From albboschurch at juno.com Fri Sep 10 17:50:35 2004 From: albboschurch at juno.com (Albanian Orthodox Church) Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2004 17:50:35 -0400 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Boston: St John's 70th AnniversaryDinner Dance Message-ID: <20040910.175514.-252797.12.albboschurch@juno.com> HTML attachment scrubbed and removed -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: StJohnFlyer090904.doc Type: application/msword Size: 37376 bytes Desc: not available URL: From mentor at alb-net.com Mon Sep 13 07:13:44 2004 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Mentor Cana) Date: Mon, 13 Sep 2004 07:13:44 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] New Albanian Book: NEWS RELEASE from THE IVANAJ FOUNDATIONS (fwd) Message-ID: NEWS RELEASE from THE IVANAJ FOUNDATIONS ============================================================= http://www.ivanaj.org/publishing.htm NEW ALBANIAN BOOK PUBLICATION September 2004 The Ivanaj Foundations, with headquarters in both New York and Tirana, are pleased to announce the recent publication of a new, 240 page, book in Albanian language : "MIRASH IVANAJ -- personalitetit i shquar i universit shqiptar" A limited number of copies are now available in the U.S. of this book (see below a synopsis in Albanian), which can be obtained with a minimum contribution to the Foundation: http://www.ivanaj.org/publishing.htm We are a tax-exempt, charitable organization, not for profit corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the I.R.S. code, publicly supported, so that donations, bequests, and gifts are deductible within the limits of the law, for income and estate tax purposes. The Martin and Mirash Ivanaj Foundation Cherokee Station - PO Box 20661 New York, NY 10021-0073 URL: http://www.ivanaj.org Tel/Fax : 212-744-4294 EMail: info at ivanaj.org ================= P?rmbledhje nga Pertefe Leka Doli ne qarkullim libri, Mirash Ivanaj, personalitet i shquar i Universit Shqiptar me autor historianin Dr.Iljaz Gogaj. Eshte libri i tete i autorit ne fushen e histories se arsimit dhe te mendimit pedagogjik shqiptar, botimin e te cilit e realizoi pas nje studimi te gjate shumevjecar rreth figures se ndritur te Mirash Ivanajt. Libri ndahet nder 10 kapituj. Fillon me disa te dhena historiko-gjeografike te vendorigjines se familjes Ivanaj, vazhdon me vitet e rinise te vellezerve Martin & Mirash Ivanaj dhe shkollimin e tyre, deri ne Universitetin e Romes. Botimet e tyre ne proze poezi e drame te cilat i ka cituar autori ne liber i perkasin periudhes se rinise shkollore. Nje kapitull me vete ia ka kushtuar autori aktivitetit te te M.Ivanajt ne gazeten Republika si drejtor dhe autor i shume artikujve me prirje republikane. Hapesiren me te madhe ne liber autori ia ka kushtuar qendrimit ne Shkoder dhe Tirane ne fillim avokat, mesues dhe pastaj drejtor i Gjimnazit te Shtetit. Ne vazhdimesi jepet ngjarja me e rendesishme ne jeten e M.Ivanajt, kur ai pranoi ftesen e Mbretit Zog kundershtarit te tij politik, per te marre persiper detyren e Ministrit te Arsimit. Jane dokumentuar me vertetesi Reforma Arsimore e Ivanajt dhe diskutimi ne parlamentin shqiptar per miratimin e tezave te reja ne ndryshimet konstruktive te sistemit arsimor ne Shqiperi. Pastaj jepet doreheqja dinjitoze dhe ngritja ne postin e larte te Kryetarit te Keshillit te Shtetit. Vijne radhazi ne menyre kronologjike ngjarjet e 7 Prillit 1939, kerkesa per arme per te luftuar fashizmin. Ikja ne mergim. Jeta plot dhimbje ne Turqi me vdekjen e te vellait. Ftesa e Enver Hoxhes per tu kthyer ne Shqiperi. Arrestimi, mbrojtja burrerore ne gjyq, burgu dhe fundi tragjik. Ne liber do te gjeni sfida dhe te papritura te propagandave te huaja per te ndalur progresin ne Shqiperi. Do te lexoni dialogje interesante te M.Ivanajt me Mbretin Zog dhe Enver Hoxhen. Ne liber do te njiheni me personalitetet me te shquara te arsimit kombetar dhe te shtetit shqiptar te asaj kohe:Hile Mosi,Mati Logoreci, Aleksander Xhuvani, Ahmet Gashi,Mitrush Kuteli,Fan Noli, Gjergj Fishta, Skender Luarasi, Gjergj Kokoshi, etj. Ne mbyllje te librit, autori ka bere pershkrimin fizik dhe moral te M.Ivanajt, duke shkrire emocionet e veta rreth personazhit te tij te admiruar. Per te arritur ne kete perfundim ka shfrytezuar nje dokumentacion te pasur arkivor, ditaret e ish nxenesve te M.Ivanajt, bisedat gojore ne Tuz me te afermit e familjes, shenimet e Skender Luarasit, fotografite e familjes, korespondencen me te vellane Martinin, Safet Butken e Demir Vilen etj., dosjen e burgut dhe botimet e vazhdueshme per M.Ivanajn pas viteve 90. Libri ka vlera te medha njohese historiko-pedagogjike, prandaj eshte i vlefshem per tu mbajtur mbi tavolinen e nje mesuesi e studenti, nje politikani a sociologu, nje gazetari a poeti, nje drejtori a menaxheri, nje linguisti a historiani, nje juristi a shtetari dhe te cdo shqiptari qe e do Shqiperine. From iliri at hotmail.com Tue Sep 21 17:05:03 2004 From: iliri at hotmail.com (Flir Mosho) Date: Tue, 21 Sep 2004 17:05:03 -0400 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Ftese per takim me Kryeministrin Nano Message-ID: FYI -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- T? nderuar bashkatdhetar?, Ambasadori i Shqip?ris? n? Washington, zoti Fatos Tarifa ka nderin dhe k?naq?sin? t'Ju ftoj? n? nj? takim me Kryeministrin e Shqip?ris? zotin Fatos Nano, n? Boston dit?n e shtun? m? dat? 25 shtator 2004, nga ora 11:00 deri n? 12:30. Takimi do t? zhvillohet n? Universitetin e Massachusetts, n? Snowden Auditorium, n? katin e par? t? Wheatley Building. Gjithashtu n? takim mund t? merrni edhe bashkatdhetar? t? tjer?, t? cil?t nuk i ka arritur ky njoftim. Shpresojm? t'Ju takojm? dit?n e shtun?. P?rsh?ndetje