Dielli | The Sun

Albanian American Newspaper Devoted to the Intellectual and Cultural Advancement of the Albanians in America | Since 1909

EULOGY FOR MY FATHER SULEJMAN GASHI

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 by Drilon Gashi/

Translated by Rafaela Prifti/

“Reporting for Radio Television of Kosova, Sulejman Gashi, New York” – this was how my father signed off his live reporting for RTK news broadcast. In the 1990s a particular kind of audience sitting in coffee shops and living rooms around the country followed his reporting with intense anticipation. The mounting escalation of Serbia’s repressive regime gave cause to people’s fears for their future. An information vacuum prevailed in the country following the extreme measures of the Serbian regime to shut down the Prishtina Radio Television and the only daily newspaper in the Albanian language Rilindja. The shutdowns meant thousands of layoffs for the employees including my father, who were left without any employment options. Shortly after my dad migrated to the United States, in New York. Here he pursued his vocation by providing news coverage for Albanians for more than two decades.

As a TV correspondent of New York and Washington, my father’s voice carried the promise of hope for Kosova and the Albanian diaspora in America. It was the hope for better days for Kosova, the promise that America will stand by the struggles of our homeland and the dream of a better future for Albanians.

My father reported for Kosova’s National Broadcaster  RTK for 25 years. He was a guest reporter on the Kosova program of Radio Zagreb, Radio Tirana and the satellite channel of RTK, and a contributor for the newspaper Rilindja (Bujku). He co-founded the daily Albanian-American newspaper Illyria with Isuf Hajrizi and Harry Bajraktari to draw the attention of American politicians and powerful institutions to the plight of Albanians particularly in Kosova. The mission of the news outlet was to support the independence of Kosova and democratization of Albania. He was an accredited journalist with the United Nations.

Starting in 1993, Sulejman provided translation services, guidance and accompaniment to a multitude of delegations and visitors including state dignitaries, government officials and professionals from Kosova, Albania and other parts of the Balkans at the behest of the State Department. He was assigned to translate for President Bill Clinton, Secretary Madeleine Albright, Secretary Hillary Clinton and many state officials from the US and around the globe. He was team leader with the Public Information Office of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) while serving as advisor to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Bernard Kushner.

He did all this so that Kosova would be free and Serbia would put an end to the persecutions, killings and systemic expulsions of Albanians living in an independent country.

Dad used to say: “Filing a story, a report or segment that carried some hope for Kosova’s future, would brighten up my day.” And so the condolences that we have received for his passing have weighed heavy on our hearts but they also have reinforced our sense of pride on account of the life and legacy of Sulejman Gashi. We are proud of his character, professionalism, dedication, and patriotism. Most of all, we, as a family are proud of him as a husband, a son, father, brother.

His love for our mother was deep, sincere and unwavering. He respected and adored her. At times he showed his fondness with humor. Above all, he was aware that being in love with Tone, the catholic girl from Cabiq, whom he met in high school, was the most precious gift in life. He was fortunate that he was loved back by our mother intensely and boundlessly thus setting up an extraordinary example for us, their children and all who have seen their dedication to one another.

He loved his four children Saranda, Drilon, Janina and Egzon infinitely. In return, he expected our love and respect. He was loving and caring as well as strict with us. He encouraged us to be achievers in America. Our father gave us guidance in areas of academic knowledge and counsel in terms of being successful and compassionate. He was a constant mentor who taught us by example how to love Kosova and Albanians.

To me, he was more than a father. He was my idol, my best friend and no one will take his place ever.

He was very close to his parents, Elfije and Sherif. He looked after them with deep devotion, love and respect. He honored his parents as well as his birthplace Kijeva, where he invested to have the family home rebuilt after it was damaged from the war. Grandma Elfije was frequently heard singing a folk tune: “Mother has no other son like the one named Sulejman.” The Serbian paramilitary troops and regime had plundered the homes of Albanians in Kosova. As my father put it: “above the charred rooftops of Kosova, I could see the red-and-black flag flying free at last.”

