multiverse which she propounded among the world’s most influential scientists, such as: Michio Kaku, Neil Turok, and Andrei Linde.
Laura Mersini Houghton is a cosmologist and theoretical physicist, and associate professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a proponent of the multiverse hypothesis which holds that our universe is one of many. She argues that anomalies in the current structure of the universe are best explained as the gravitational tug exerted by other universes. Mersini-Houghton received her B.S. degree from the University of Tirana, Albania, and her M.Sc. from the University of Maryland. She was awarded a Ph.D. in 2000 by the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.
The historic Stage 48 NYC opened its doors to a sold out crowd on Sunday, March 27, 2016 for Albanian Fashion Week 2016. New Yorkers welcomed international Pop Rock Prince Matteo Brento to NYC’s largest and hottest club in Times Square.
The X-Factor Albania Star, Matteo Brento opened the New York show in front of a packed house of 400 adoring fans with his newest single #21 (Goodbye My Love). The new hit #21 (Goodbye my love) is composed and written by award-winning artist Michele Bisceglia, writer and showrunner of ‘IF, winner of “Best Original Song”. The song is arranged by Alessandro Di Lascia in collaboration with vocal coach Cristina Bisceglia.
Matteo treated the crowd to an evening of greatest classics performing Italian hits like “Caruso” by Lucio Dalla, “L’ultima occasione” by Mina, “La donna cannone” by Francesco De Gregori and “E penso a te” by Lucio Battisti.
“It was truly an honor to perform at the Albanian Fashion Week in New York some of the greatest classics and most beloved Italian songs. Caruso by Lucio Dalla is a classic of Italian music known all over the world. What I respect about a legend like Lucio Dalla is that he is a great artist who is not just writing songs, but he is telling real poems,” said Pop Rock star Matteo Brento.
“Congratulations to Mrika Krasniqi, the organizer of the Albanian Fashion Week in New York for such an incredible and successful event. Albanian Fashion Show is the biggest show in USA for Albanian top designers. A very sophisticated show, a pleasant night and highly entertaining. Thank you for having Matteo Brento as special guest at such a fantastic evening,” said Armando Roberto, Matteo Brento’s manager.
Other highlights of Matteo Brento’s performance included the popular Albanian anthem “Xhamandani vija vija” by Ilirët (composed by award-winning Zef Çoba) and “Summertime sadness” by Lana Del Rey, winner of MTV Music Award and Grammy nominee. The later song “Je Ti” by Albanian superstar Alban Skënderaj was dedicated to X-Factor Albania and Matteo’s worldwide Albanian fans. Matteo Brento first performed “Je Ti” to millions of fans during the live broadcast of the biggest talent competition in Europe, The X-Factor Show.
“It was a dream week! The performance at the Albanian Fashion Week NY was a huge success. The shoot of the music video in New York was amazing,” said superstar Matteo Brento. “It was even more incredible to have known special people. Thank you for treating me like a great artist, a great team! Thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone! See you soon,” said successful European artist Matteo Brento regarding his debut in United States.
Albanian Fashion Week 2016 is organized by Mrika Krasniqi, founder and CEO of Albanian Fashion Agency and Nil Production in New York. The Albanian Fashion Show presented the best looks from the biggest night in fashion in Manhattan. According to the press release published on the official website of Matteo Brento (www.matteobrento.com), the artist was accompanied by his Italian manager Armando Roberto and his NY Management for the Red Carpet VIP Fashion Show.
“The evening was even more grandiose with Matteo’s performance. It was such a special honor for us to have Matteo Brento at the Albanian Fashion Show. He brought such a classy and warm atmosphere for the public with all the songs that he performed, especially with the ‘Xhamadani Vija Vija’ song. He sang it so well that I got very emotional hearing it,” said Mrika Krasniqi, organizer of Albanian Fashion Week 2016 in New York.
Ambassador H.E. Ylber Kryeziu welcomed Matteo Brento and Armando Roberto to a meet-and-greet at the General Consulate of Kosovo in New York on Monday, March 28, 2016. Matteo Brento said that it was a great privilege and pleasure and thanked Ambassador Kryeziu for the warm welcome and he looks forward to his next projects in Albania and Kosovo.
“I am very excited about my new collaboration with Michele Bisceglia. We are preparing something special for Kenga Magjike in Albania later this year. I would like to present a traditional Albanian song in this great festival to represent the beautiful Albanian culture,” said the internationally known Matteo Brento.