Elton Talka Public Transportation Subway: Take the Red Line to JFK/UMass Station. A free shuttle bus will carry you to the campus. Commuter Rail: Take the commuter rail to the JFK/UMass station from the South Shore on the Middleboro and Plymouth lines. Bus: Kenmore Square stop (service all day): the Number 8 bus; the last one leaves campus at 1 a.m. Forest Hills stop (rush hour only): the Number 16. By car from the north Take Interstate 93 South through Boston to exit 15 (JFK Library/South Boston/Dorchester) and follow the University of Massachusetts signs along Columbia Road and Morrissey Boulevard to the campus. By car from the south Take Interstate 93 North to exit 14 (JFK Library/Morrissey Boulevard) and follow Morrissey Boulevard north to the campus. By car from the west Take the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) east to Interstate 93. Take I-93 South one mile to exit 15 (JFK Library/South Boston/Dorchester) and follow the University of Massachusetts signs along Columbia Road and Morrissey Boulevard to the campus. -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Fri Sep 24 22:56:38 2004 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 19:56:38 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Koha Jone: Kryqezim-Ckryqezim i Relievit Shqiptar Message-ID: <20040925025638.49260.qmail@web11506.mail.yahoo.com> E Merkure, 22 Shtator 2004 KRYQEZIM-CKRYQEZIM I RELIEVIT At Foti Cici Eshte nevoje shpirterore e psikologjike e ushtruesit te besimit ortodoks per ta ngulur veten mes disa simboleve te cilat rendom i ka te paradhena e jo te perzgjedhura. Bashkevendosja e ortodoksit me simbolet hyjnore kercenohet gjithmone nga vetevendosja e tij, perderisa simbolika pamore perdoret si mjet ne betejen per t'u ruajtur nga vetvetja dhe nga bota. Por cfare ndodh me ortodokset kur keto simbole dalin nga shprehja e perdorimit privat dhe i ekspozohen botes se larmishme e te perzier nga cdo pikepamje? Ne qofte se te krishteret e trajtojne boten jashte tyre, paresisht terrenin gjeografik, si krijese te nderlikuar por tmerresisht te bukur, sepse gjithcka eshte bere "me urtesi", ata kane nevoje te admirojne e te shtangen. Cdo maje e heshtur mali, cdo shkundje e hirshme shpendesh, cdo shpengim i shtazeve, cdo detaj i krijeses lendore, pra, shpirtezohet dhe lidhet, qe te marre kuptim, me mikroboten njerezore, e bashkeqenshme kjo me simbolet e tyre fetare. Me keto bindje, ekspozimi ne nje lartesi gjeografike i nje kryqi, fjala bie, nuk mund te shprehe ngadhenjim te Kryqit mbi boten. Perkundrazi, nje akt i tille, sidomos ne nje reliev shqiptar, eshte nenshtrim i simbolit te terecmuar ndaj kesaj bote. Nga ana tjeter, cfare nevoje ka nje permbajtje kompakte e hyjnores per t'u epersuar me kaq ankth ne nje zone te mbingarkuar me simbole? Gjithsesi keto episode jane pasoje e nje ideologjie te qarte tashme, prandaj dhe vlejne per t'i nxitur besimtaret ortodokse te perpiqen vete, te tundohen e te rizbulojne rrenjet e tyre, qofte me lexime, degjime a qofte me intuite. Kjo perspektive fryme vlen shume me teper sesa gjithe protestat zemerore ndaj rrenimit te nje objekti prej betoni... Nje religjion qe i imponon botes simbolet e tij, ai ben dy te keqija: nga njera ane dhunon boten e Zotit, ndersa ne te njejten kohe banalizon simboliken hyjnore te vete besimit ne fjale. Bartesit e kesaj mendesie shkelin porosine e vetevendosjes se njeriut, thelbin e lirise, te cilin Krishti iu lecit ortodokseve permes kishes: "Cdo fryme/krijese, le te lavderoje Zotin...". E pra cdonjeri qe ve dore mbi larmishmerine e krijeses se Zotit, per t'i dhene asaj trajten e vet, edhe pse nen emrin e Tij, duhet te ndalet. Kryqezata e ortodoksise zyrtare ne Shqiperi nuk ka me lidhje me strategjine fillestare te dergates, as me trashegimine tone spirituale, por as me traditen e shendoshe te rajonit te Ballkanit. Ortodoksia e predikuar tek ne, qofte dhe nga misionaret e huaj te se kaluares, duke perkujtuar shen Kozmain, per shembull, neper kisha a ne oborre kishash, nen hije pemesh a ne terren me grigje te krishtere, ishte ortodoks? e vertetesise dhe e frymes, e modestise fisnike dhe e perulesise askeike, e ndricimit permes skamjes dhe erresires, ishte fe e kryqeve te drunjta si shenja brendakishtare, per ngushellim e ogur shprese, per pendese e shprestari, si stacione shpirterore, pika referimi, relika, pra, e jo shkarkime ja-ku-jemi arrogance. Ashtu si perdorimi shenjterues i nje simboli kombetar, si p.sh. i flamurit, eshte idhulltari per mendesine e krishtere, a nuk eshte me keq, per cdo mendesi civile, nje perdorim banal i kryqit? Ka shume gjera qe mbeten pezull por qe mund te hijeshonin kalimin e misionareve ne historine shqiptare me shume sesa kupolat e larta bizantine, te cilat perpiqen te kaptojne minarete, e kryqet prej betoni, te cilet metojne te nenshkruajne universin e larmishem shqiptar. Literatura teologjike e liturgjike ortodokse mbetet ende prone e nje elite qe mund ta shfrytezoje vetem ne gjuhe te tjera, edhe pse njezet vellime te tilla, per shembull, vlejne me shume sesa gjithe keto ngrehina. Nuk kemi te drejte te mbrohemi e te ngreme ketu pretekstet e etikes. Kur institucionet fetare u predikojne shqiptareve qe te mos jene lakmues, kjo nuk do te thote se institucionet ne fjale kane te drejte te sillen grabitqare ndaj pjeses tjeter te natyres. Sigurisht qe heqja a, ne pamundesi, thyerja e nje kryqi publik, mbas gjithe kesaj ngarkese ateizmi te institucionalizuar ne te njejtin reliev, eshte mekat per te krishteret, sakrilegj per jo te krishteret, e skandal per tingellimen e shqipes neper bote. Faji nuk mund te jete jetim, kur te tre palet jane te ndergjegjshme per deshirat dhe aksionet e tyre. Kush e ka fajin: grishesi, ngjizesi, apo prishesi i