My father is one of five sons of Sherif and Elfije: Sulejman, Selajdin, Abraham, Arben and Ardian. He used to say to his siblings: “There were five Frasheri brothers. Each a patriot and activist in their own right.” Indeed each of the Gashis strived to be upstanding men and walk in the footsteps of their beloved “Sule”.

His homeland of Kijeva and family name of Tahirhasan were a source of enormous pride for him exemplified in highly regarded men like Ramadan Shabani and Kajtaz Ramadani. The household of Ramadan Shabani were renowned for the elders who settled many blood feuds among the families for over a century.

Today we say farewell to Sulejman Gashi aka Sulejman Sherifi who will be also remembered as one of the great men of Kosova and the Albanian nation. My father was affectionate with all family members, relatives, friends, colleagues and his admirers. He kept in touch and wrote back to everyone in a personal way giving support and advice if asked. He enjoyed their successes and even poked fun at the right time. He showed empathy and was there for them in hard times.

I would like to address one special connection that he had. He loved America as one loves their best friend. To my father, America is the best friend of Kosova and Albanians. He made it his life’s work to solidify the special bond of America, Kosova and Albania.

My dad was passionate about life, culture, history, multiculturalism and realism of the United States. Through the State Department work and through family and personal trips, he had traveled to all the states save five, where he had seen the big cities as well as the countryside, the national parks and museums all across the nation. Some of his favorite places were New York, Washington, San Diego and Seattle. He had a soft spot for the country music and was delighted to walk in a pair of cowboys boots. He was by all possible accounts an Albanian-American. He was equally proud of his birthplace and his adopted country of the United States. He was immensely appreciative of Fan Noli and Faik Konica. His own lifework places him at the highest level of Albanian-American achievements.

This ceremony has brought together government officials, religious representatives of different faiths, and the media to honor the life and work of Sulejman Gashi which carry special significance. Let my father’s example inspire people who hold similar political views to challenge each other in search of progressive solutions, and move groups of opposite convictions to join forces in service of a common cause for the good of the people. Let his example allow believers of different faiths to engage in mutual understanding as neighbors, friends or family and put the nation above religion. Let us be uplifted by the promise of hope that my father conveyed and that will stay with his memory. Hope that Kosova and Albanians will move forward toward real progress, that Kosova and Albanians, united in their pledge to their country, will triumph over many challenges and rivals. And hope that America will back Kosova and Albanians as a manifestation of a lasting and enduring friendship.

I speak for the whole family when I say without exaggeration and full awareness that to us, the son, brother, husband and father, Sulejman Gashi was a masterpiece. An avant garde and tireless promoter of the ideals of our people, a valiant patriot, a professional and a wiseman, respected and respectful, a contemporary example for all, a beloved and devoted family man.

He truly was the embodiment of the motto that his family’s elderly Man Hasani of Caralluka lived by.

When asked why the seniority of the elderly post was bestowed upon the TahirHassan family, the old man answered: “Because there never was a dark stain in that household, because they never got mixed up with other’s men’s affairs, because not only did they memorize the rules of conduct (Kanun) but they also lived by them, they were fair in their judgment and never played favorites with the powerful or the wealthy or even their friends, they never engaged in bribery, their youth respected the elderly, they never said “ME” but “WE” – they always appreciated the councill of the fellow men (oda) and they never meddled with disputes that had been settled by the predecessors. “

Dearest dad, we are heartbroken that we have to bid farewell here in the free land of Kosova that you loved without measure and whose freedom brought you immense joy.

Here I am signing off one last time as my dad used to do at the end of his reporting, for Radio Television of Kosova, our family’s hero and the nation’s voice of hope, Sulejman Gashi! Farewell our most beloved!

