Archives for December 2012

Emin Eddie Egriu/

Dibra has been on my mind continuously ever since I brought my mother’s remains in 1998 to rest next to my father. May they rest in peace!
Many might get angry with me after some of things that I have to say, and this I do not mind because I will speak with my heart and will express what I believe.
As a child I remember drinking directly from the lake as I swiped the top of the water and drank the pure water of nature and tasted the best water ever till this day of my life, when I visited Dibra in 1998 the lake was filthy with plastic bottles floating from Radika to the edge of Dibra and the pure nature of it was no longer there, this I find a disaster, a crime, an unforgivable sin. Still it did not end here, the day after I arrived I went to rest my Mother at a cemetery a place our angels are resting and all I seen was rubbish all around it especially in rout to get to it. Again as a child the only thing that I remember that had to be done was removing the weeds and bushes not garbage as I seen on this day.
After three days of mourning and waiting for guests to share their respect to my Mother I went by hill top that I used to play as a child and saw the house I was born in and the beauty that I remember when I was a little boy, the last time I had seen this was when my father sent me in 1976 and I had imagined how or why we had left such beautiful land behind us and now living in the United States, I knew the answer to why, but I had questions about it because Dibra is so beautiful. The answer to my question is my father was seeking freedom and better opportunity for him and for us, the riches we had in Dibra because my father was living financially very well as he was one, of not many that were self-employed in the days of the Iron fist Communism, so called socialism, I remember his friends and ex workers telling me that my Father had American riches here and he did not need money as many others who leave their homes for a better economy for their families. This I can tell you that my father had no interest in riches, the interest he had was freedom and not just for him but for all of his people as he invested every dime for the cause. This I can say freely because many of you from Dibra know and say this about the Egriu family, “they are no good for themselves because they are only good for others”. Some of you might look at this statement that I just said, as not a good thing to say. This I say proudly, this tells you that all we want to do is help other and this means that we are not selfish or for ourselves. So have faith my fellow Dibrans as I want to you have a better life and a better economy in the land that we both come from and let me extend my olive branch and ask for your forgiveness for all the years that I have not done anything for you and have neglected my homeland for all of my lifetime as I always wanted to do something but did not know what and how to go about it. The contributions that my Father Abedin Din Egriu my Brother Naxhi John Egriu and my Uncle Ibrahim Egriu have done for our people in general is something that many of you will never forget, now it is my turn to try and continue the great values that they fought for and are leaving with us. I will try my best to help and to change your lives and bring back the beauty that Dibra once was. We are a people that are highly respected and have strong values.
Now comes the criticism of why Dibra is in shambles and has not prospered as many other have. Over the years I have been educating myself and have watched from the outside and giving our so called representative’s a chance to do their jobs, the ones here and the ones there, and it’s sad to say but they have not done nothing but make promises to you and or rob you of what should have rightfully been yours, example; your Schools are in shamble, your roads are as old as Dibra, your economy is one of the poorest in Macedonia, your unemployment in Dibra is what about 80% and the Dibrans unemployment here is about 8% and more than half live here in the USA… The sad part is that all we do is build homes in Dibra, so that we can say that we have a beautiful home there and guess what no one lives in them. Imagine all those millions of dollars were invested in our economy and manufacturing and education systems do you think that Dibra would have more than half of its population here, I don’t think so I think many of us would still be there, because here we work full time and when I say full time I mean average of 16 hour days.
Let’s talk a little about (Sociata Dibra Atdhetare) in Staten Island NY, I hear that you in Dibra have many complaints about them not doing anything for you and that they have never really done much. Yes I agree with you, but who do we blame for this the leaders the board or people, I have to say all three, the leaders have not been able to keep the people united, the board has always been divided, and the people have never really been involved. Reason for this because we all have one big problem, that is why him or why not me or he is no good or he is doing it for himself on and on…….. I ask that you stop your bullshit and lets help each other move forward, because I know this for a fact that many of the people that have been trying to help, you held them back, because this or that, this or that is not the answer, unity is the answer let’s take advantage of each other and help each other do the right thing so that we can all Love each other as we do our children good or bad. How come when you travel you are proud to say that you are from Dibra and that you tell others that we are the best at everything, so let’s take that pride and bring us together to challenge our needs as ONE! Sociata Dibra is having there elections this month, I ask that whoever is chosen to be the Board of directors and the President that you all set your differences aside and support them and enforce them to do the right things because let’s not forget that when Sociata Dibra speaks they speak for all of Dibra and this is why you need to be involved. It seems like when you are invited to parties, wedding, sports, and even for a card game or a drink you jump, so why not jump for your children, show them that we care not just for our own but for all our children…. Let’s show the rest of our people that we know how to get things done!
Many of you know that I together with others have founded a new movement called PUSH (Programi Unik Shqiptar) and you might say that, “oh just another organization” first we are not an organization we are a group of people that want to unite all as one to bring all the different organizations together so that we can finally resolve our causes and strengthen our people to give us the freedom that is rightfully ours. Just had our first meeting in Dibra Club in Staten Island NY with some other organizations at this meeting and many just sitting in the back playing chess and having a drink just listening had nothing to do with the meeting, however when the meeting started they were all listening and I believe that they enjoyed what they heard because at the end of the meeting they all became members of PUSH, these are the people that usually do not even want to hear about meetings or organizations, but what they saw and heard they have never even imagined that what Push was talking about would even take place, however they saw that we have a very sincere and honest mission and they saw that our meeting had support from the majority that participated in our meeting. Why have I even mentioned our meeting because we will work endlessly to unite and liberate and create a better life for all as we move forward to the next generation.
In a general message to others I Emin Eddie Egriu challenge this mission to better my home town due to the fact that as the saying goes you must start fixing things at home first, and this is what I will do first as I challenge to UNITE our people across the Balkans!

Consider me being the child that need his mother.
If the baby doesn’t cry the Mother won’t feed it!
PUSH (Programi Unik Shqiptar)
Founder/President
Emin Eddie Egriu