simbolit? Sa per prishesin, ky eshte si skluptori, i cili zbaton ligjet e artit te tij; ai pjeseton e heq nga guri per te daltuar e lemuar, per te trajtesuar shformesine, edhe pse guri si lende a si gjini mund te trajtohet nga disa si simbol i mire e i cmuar, ashtu sic eshte, e per te tjere mund te jete kult, objekt adhurimi, prape ashtu sic eshte. Gdhendesi prish per te ndrequr. Ajo eshte ndergjegjja e tij, "feja" e tij, fati yne, dhe ashtu duhet respektuar, perderisa e kemi pranuar. Sepse duam qe edhe ata te respektojne e te mbrojne ndergjegjjen tone, fene tone. Duke medituar per situaten tone te pashoqe ne histori, me vjen ndermend nje mendimtar i krishterimit, Augustini i Hiponit, i cili duke pare nje mungese te theksuar stabiliteti politik ne Romen e shekullit V, paraqiti nje kritike gjakftohte ndaj mitit te shtetit romak. Fjalet e tij mund te pershtaten shume lehte ne rastin tone, me nuancat e realitetit: "Te gjitha shoqerite tokesore duhet te perballen me problemet dhe rreziqet e jetes njerezore. Asnje shoqeri e tille, madje as kisha, eshte 'Qyteti qiellor' i Perendise." Krishti nuk na percaktoi ndonje model qeverises per kete bote, as ne teori e as ne aksion, prandaj dhe dicka e tille nuk mbijetoi. Por ama na deftoi se ne duhet te bejme bindje si ndaj Perendise, ashtu edhe ndaj Cezarit/shtetit, edhe pse keto bindje Jezui i ndau, qe te mos ngaterrohen e te thuren pastaj me njera-tjetren. Pa dyshim, mekati i kryqezimit te relievit shqiptar do t'iu kthehet kryqezuesve... 19 shtator 2004 "e Diela mbas Lartesimit te Kryqit - sipas kalendarit ortodoks) __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Helps protect you from nasty viruses. http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From aalibali at yahoo.com Sun Sep 26 19:13:34 2004 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Sun, 26 Sep 2004 16:13:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] 20 Jewish Families saved in Berat in 1943-1944 Message-ID: <20040926231334.61651.qmail@web11501.mail.yahoo.com> E Hene, 27 Shtator 2004 BERATASIT, KESHTU I SHPETUAN 20 FAMILJE HEBREJE Dilaver Xhelili Berat - Qyteti 2400-vjecar i Beratit nuk eshte thjesht nje qytet muze, ai eshte nje deshmi e gjalle e nje qyteterimi te lashte mikprites. Familjet beratase pervec nje kulture tashme te njohur ne shekuj, njihen edhe per mikpritjen e ngrohte dhe bujare. Gjate vitete te Luftes se Dyte Boterore, familjet beratase kane hapur dyert per strehimin e familjeve te ardhura nga pertej kufinjve. E pikerisht per familjet hebreje "hebreje) dhe te Camerise qe erdhen ne Shqiperi. Familjet hebreje kane mberritur ne Berat nga fundi i vitit 1942. Keshtu pohon nje nga banoret e lagjes se re, Isuf Qojlja. Ne familjen e tij eshte strehuar familja hebreje e Jakov David Esherit, e perbere nga pese veta. Edhe pse pas kaq shume vitesh, i zoti i shtepise i mban mend te gjithe. Ai kujton djalin e Davidit, te kryefamiljarit hebre dhe me radhe te gjithe pjesetaret e tjere te familjes, te cilet i kane lene pershtypje te rralla. Familja hebreje kishte ardhur nga Prishtina, nga frika e nje okupimi gjerman ne jug te Evropes. Por kjo nuk ishte e vetmja familje hebreje e strehuar ne qytetin-muze. Ne Berat ishin dhe familjet Civeja, Drakoniku, Bukaroj, Xhufi, Zaganjori, Cipi, me banim ne Lagjen e Re dhe "Murat Celebi", qe priten me ngrohtesi hebrejte. Madje familja e Qani Cevejes u liroi te gjithe shtepine dykateshe me tete dhoma, hebrejve dhe vete i zoti i shtepise zbriti ne nje pale shtepi te vogla perdhese, qe i kishte lene kur hyri ne shtepite e reja. Familja e madhe beratase u ngushtua me shume ne dy dhomat e dikurshme, per te ndihmuar miqte te cilet kerkonin ndihme dhe luftonin per ekzistence. Djali i Qaniut, Shyqyriu, e kujton mire ate kohe, edhe pse ishte shume i ri. Ai tregon se ne shtepine e tij u vendosen 7 familje hebreje qe arriten t'i shpetonin masakres gjermane. Hebrejte kane lene te Shyqyriu mbresa te pashlyeshme. Si u sherbeu mjeku hebre banoreve te Mangalemit, pas strehimit? Familje te tjera hebre u vendosen dhe ne familjet e lagjes Mangalem te qytetit te Beratit e pikerisht ne familjen Vruhas. Hebrejte qe u strehuan ne kete lagje ishin njerez te shkolluar me profesione te ndryshme. Kryefamiljari i njeres prej familjeve hebreje ishte nje mjek shume i zoti. Te moshuarit e lagjes Mangalem tregojne se kjo lagje u be dhe qendra shendetesore ku vizitoheshin banoret, nga mjeku hebrej ne menyre te fshehte. Mjeku hebre, H.L, shkonte cdo dite neper shtepite beratase duke vizituar te moshuarit si dhe cdo person te semure qe kishte nevoje per te. Ai kalonte fshehurazi neper sokaket e lagjes me qellim qe t'i shpetonte syrit grabitqar te gjermaneve qe ndodheshin ne kete qytet. Banoret tregojne se mjeku hebre arriti te shpetonte dhe nje femije qe ishte ne gjendje te rende. Sipas tyre ora shenonte 24.00 e mbremjes se nje prej diteve, kur sapo pushtuesit gjermane kishin zbarkuar ne Shqiperi dhe kishin mberritur ne Berat. "Moti ishte i keq. Shiu s'kishte te pushuar dhe stuhia ishte e fuqishme. Femija qe banonte ne lagjen Helvek, po digjej nga temperatura e larte", tregojne te moshuarit. Mjeku hebre, sapo e mori vesh nje gje te tille, i ndihmuar nga erresira e plote dhe moti i keq per te shpetuar nga rrethimi gjerman, i shkon ne ndihme femijes qe po luftonte me vdekjen. Ky ishte nje akt qe mjeku cifut e kreu ne Berat dhe qe fitoi simpatine e te gjitheve. Ai u be shume i njohur e popullor. Ndihma e tij vazhdoi gjate, derisa u largua nga Shqiperia drejt vendit te tij. Sipas banoreve te moshuar edhe lagjia Hevlek, ku mjeku shpetoi nga vdekja fenmijen, strehoi 6 familje hebreje. Sipas dokumenteve rezulton se ne qytetin e Beratit u vendosen gjate luftes 20 familje hebreje te identifikuara. Sipas banoreve mund te