DIELLI EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW …

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DIELLI EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH PHYSICIAN OF INTERNAL MEDICINE AT ILLINOIS NORTHSHORE UNIVERSITY:-“Healthcare workers continue to be incredible examples of courage, empathy, and collegiality”-

by Rafaela Prifti-

In an exclusive interview with Adela K., Physician at Northshore University Healthsystem in Evanston Illinois, she detailed the current surge and demands on hospital capacities in the days leading to Thanksgiving holiday. She said that “for healthcare workers, even the most mundane tasks have turned into logistical nightmares from arranging reliable childcare, adding new steps to self-disinfecting after the work shift, maintaining social distance even when they go home, finding time for grocery shopping and meal preparation, helping children with remote learning all the way to their heightened sense of urgency in addressing issues such as advance directives and living wills.” Faced with extreme physical and mental exhaustion, “healthcare workers continue to be incredible examples of courage, empathy, and collegiality”

As a physician of the Department of Internal Medicine at Illinois Northshore University, what data do you have that indicates the severity of the current surge of the pandemic and how does it compare with the previous one?

There has been a steady increase of cumulative cases in Illinois since the start of the pandemic as data provided by CDC recording the metric of cumulative cases of Covid-19 by number of days since 100 total cases first recorded, as shown in Graph 1. The number of new cases in the state is detailed in Graph 2. As of November 23, the number of infections statewide has totaled 664,620, and 11,552 Covid-19 related deaths. In my view, the severity of the surge correlates best with the number of new cases, the positivity rate, indicated in Graph 2 and other metrics such as mortality rate and the capacity of the healthcare system to handle the demands. Last week Illinois was averaging 12,384 new cases per day, the highest 7-day average since the start of the pandemic. This past week, luckily, we have seen a slight improvement from that number down to 8,322 of new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 on Monday Nov 23rd. But it is too early to tell if this is true bending of the curve or just a statistical fluctuation. And there’s the threat of holiday gatherings that can quickly undo any improvement.

The next three pictures provide a comparative view as they list the number of cases, deaths, total number of tests and test positivity given as cumulative count as well as in the last month and last week. The data shows that the positivity rate is at above 10 % this past month and past week, not quite as high as it was in the spring when it was above 20 %, but that is a reflection of more people being tested. The worst month in terms of deaths was May, with around 3000 deaths. On the bright side, we have learned a lot about SARS-CoV-2 and its management, so the death rate from the disease is lower now compared with the spring. That being said the cumulative number of SARS-Co-V-2 patients is much higher and therefore we are seeing the number of deaths increasing.

What about the capacity of the healthcare system to handle the current demand?

In terms of the capacity of the healthcare system to handle the demand, Chicago Tribune published an article to describe the situation in detail as of November 24. Here’s a chart showing the number of hospitalizations over time.

The guidance and advice of the public health officials is to break away from the traditional Thanksgiving gatherings in order to keep the holiday from having a negative impact on the current situation with the pandemic. What do you hear from your patients?

I practice in the inpatient setting. Since my patients are sick enough to be hospitalized, Thanksgiving travel plans are out of the question. We do recommend that after discharge, they continue to isolate for 20 days since the day of the positive test.

With consideration to the impact of the pandemic, some studies have focused on the connection between anxiety and mental illness and COVID-19:. I read some news reports about “long-haulers”? What can you tell us about it?

My practice is limited in the hospital setting. During the hospitalization period we do see a lot of encephalopathy which manifests as lethargy and confusion which are neurologic manifestations of Covid-19. Most people do improve by the time they are ready to be discharged, but I have seen a few cases of elderly who got sick in the spring, and have returned for different issues still not recovered mentally. It is a picture very similar to that of advanced dementia, some with behavioral disturbances. They require significant assistance with the activities of daily living. Then there is the separate group of the so-called “long haulers” who in addition to the physical symptoms experience significant anxiety and depression. There is a ripple effect in the society as a whole when we consider the impact the pandemic is having on the mental health of family members, associated with a significant level of stress compounded by limitations in visitation policies. I see a lot of anxiety, feeling of helplessness and being overwhelmed.