Swiss Cooperation Office in Kosovo (SCO-K) and Kosovar Civil Society Foundation (KCSF) launched a call for proposals for diaspora organizations.
The overall goal of DSP is to support the development of a democratic society in Kosovo. Through years 2014 – 2018, except the support for projects implemented through Kosovo based organizations, DSP will offer support also the diaspora organizations.
The areas where DSP will invest cover diaspora civic and political rights in Kosovo and transfers of “know-how” by Kosovo’s diaspora for social and economic development in Kosovo. In reaching these objectives, DSP will employ project grants with the purpose of supporting the existing and new civic potential in Diaspora.
Applicants with their proposals shall address one of the priority intervention areas below:
– Diaspora media and civil society contribute to policy and decision-making processes that reflect diaspora civic and political rights in Kosovo.
– Initiatives that aim to create sustainable and institutional mechanisms for providing and transferring sectoral know-how between diaspora and Kosovo are supported
Civil society organizations based in diaspora must fill the application form for grants and budget including all obligatory documents. Completed applications shall be submitted by email at [email protected]. The application will constantly remain open.
Guidelines for applications for diaspora can be found here.
Any question you may have on the preparation of applications or grant application details can be sent via e-mail at [email protected].
Click here for the Albanian version
Click here for the Serbian version
With a Cup of Sugar is a story about Kosovo and its people. It shows the country’s attempts at building a stable future through friendship, exchange, recognition abroad, and its unique relationship with the U.S. state of Iowa. The producer and director, Luke T. Harwath has launched a Kickstarter campaign, and needs your help to spread the word to make this film a reality.
Luke T. Harwath is an experienced filmmaker. He has produced and directed numerous films around the world. His projects range from depicting disaster zones in Southeast Asia to showcasing Sake Breweries and post-tsunami life in Japan. He has been commissioned to work for the President of China and is currently hoping to complete ‘With a Cup of Sugar’ in Kosovo.
With a Cup of Sugar, however, is only going to be possible with your involvement. Please spread the word and help Luke’s team reach their goal of $48,000 on the Kickstarter campaign. You have until Wednesday, 24th February to contribute to this great project and help share Kosovo’s culture and beauty with the world.
As they continued to develop their love for nature, five young men from Kosovo recently joined forces and took their passion to another level.
Arian, Taulant, Leorent, Adi, and Kushtrim are the founders of Supercampers—a group that organizes camping and hiking trips around Kosovo. Driven by their love of nature, about five years ago, these young men started exploring the natural beauty of Kosovo’s ancient mountains. “We have mainly been inspired by the endless potential that Kosovo’s nature has to offer and by the many experiences each of us has had while travelling for work to Europe and the US”, say the founders. Each of them were able to draw lessons from the way other countries have embraced and incorporated nature in their respective cultures. Supercampers want to apply those lessons towards creating a similar culture in Kosovo.
The idea to create something like Supercampers has been brewing for a long time, according to them. Seeing how such initiatives are rare in Kosovo, they decided that showcasing Kosovo’s beauty is the best way to give back to the country.
During the past five years, the founders have been able to hone their skills and have come across numerous beautiful and interesting places in the country. As a result, Supercampers now organize hikes and camping trips in many different locations in Kosovo. During each trip, their goal is to be able to discover something new and then to share it with others. Some of the most popular spots remain Bjeshket e Nemuna (Rugova Mountains) and Sharri Mountains. In addition, Supercampers have also started working on branching out and organizing trips to the neighboring countries, such as Albania, Montenegro, and Macedonia.
Considering that it is in the initial stages, Supercampers’ current plans include mostly weekend camping and hiking trips. However, the founders hope to extend the length of the trips during summertime. During the summer months, Kosovo becomes a popular tourist destination for thousands of Kosovar Albanians who live abroad. Supercampers want to be able to help acquaint people with what Kosova has to offer in addition to the vibrant urban atmosphere.
Finally, Supercampers understands that proper usage of social media and technology can be very beneficial. They have embraced the social media world to the fullest as the most convenient and effective way to reach their targeted audience. “By taking advantage of technology and modern media, we think that visually documenting our activities will help us reach the goal that we have set for ourselves—promoting Kosovo and its beauty and showing the world that we are capable of organizing and creating beautiful things.”