kete patur dhe familje te tjera te strehuara, por qe nuk jane te dokumentuara, pasi ne kushtet e ardhjes se tyre ne Shqiperi, nuk mund te behej fjale per regjistrim. Isuf Qolja kujton: Jakovi thoshte shpesh "edhe kaposhi mos te kendoje ne oborr". Mikpritja dhe kujdesi qe treguan familjet beratase per strehimin dhe mbajtjen e hebrejve Eshte per t'u vene ne dukje mikpritja dhe kujdesi qe treguan familjet beratase per strehimin dhe mbajtjen e hebrejve duke mbajtur mbi supe dhe rrezikun e madh qe u kanosej nga nazistet gjermane. Kur hyne forcat gjemane ne Berat ne 15 nentor 1943, pothuajse te gjithe familjet hebreje nuk u larguan sepse ndiheshin te sigurta ne shtepite beratase. Keshtu edhe pse qyteti-muze ishte mbushur plot me pushtues gjermane, gjate 10 muajve qe familjet hebreje qendruan ne qytet, asnje prej tyre nuk u zbulua nga pushtuesit gjermane, duke mos demtuar asnjeren prej tyre. Mbasditen e 12 shtatorit 1944, forcat gjermane nen presionin e partizaneve u larguan nga Berati dhe u dislokuan ne fushen e aviacionit te Ures se Hasan Beut. Pas kesaj nazistet gjermane nje pasdite shtatori qelluan mbi Beratin me teper se gjysme ore me artilieri. Qytetaret beratas te cilet menduan se ky sulm ishte paralajmerim per nje tjeter sulm te forcave kembesore brenda ne qytet, lane sht-_e dhe u larguan drejt periferise per t'u mbrojtur. Isuf Qojlja, bashke me familjen e tij u largua per tek nje mik ne fshatin Zhogan, ndersa Qani Cebeja ne fshatin Polikesht. Por keto dy familje fisnike beratase edhe pse braktisen shtepite i tyre, nuk braktisen familjet hebreje qe kishin strehuar. Ata i moren me vete ne shtepite e miqve. Famljet beratase u kthyen ne shtepite e tyre, vetem kur forcat gjermane u debuan nga Kucova dhe Ura e Hasan Beut "sot Ura Vajgurore), me 18 tetor te vitit 1944. Banoret pohojne se edhe familjet e tjera hebreje, nuk u braktisen nga beratasit. Te moshuarit kujtojne se hebrejte dalloheshin per cilesite qe kishin, urtesine, korrektesine dhe ndershmerine. Ata mbijetuan. Punuan dhe vete per te nxjerre buken e gojes. Dikush shiste ndonje metrazh qe kishte sjelle me vete, te tjere si ambulante shisnin prodhime sheqeri, ndersa te shkolluarit, mjeket e farmacistet, sherbyen ne gjithe qytetin. Grate qepnin jorgane dhe merrnin porosi per pune dore. Familjet hebreje iken nga Berati pas clirimit te vendit ne fillim te vitit 1945. Ne muzeun e Holokaustit ne Izrael mbi faqen e nje guri te madh jane gdhendur emrat e 20 familjeve shqiptare beratase qe strehuan hebrejte gjate luftes se dyte boterore, deshmi kjo qe nxjerr ne pah vlerat pozitive te popullit shqiptar, mikpritjen e bujarine. _______________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today! http://vote.yahoo.com From aalibali at yahoo.com Mon Sep 27 06:33:35 2004 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 03:33:35 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Festivali i Gjirokastres 2004 - Gazeta Shqiptare Message-ID: <20040927103335.83229.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Faqja 24 - KULTURE Kryetari i Bashkis?: Investimi 44 milion lek? Festivali shp?ton objektet n? rrezik t? Gjirokastr?s Esht? restauruar sht?pia e Babametove dhe Babaramove. ?sht? v?n? dor? edhe n? kalan? e Gjirokastr?s, edhe n? "Qaf?n e Pazarit". Shkak u b? Festivali Folklorik Komb?tar. Qeveria shqiptare derdhi 44 milion lek? n? prag t? p?rgatitjeve p?r k?t? eveniment. Nd?rkoh? q? prej viti 1990 e deri m? sot, p?r objektet monumentale n? k?t? qytet ishin dh?n? vet?m 13 milion lek?. Tashm? qyteti ku tradicionalisht ?sht? mbajtur ky festival i madh i muzik?s folklorike, ?sht? gati p?r t'i pritur pjesmarr?sit q? vijn? nga t? gjith? trojet shqiptare. Kryetari i Bashkis? s? Gjirokastr?s, Flamur Bime e quan fat p?r qytetin k?t? eveniment. Pas pak dit?sh mb?rrijn? n? Gjirokast?r qindra artist? popullor? nga t? gjitha krahinat e vendit, nga trojet shqiptare jasht? kufijve si dhe nga dispora kudo n? bot?. ?far? p?rgatitjesh jan? b?r? me k?t? rast? P?rgatitjet kan? qen? t? shumta, ashtu sikund?r edhe ndryshimet mund t'i konstatojn? vet? qytetar?t.Do ta nisja nga p?rmir?simi i infrastruktur?s rrugore, furnizimi me uj? t? pijsh?m, nd?rhyrja n? kanalizimet, realizimi i projekteve t? p?rbashk?ta mes komunitetit e bashkis? dhe organizatave t? ndryshme, pastrimi i qytetit, etj. Por, do t? m? p?lqente t? ve?oja nd?rhyrjet n? objektet muzeale, ku p?r her? ta par? k?to 13 vjet?t e fundit, qeveria shqiptare investoi nj? grant prej 44 milion? lek?sh, kur p?r t? gjith? periudh?n q? ka kaluar duke nisur nga 90-ta, jan? investuar jo m? tep?r se 13 milion? lek?. Ky fond na lejoi t? b?nim nd?rhyrje serioze n? k?shtjell?, " Qaf?n e Pazarit " apo n? sht?pit? karakteristike si Babaramot e Babametot. M? 28 shtator do t? mb?rrijn? n? Gjirokast?r grupet e para folklorike, nd?rsa m? 29, pas nj? manifestimi t? madh kulturor n? k?shtjell? do t? hapet sipari i festivalit. ?'mund t? na thoni p?r mjediset prit?se n? p?rgjith?si, sken?n e festivalit, akomodimin e t? ardhurve? P?r 6 dit? me radh? Gjirokastra do t? ket? brenda saj gjith? Shqip?rin?, Kosov?n, Malin e Zi e Maqedonin?, por edhe diaspor?n shqiptare nga Zvicra, SHBA, Gjermania, Arb?resh?t e Italis?. Them me bindje, se ?do gj? tani ?sht? thuajse gati, p?rgatitja e sken?s s? kalas? dhe gjith? mjediset prit?se. P?rvec Koncertit t? Mir?seardhjes dhe konkurimit t? 12 qarqeve t? vendit, cfar? veprimtarish tr? tjera jan? planifikuar? Veprimtarit? do t? jen? t? shumta. Do t? ket? p?rurime rrug?sh, ekspozitash, panairesh, p?rsh?ndetje t? shumta nga dispora, vizita n? v?nde historike e turistike, koncerte t? improvizuara. Shkurt Gjirokastra, qyteti i festivaleve, do te rezervoje mjaft surpriza t? k?ndshme p?r vendasit dhe t? ftuarit. Por le t? mos i themi t? gjitha tani. N? festival, 42 ambasador? e konsuj Nj? num?r i madh t? ftuarish nderi do t? jen? prezent n? ceremonin? e hapjes s? Festivalit Folklorik Komb?tar. Kryetari i Bashkis? s? Gjirokastr?s pohon se "p?rgjegj?sia n? k?t? rast ?sht? maksimale. P?r 6 dit? Gjirokastra do t? jet? si t? thuash kryeqyteti i Shqip?ris?. K?tu do t? vij? thuajse i gjith? kabineti qeveritar, personalitetet kryesore t? shtetit shqiptar". Sipas tij, kan? konfirmuar ardhjen 42 ambasadore dhe konsuj, nd?rkoh?, q? do t? jen? prtezent edhe an?tar? t? kabinetit qeveritar q? merren me minoritetet si nga Mali i Zi, Serbia, Greqia etj. K?sisoj, p?r kryebashkiakun Bime angazhimi i plot? si pushtet lokal, por dhe ai i Komitetit Organizativ t? Festivalit, do t? garantojn? ecurin? e k?tij evenimenti mbar? komb?tar. