Welcome to the Official Website of the National Albanian American Council
Congratulations Energy and Economy Hope Fellows!
NAAC would like to congratulate the most recent Hope Fellowship graduates! The Energy and Economy group recently completed their six week fellowship in Washington, DC.
This diverse group of 12 women leaders from Kosovo met with U.S. departments and agencies, think-tanks, NGOs, U.S. Representatives, and diplomats from around the globe. The group included:
- Leonita Shabani – Chief of Cabinet/Spokesperson—Ministry of Economic Development
- Gentina Jusufi– Fiscal Policy Senior Analyst, Department for Economic and Fiscal Policy—Ministry of Finance
- Ilirjana Mejzini – Coordinator of Urban Cooperation, Department of Spatial Planning—Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning
- Lejla Sadiku—Project Manager and Political Advisor—Norwegian Embassy
- Albina Berisha—Small and Micro Enterprise (SME) Officer—Community Development Fund (CDF)
- Shqipe Neziri—Project Manager/Trainer—Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe
- Leonora Hysenaj—Manager, Project Implementation Unit—Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK)
- Eglantina Hoxha-Kastrati—Stakeholders and Events Manager—Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK)
- Arijeta Pajaziti-Qerimi—SCADA Developer, System Operator Department—Electricity Transmission System and Market Operator (KOSTT)
- Zana Sulhasi-Zherka—New Product Development Coordinator for Telecom Unit, Marketing Department—Post Telecommunications of Kosovo
- Dhurata Prokshi—Head of Regional Office—Caritas
- Ilire Rizvanolli— Owner/Manager of Komiteti Restaurant in Prishtina
This newest group of Hope Fellowship alumnae will now begin implementing their individual and group projects in Kosovo. Congratulations to the Hope Fellowship Spring Class of 2012!
Hope Fellowship was established by the National Albanian American Council (NAAC) and is funded by USAID to strengthen the role of women in policy and decision-making in the Balkans. The program operates in Kosovo, empowering women leaders to create collaborative, sustainable, positive change in government, civil society, and business that strengthen the democratic process and promotes prosperity for all peoples in the country. NAAC’s aim is to contribute to the development of the Balkans by offering concrete support in the form of educational opportunities and tools to foster democratic participation.
NAAC Condemns Killings in Macedonia, Urges Calm
The National Albanian American Council extends its condolences to the families of the five men killed in Smiljkovci, Macedonia and condemns this senseless act in the strongest terms. We support Interior Minister, Gordana Jankulovska for appealing to the public to remain calm and not to speculate on any ethnic motive for this horrible crime.NAAC calls upon ethnic Albanians and Macedonians to maintain calm to allow the justice authorities to perform their duties and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
We applaud the political leadership of Albania and Kosova for offering their full support to resolve this matter. Macedonia's future integration into Euro-Atlantic structures depends on ethnic Albanians and Macedonians living and working harmoniously
Congressman Gary Peters calls on Montenegro to grant Tuz municipal status
The Montenegrin Ambassador to the United States received a letter written by Congressmen Gary Peters, Jean Schmidt and Eliot Engel to the Montenegrin Prime Minister, Igor Lukšić. For months, these Congressmen have been working to encourage the Montenegrin government to work with the ethnic Albanian population in Montenegro. Congressman Peters and his colleagues strongly encourage the Government of Montenegro to grant Tuz municipal status. Congressman Peters proudly represents a large population of Albanian Americans in Michigan, many of whom are originally from the Tuzi (Malesia) area. As an active member of the Congressional Albanian Caucus, Congressman Peters and his colleagues request that “Montenegro follow the wishes of the local citizens and revisit the issue of establishing a Tuzi municipality with a goal of formally setting up a municipality before the end of 2012”.
His Excellency Igor Lukšić
Prime Minister
Podgorica, Republic of Montenegro
Dear Prime Minister Lukšić:
We write as strong supporters of the U.S.-Montenegrin relationship and friends of the people of Montenegro. Montenegro has only been an independent, sovereign state for five years, but in that time your country has advanced markedly, achieving candidate status with the European Union and hopefully joining NATO later this year.
We would like to raise an issue of importance to Montenegro's ethnic Albanian minority. Between Podgorica and Montenegro's border with Kosova a sizable Albanian population lives in the Tuzi (Malёsia) area. For several years, the local population of the Tuzi region had desired greater local control and requested to be designated a separate municipality. The ethnic Albanian population of this region had hoped that, under European standards for establishing municipalities, Tuzi could be separated from Podgorica and power could be devolved to the local community, similar to how municipalities have been created for ethnic Serbian communities in Kosova. A compromise measure, the Capital City Law, was passed designating Tuzi as a "City District," within which the local citizens would be given some autonomy and several organs of local democracy, including a mayor and local assembly. The community was told at the time that this arrangement was not necessarily permanent, but could be changed if people felt it was not adequate.
We have now heard from the residents of the Tuzi region that they believe that the provisions of the Capital City law did not give Tuzi sufficient local control and that an official municipality should be established. However, we understand that in November 2011 the Montenegrin parliament passed the Law on Territorial Organization, but did not establish the Tuzi municipality.
We, therefore, would respectfully request that Montenegro follow the wishes of the local citizens and revisit the issue of establishing a Tuzi municipality with a goal of formally setting up a municipality before the end of 2012. Further, we believe that as Montenegro moves to open negotiations with the EU on accession, establishment of a municipality in Tuzi could underscore Montenegro's commitment to consolidating its multi-ethnic democracy with full protections of the rights of its minorities.
We greatly appreciate your consideration of our views and look forward to opening a dialogue with your government on this issue in the coming days.
Sincerely,
Eliot L. Engel Jean Schmidt Gary C. Peters
Member of Congress Member of Congress Member of Congress
National Albanian American Council (NAAC) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and conducting educational and developmental programs.