A quick look at their Instagram feed and their Facebook page will give you the urge to pack up your bags and leave on the first possible flight.
This past week, UNIVERSUM School of Digital Diplomacy brought together 25 talented youngsters age 17 – 22 to partake on an advanced training and coaching week in digital diplomacy. This weeklong training incorporated lecturers from professionals working in the field of Digital Diplomacy and discussion with successful pioneers of Kosovo Digital Diplomacy.
Through the week, participants also developed five projects focused on promoting Kosovo internationally through digital means. The organizers believe that this school will help young people learn about Digital Diplomacy, as well as promote Kosovo’s digital presence. The ultimate goal being to create international recognition for Kosovo.
To support and visit some of the current project being implemented please see below:
Unique Kosovo HERE
HelloKosovo HERE
Share the image of Kosovo HERE
LambdaLambdaLambda is the first space run by internationals for contemporary art located in Pristina. Isabella Ritter and Katharina Schendl (both from Austria) opened this Art Space in October 2014, to provide artists, professionals and audience with an intimate and informal environment conducive to experimentation, discussion and learning. This week LambdaLambdaLambda announced the opening of “Degenerative Imaging in the Dark”, an exhibition by Jeremy Shaw.
Jeremy Shaw works in a variety of media to explore altered states and the cultural and scientific practices that aspire to map transcendental experience. Often combining strategies from the realms of conceptual art, documentary film, music, video, and scientific research, Shaw’s work has addressed topics ranging from psychedelic drugs, brain imaging and hypnosis, to snake-handling, straight-edge hardcore and time travel. Key to his practice is the proposal of a collapsed time zone in which alchemical elements and ideals are considered with equal validity.
In his exhibition at LambdaLambdaLambda the artist is showing “Degenerative Imaging in the Dark,” a series of light-activated, glow-in-the-dark vinyl cut-outs made in reference to commercially produced star and planet stickers. Shaw’s source material comes from 3D SPECT scan renderings of the degenerative effects of mind-altering substance use on the blood flow and metabolism of the human brain. With this series the artist is continuing his interest in the grey area between scientific and populist mapping/representation of altered states. The prints are charged by fluorescent light once every 30 minutes, causing them to glow strongly and slowly fade, glow and fade; static time-based mediums on repeat. Also on view is the most current version of “This Transition Will Never End” (2008– present) – Shaw’s ongoing archive of appropriated footage taken from a wide variety of movies and television in which a vortex, or any such tunnel-like or spiraling image is used to represent the slippage of time or a transition from one reality to another.
For more information about this event, please click HERE
In the summer of 2015, the University of Konstanz and the University of Prishtina collaborated to run a biological summer school, held in Junik. While running the school, the director, Dr. Schmitz along with eight biology students from the University of Konstanz, two biology students from the University of Prishtina and a taxidermist of thee natural-history museum of Stuttgart talked about a potential museum. It was Liridon Hoxha’s idea to open a specialized museum for natural history.
Liridon Hoxha, a biology student at the the University of Konstanz explained for Kosovo Diaspora the main idea for having such a museum. Hoxha who is completing his MSc in Konstanz, Germany is originally from Kosovo. He is an active member of many student groups, such as Green, student’s parliament, Etudes Sans Frontiéres. While attending meetings at Etudes Sans Frontiers, he heard about projects in countries such as Congo, Afghanistan, and Chechenia all of which face numerous challenges. This motivated him to do something for Kosovo.
Hoxha then started a group called ‘Work group Kosovo’, with some of his friends. They brainstormed about what possible projects they could do for making studying in Kosovo possible and in the same time better. Having a background in Biology, Hoxha explained that he always wanted to raise people’s awareness about nature and how they could protect it.
After the excursion of four universities located in different cities of Kosovo (Prishtina, Peja, Gjakova and Prizren), representatives of the Municipality of Junik, environmental organizations and the Agency for Environmental Protection of Kosovo (KEPA), are interested in cooperation, they have expressed interest and would like to implement this project together with the University of Konstanz. The aim of this ambitious project is to strengthen education about the environment in Kosovo, and improve the scientific data on the flora and fauna. They also hope to boost tourism and the local economy through this project.
It is worth mentioning that during the team’s trip to Junik Mountains, students came across rare species or habitats, which have disappeared from other European countries. For example, they found Lanius senator, a bird type that has abandoned the territories of European fauna long ago.