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail is new and improved - Check it out! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From iliri at hotmail.com Mon Sep 27 13:19:52 2004 From: iliri at hotmail.com (Flir Mosho) Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:19:52 -0400 Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Opening at World Economic Forum Message-ID: External Staff for the Annual Meeting 2005 Location: Geneva Job code: 25 # of openings: 1 Description The Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum is fast approaching. We need to hire temporary staff to help us out in this great endeavour. If you would like to contribute your knowledge and expertise and are hardworking and flexible, then this extraordinary event is the place you should be. Please read all the text below in order to apply for a temporary position with the World Economic Forum! SELECTION CRITERIA -------------------------------- Becoming one of our staff members at the Annual Meeting in Davos is as easy as saying a loud and clear "yes" to all the statements below, and then following the simple instructions to sign up: Behind the glitter and glamour of the Annual Meeting, there is a great deal of hard and often "not-so-glamorous" work. As one of our helpers, you are willing to carry out any task including assisting our printer or filling welcome bags for our participants. Please note that we assign the tasks. - You are currently a student with a proven record for taking initiative and being dynamic. You react positively and with resourcefulness to unfamiliar or unexpected situations. Additionally, you are a good team worker. - You are "multicultural" e.g. you have lived, worked, studied or travelled in foreign countries. You are flexible, tolerant and open to new cultures and ideas. - You speak English fluently and you have very good knowledge of at least two other languages. German/Swiss German is an asset as it is the native language in Davos. - You can simultaneously handle three things: stress, stress and stress (as well as pressure and lack of sleep...). - You are available and can be in Davos from Saturday 22 January 2005 until Sunday 30 January 2005 at 5.00 pm. You are welcome to stay an extra day if necessary to accommodate your travel arrangements, but we do not accept late arrivals or early departures. CONDITIONS AND BENEFITS -------------------------------- If you join us at the Annual Meeting, you come for the sheer learning experience and the exciting adventure. In the meantime, you will also have some financial benefits. - You will earn approximately Sfr. 100 per day for the duration indicated above. - We will reimburse travel costs of residents of other countries up to Sfr. 400 and for residents of Switzerland up to Sfr. 200 only upon receipt. - We will pay for your accommodation, three meals a day and your transportation by bus in Davos. - You will also be invited to the staff party on the final evening (Sunday 30 January). Important Note: There will be no "day off" and work hours are as long as it takes to get the job done. For non-Swiss residents, please make sure that have your own valid medical insurance, which includes medical treatment (illness and accident) in Swiss hospitals as well as repatriation by air if you come from abroad. HOW TO APPLY -------------------------------- If you want to have lots of fun despite the hard work, you have to make sure that you fill out a complete online application including: 1. An updated CV / Resume (no more than 1 page) summarizing your background and current activities. 2. Your contact details (e-mail, phone number and address) and your date of birth. 3. Your nationality and if you hold a valid Swiss residency or working permit. 4. Previous Annual meeting dates that you have worked at (if you have done so). 5. A motivation letter (no more than 1 page) including your comments on: a) Your aspirations and reasons for applying to this position. b) The specific experience / education and skills that may qualify you for this position. c) One to two examples of your biggest professional/educational achievements including a brief summary for each example. Please make sure that you submit all the information mentioned above by clicking the "Apply for this Position" link below. Please note that incomplete applications, applications sent by regular mail and/or phone calls will not be accepted. So please make sure that the information you submit to us covers all the above five points. Note for Applicants While the Annual Meeting is global, its attachment to its host town Davos and its region also suggests its local nature. So, while we encourage you all to sign up, we welcome applicants from Davos and the canton of Grisons who fulfil the selection criteria. APPLICATION DEADLINES -------------------------------- The deadline for receiving applications is 15 October 2004. We will finalize our selections by 15 November 2004 and inform you immediately. Please note that ONLY selected applicants will be contacted further. We will not correspond with you or discuss our final choices. Only if you are notified that you are selected, will you receive further information. We thank all of you in advance for your interest in our organization and wish you good luck! World Economic Forum Human Resources Team To apply, see http://www.recruitforce.com/NA4/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=WORLD&cws=1&rid=25 *********************************** Emily S. Chin Internship & Alumni Coordinator International Legal Studies Program AU Washington College of Law T (202)274-4113 F (202)274-4116 eschin at wcl.american.edu -------------- next part -------------- HTML attachment scrubbed and removed From aalibali at yahoo.com Tue Sep 28 17:58:16 2004 From: aalibali at yahoo.com (Agron Alibali) Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 14:58:16 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] Archeological discoveries (Sinagogue) in Saranda - Panorama Message-ID: <20040928215816.44626.qmail@web11508.mail.yahoo.com> Faqe 21 - Kultur? Flet arkeologia Nallbani: Si e zbuluam sinagog?n ? Zbulohet mbishkrimi ?ifut pes? shekuj pas Krishtit Shpresa Dine ?sht? m? e rralla n? Mesdhe. T? pakt?n k?shtu e vler?sojn?. Nj? sinagog? e shekullit t? V Pas Krishtit, ?sht? zbuluar pak dit? m? par? n? Sarand?. Sinagoga ndodhet brenda murit rrethues t? qytetit antik t? Butrintit dhe ka sip?r nj? mbishkrim. Kjo sinagog? ?sht? nj? nd?rtes? n? form? L-je, me mozaik?. Drejtuesja e punimeve t? arkeologjis? n? Butrint, Etleva Nallbani, rr?fen p?r gazet?n ?Panorama? se si u zbulua kjo sinagog?. Pra, ju keni zbuluar nj? sinagog?. ??p?rfaq?son ky zbulim dhe cil?s periudh? i p?rket? Kemi disa dit? q? po punojm? pran? bazilik?s s? Butrintit. Jemi nj? grup arkeolog?sh shqiptar? dhe izraelit? nga Instituti i Arkeologjis? dhe ai i Monumenteve t? Kultur?s si dhe nga Universiteti Hebraik i Jerusalemit. Do t? q?ndrojm? k?tu deri n? dat?n 10 tetor, p?r t? zgjeruar m? tej objektin e n?ndhesh?m. Gjat? punimeve kemi zbuluar nj? sinagog? e cila i p?rket shekullit V pas Krishtit dhe ?sht? nj? nga m? t? rrallat n? Mesdhe. N? t? gjith? Mesdheun ndodhen 12 sinagoga t? tilla. Kjo tregon se n? Sarand? ka ekzistuar nj? komunitet i madh hebre dhe se kjo zon? ka pasur nj? zhvillim t? madh ekonomik n? k?t? periudh?. Sinagoga e zbuluar ?sht? nj? nd?rtes? q? i p?rket shekullit V pas Krishtit dhe ka jetuar deri gati nga ?ereku i fundit t? shekullit t? VI. Me invazionet e sllav?ve, sikund?r ?sht? shkat?rruar at?her? gjith? Saranda, ?sht? shkat?rruar edhe nd?rtesa. Vihet re q? sinagoga ndodhet brenda murit rrethues t? qytetit antik. ?sht? e nd?rtuar n? dy faza; nga faza e par? kemi nj? nd?rtes? m? t? thjesht? n? form? L-je, me mozaik?, ku paraqitet simboli i tyre q? ?sht? shandani me shtat? krah? menorajo dhe pastaj vihet re se komuniteti ?sht? zhvilluar ekonomikisht, ka pasur me sa duket k?tu prosperitet m? t? madh dhe k?shtu ka nd?rtuar nj? vend kulti me nj? sallon shum? t? madh, q? ?sht? i planit bazilikal. Kjo ?sht? bazilika q? kemi sot, e mbuluar me mozaik? n? qend?r. Dometh?n? k?tu kemi nefin qendror, nefin verior dhe nefin jugor; k?t? t? fundit e kemi n?n rrug? dhe tashm? nuk ?sht? zbuluar ende. Nj? gj? tjet?r e ve?ant? ?sht? ajo q? gjith? mozaik?t n? k?t? sinagog? paraqesin skena biblike. Ato jan? shum? interesante dhe shum? t? r?nd?sishme p?r studimin e kultur?s dhe t? simboleve hebraike, megjith?se mozaik?t jan? t? zhvilluar nga ateljet? lokale. Pra, mozaik?t k?tu duket se jan? m? t? af?rt me ato t? Nikopolisit dhe t? Greqis?. ?far? ju shtyu p?r t? realizuar k?t? bashk?punim me izraelit?t? Projekti synon, pavar?sisht se n? nj? kuad?r t? ngusht?, t? hedh? drit? mbi historin? e komunitetit hebre n? antikitetin e von? n? rajonin ton?. Mir?po, duhet th?n? edhe ajo q? ka r?nd?si t? ve?ant?, pasi kemi shum? pak sinagoga n? antikitetin e von?. Kemi rreth 12 t? tilla n? gjith? Mesdheun, p?rve? Izraelit, dhe nj? nga k?to ?sht? e sigurt? q? ?sht? n? Sarand?. N? k?t? kuptim, ajo do t? p?rb?j? nj? gjetje me mjaft interes p?r zhvillimin e turizmit n? t? ardhmen k?tu. N? nj? kuad?r m? t? ngusht? k?rkojm? t? nxjerrim n? pah zhvillimin e historis? s? k?tij komuniteti, por, nga ana tjet?r, ne si Institut Arkeologjik, si Institut Monumentesh, pa p?rjashtuar edhe Bashkin? e Sarand?s, na b?het mir? q?, me an? t? nj? plani afatgjat?, t? realizojm? ngritjen e nj? parku arkeologjik n? qend?r t? qytetit. Kur u zbulua kjo sinangog? dhe kush e preku i pari k?t? objekt t? rrall? e me vler?? P?r zbulimin e saj kam punuar vet?. G?rmimi ka qen? b?r? m? p?rpara, por ka dal? si nj? kish? kristiane. Duhet th?n? se un? duke punuar me arkivat zbulova q?, n? fakt, ajo ka qen? sinagog?. G?rmimet e k?tyre dit?ve fol?n p?r at? q? k?tu kemi t? b?jm? me nj? sinagog?. Kjo duke u nisur edhe nga dekori i mozaik?ve. Pra, k?tu b?het fjal? p?r sinagog?n n? qend?r t? Sarand?s. Ajo e hershmja ?sht? e vog?l, nd?rsa e dyta, e nd?rtuar m? von?, ?sht? me p?rmasa shum? t? m?dha, nd?rkoh? q? duhet th?n? se sinagog? nuk do t? thot? vet?m nj? holl, nj? sall? lutjesh, por t? gjitha ambjentet q? shihen k?tu kan? t? b?jn? me sinagog?n, pra kemi ambientet e lutjes, t? leximit, t? ngr?nies, mund t? ket? pasur edhe dyqane. Sa r?nd?si ka zbulimi i saj? Duhet theksuar se ka shum? r?nd?si zbulimi i plot? i saj. Nj? nga synimet kryesore t? pun?s son?, por edhe p?r qytetin, ?sht? q? i t?r? ky zbulim do t? ruhet, sepse do t? krijoj? nj? shesh arkeologjik n? qend?r t? Sarand?s, por do t? tregoj? edhe at? q? k?tu kemi t? b?jm? me nj? nd?rtes? shum? t? hershme q? ka dhe do t? ket? shum? interes edhe p?r vizitor?t. A jan? zbuluar mbishkrime hebreje n? k?t? vend? Jo mbishkrime hebreje k?tu nuk jan? zbuluar. Por n? bazilik? ekziston nj? mbishkrim q? i p?rket faz?s kur sinagoga ?sht? kthyer n? kish?. Por deri tani dim? at? q? profesori izraelit, Gideon Foerster, ka zbuluar ekzistenc?n e nj? mbishkrimi n? gjuh?n greqishte - hebraishte n? Itali, q? d?shmon se ka ekzistuar nj? komunitet hebre n? Sarand? n? fillim t? shekullit VI. Ngjarja ?sht? e till?: nj? studiues ka b?r? gjith? mbledhjen e mbishkrimeve hebraisht n? Evrop?n Per?ndimore. Studiuesi duke shfletuar literatur?n gjen se dikush kishte th?n? (th?nie kjo q? nuk e kishte p?rfillur ndokush): Augustia, vajza e kryetarit t? komunitetit hebre t? Onhezmosit ka vdekur n? Itali m? 521". Pra ky mbishkrim ka d?shmuar at? q? k?tu n? Sarand? ka pasur nj? komunitet hebre q? rronte krahas t? krishter?ve dhe kishte nj? rol kryesor n? ekonomin? e qytetit. Vet? arkeolog?t izraelit? si shprehen p?r k?t? zbulim t? sinagog?s? Arkeolog?t izraelit? jan? shum? t? g?zuar dhe e konsiderojn? k?t? zbulim si nj? zbulim me shum? vlera dhe nga m? t? rrallat n? Ballkan dhe n? Mesdhe. Profesori izraelit, Ehud Netzer, shprehet se ?Sinagoga e Sarand?s do t? p?rb?j? t? ardhmen arkeologjike t? vet? qytetit t? Sarand?s.? Nd?rsa profesori Gideon Foerster, i cili ka zbuluar edhe mbishkrimin thot?: ?Zbulimi i k?tyre dit?ve ?sht? nj? d?shmi e komuniteteve hebraike n? Ballkan dhe d?shmon q? t? krishter?t hebrenj kan? jetuar n? harmoni dhe kan? mbajtur frenat e qyteteve bizantine. ? Shum? vet? p?r nj? sinagog? Kan? disa dit? q? po punojn? intesivisht pik?risht mbi bazilik?n ku ?sht? zbuluar sinagoga. ?sht? nj? projekt midis Institutit t? Arkeologjis?, atij t? Monumenteve t? Kultur?s dhe Universitetit Hebraik t? Jerusalemit. Sipas drejtueses s? k?tij projekti, arkeologes Etleva Nallbani, punimet do t? zgjasin deri n? fillim t? muajit tetor. ?Ky projekt drejtohet nga un?, por edhe nga arkeologu Kosta Lako, i cili ka ardhur enkas p?r k?t? projekt nga Greqia, Agron Islami, mazoist i Institutit t? Monumenteve Arkeologjike, si dhe nga pala izraelite q? jan? profesor Gideon Foerster, arkeolog dhe historian, ish-dekan i Universitetit Hebraik t? Jerusalemit, si dhe nga profesor Ehud Netzer, me profesion arkitekt?, thekson Nallbani. Nuk mungojn? n? k?to g?rmime edhe student?t. Nuk mbeten prapa edhe mbik?qyrja e mozaik?ve. Enkas p?r vizatimin dhe studimin e mozaik?ve dhe ikonografin? e tyre ?sht? angazhuar nj? specialiste franceze. Pak kthim n? lindje Dy vjet m? par? n? qend?r t? Sarand?s ?sht? zbuluar p?r her? t? par? bazilika kristiane, e cila n? origjin?n e saj kishte qen? sinagog?. Pik?risht nga ky zbulim nisi edhe bashk?punimi shqiptaro-izraelit, i cili k?t? periudh? ?sht? kuror?zuar me zbulimin e plot? dhe t? detajuar t? sinagog?s, e cila v?rteton p?rfundimisht ekzistenc?n e nj? komuniteti hebre n? Sarand?. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - 50x more storage than other providers! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail From mentor at alb-net.com Wed Sep 29 18:27:01 2004 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Albanians in Macedonia Crisis Center News & Information) Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 18:27:01 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [AMCC-News] Report Finds Macedonia Has Third Most Toxic Waste in World Message-ID: --------------------------------------------------------------------- AMCC http://www.alb-net.com/amcc/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2004/09/29/feature-02 Report Finds Macedonia Has Third Most Toxic Waste in World 29/09/2004 According to a new report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO), Macedonia has the world's third largest volume of toxic waste. The environmental consequences could be disastrous, experts warn. By Marija Lazarova for Southeast European Times in Skopje - 29/09/04 A report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation ranks Macedonia third in terms of toxic waste. [UNFAO] A recently published report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) ranks Macedonia third worldwide in terms of toxic waste, with over 10,000 tonnes. Only Ukraine and Poland rank higher, with 19,500 tonnes and 15,000 tonnes respectively. According to UNFAO Director Mark Davis, the problem is mainly caused by the circumstances in which chemicals are kept. "This is about very old and toxic materials because they have been kept for a long time and are often held in poor conditions and in outdoor areas," Davis told the daily Utrinski Vesnik. "They may be already exuding and polluting water in rivers and lakes, agricultural lands and air." In fact, Davis said, the problem may be much worse than the UNFAO figures indicate. "Experience has shown that when an elaborate study of a country is made, the figures are at least twice as higher." Toxic waste has been implicated in a range of health problems -- including birth defects, lung disease and cancer -- with children being particularly vulnerable. According to the UN, the worst affected are often impoverished rural communities whose residents may not be aware of the toxic effects of chemicals in their environment. The Macedonian Environment Ministry has also presented evidence that the amounts of toxic waste are higher than indicated in the report. A study commissioned by the ministry found that in 1999, the total amount of toxic waste in the country exceeded 45,000 tonnes. Of that, household waste accounted for 4,800 tonnes, commercial waste for 3,000 tonnes and medical waste for 1,000 tonnes. Construction debris accounted for 6,000 tonnes, industrial waste for 30,000 tonnes and agricultural waste for 200 tonnes, according to the study. A feasibility study has been conducted for reducing environmental pollution in Macedonia. According to UN estimates, it costs $3,500 to clean up one tonne of toxic pesticides, while the total cost of cleaning up the waste in Macedonia would be approximately $35m. ______________________________________________________________ If you wish to unsubscribe, send a blank message to: amcc-news-unsubscribe at alb-net.com , or visit AMCC-NEWS's page at: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/amcc-news From mentor at alb-net.com Wed Sep 29 18:25:46 2004 From: mentor at alb-net.com (Kosova Crisis Center News and Information) Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 18:25:46 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [ALBSA-Info] [Kcc-News] Teen refugee sending books to homeland [Kosova] Message-ID: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Kosova Crisis Center (KCC) News: http://www.alb-net.com/index.htm --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/living/community/9770085.htm Posted on Wed, Sep. 29, 2004 Teen refugee sending books to homeland Now a U.S. citizen, she raises money to help libraries in Kosovo By Cathy Gilkey HERALD-LEADER CORRESPONDENT Ardena Gojani remembers when Serbian soldiers stormed her apartment complex and gave her family five minutes to leave the building or be killed. She remembers spending days in a 10-mile line of fleeing refugees, watching old men die and hearing hungry children crying for food and water. And she remembers moving to the United States and leaving her friends and family behind. But perhaps her most moving memories are of her trip back to Kosovo to see her war-torn country again. Those memories have-driven Ardena, now 17 and a junior at Lexington Catholic High School, to lead a drive to raise $5,000 to buy books and ship them to her hometown of Gjakova to help refill the shelves of a library burned down during the war. "We want to do what we can," Ardena said. "It hurts to see how much they don't have." She and her family returned to Gjakova, now Gjakovica, in 2000 to visit their family, almost all whom remained in Kosovo despite the wars. Seeing her country for the first time after living in the United States for more than a year opened Ardena's eyes to just how much she has and how much her homeland does not. "There were four kids to a desk made for two, and they all shared one textbook," she said of a school her friends attend. Since then, Ardena and her family have been working to send books to Kosovo with the help of the International Book Project, a Lexington group that sends donated books to poor countries. In 2002, Ardena's cousin, Rubik Rudi, carried dozens of books to Kosovo. Because he could not afford to ship the books, he left his clothes and personal belongings behind and packed two large suitcases full of books from the International Book Project office. In March, Ardena's father also packed two suitcases with books. Every one was checked out in the first few days he was in Kosovo, she said. Cathy Anderson, president of the International Book Project, encouraged Ardena to write a letter in the organization's quarterly newsletter to raise awareness of libraries like the one in Gjakovica. Formed in 1966, the International Book Project receives encyclopedias, technical books and journals from donors, then distributes them to more than 100 countries. Sponsors like Ardena pay the shipping costs. "The demand for materials in English is high as Kosovars strive to modernize their communities," Anderson said in the newsletter. Ardena's experiences in her homeland and Lexington have influenced and matured her beyond her 17 years. Like many of her peers, she has a job, a cell phone and loves instant messaging her friends, but she is more aware of the fragilities of life. Ardena was 11 when she was forced to leave her home at gunpoint. "My mother held my hand so tight, pulling me out of the house as fast as she could, without taking any belongings with us," Ardena said. They fled to Macedonia, an independent republic south of Kosovo, and stood in line with other refugees with no food and very little water. "I saw a baby being born and old men die," she said. "Children were hungry and crying for food." Serbian soldiers robbed people of what belongings they did have and kidnapped some people from the line, she said. The Red Cross brought food a few days after they arrived, and after four days of waiting, they were allowed to enter Macedonia. Ardena's cousin Rudi sponsored the Gojanis, which allowed them to immigrate to the United States. Ardena, her brother, her sister and her parents recently became U.S. citizens, she said. Ardena keeps in contact with friends in Kosovo through infrequent phone calls and, more often, e-mails and instant messaging. "It's hard to talk about what it's like here," she said. "Here, if we need something, we buy it or it's donated. There, there is no one to help." So Ardena is doing her best to help any way she can. The money she raises will help buy books and ship them to Kosovo. She hopes the books will be shipped next spring, and she plans to travel back to Gjakovica to help unpack and present the books to the library. Ardena's classmates and teachers at Lexington Catholic have been very supportive, she said. They pray for her fund-drive in class, and classmates routinely donate what they can. She said she raised $100 in a week at school. "It just felt so good to have them support me like that," she said. "It feels good to be doing something." ______________________________________________________________ If you wish to unsubscribe, send a blank message to: kcc-news-unsubscribe at alb-net.com , or visit KCC-NEWS's page at: http://www.alb-net.com/mailman/listinfo/kcc-news