You mentioned that you will be in the Covid team for the next several days. Explain what that means, please.

We rotate as attending physicians for Covid patients. So in the next few days all my patients will be Covid patients who are hospitalized. I am part of the team that will be handling their management on the general medical floor.

For months now, one group, in particular, has been overwhelmed and overburdened to the brink of endurance. What can you tell us about the general mood of the health workers?

This is such a loaded question. For healthcare workers dealing with challenges and crisis has always been a daily occurrence. But the magnitude of this pandemic has faced health workers literally with the fight of their lives. In addition to the physical and mental demands of the job, there are new and significant challenges in our personal, family and social lives.

For us as essential workers who can not work from home, even the most mundane tasks all of a sudden have turned into logistical nightmares. Things like arranging reliable childcare, adding new steps to self disinfecting after work, maintaining social distance even within the home, finding time for grocery shopping and meal preparation, helping our children with remote learning, the list goes on. Even though most people I know avoid talking about it, especially in households where both parents are healthcare workers with young children, there is a heightened sense of urgency in addressing issues such as advance directives and living wills.

This pandemic is far from over and we have to keep going. Despite the physical and mental exhaustion they face, healthcare workers continue to be incredible examples of courage, empathy, and collegiality.

UDHËHEQËSIT QË NUK LËSHOJNË PUSHTETIN

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Redaktuar dhe Përkthyer nga Rafaela Prifti/

Në historinë e Amerikës nuk ka pasur president tjetër që të refuzojë për një kohë kaq gjatë të njohë rezultatet e një zgjedhjeje ku është e qartë se ka humbur. Kur është fjala për version alternativ të realitetit, zoti Trump ka plot shokë jopresidencial. Ndërsa vendi mediton rastin e bujshëm të Donald Trumpit, presidentit që nuk pranon se e kanë nxjerrë nga puna, atë mund ta krahasojmë me një sërë personazhesh dhe individësh që nuk kanë dashur të pranojnë momente jo të mirëpritura në jetën e tyre personale dhe profesionale.  

Në vitin 1873 Guvernatori republikan i Teksasit Edmund J. Dejvis refuzoi të largohej nga zyra pas humbjes së zgjedhjeve duke thënë se mandati i tij nuk skadonte edhe për pas disa muaj. Ai ngriti një barrikadë në hyrjen e ndërtesës së parlamentit nga ku nuk donte të lëvizte. Guvenatori i zgjedhur dhe ekipi i tij vunë një palë shkallë dhe hynë nga dritaret për të filluar punën në katin e sipërm të ndërtesës. Rasti tjetër është Hiru Onoda, oficeri i lartë i Ushtrisë Perandorake Japoneze, i cili pas përfundimit të Luftës së Dytë botërore, qëndroi në xhungël në gatishmëri luftarake për 29 vjet derisa vajti eprori i tij tashmë i plakur dhe e anuloi urdhërin e mëhershëm për të mos u dorëzuar. Një vit më parë, në 2019 ishte rasti i qeverisë së Moldovës që vendosi të mos i hapte rrugë qeverisë së re gjë që çoi në një situatë të komplikuar, ku të dyja grupet deklaronin se ishin në krye të vendit. “Ngërçi” u tejkalua kur ish-kryeministri me inat e liroi postin i përballur me presion nga jashtë të ushtruar nga ndërkombëtarët si edhe me zemërim të popullit nga brenda vendit.    

Në Amerikë transferimi i pushtetit ka qenë një kalim paqësor i kompetencave i kryer sipas një procedure të caktuar. Por historia botërore ka plot shembuj të diktatorëve dhe tiranëve që kanë përdorur mënxyra për të ruajtur pushtetin. Historia ka shembuj të autokratëve që nuk i njohin rezultatet e zgjedhjeve të lira. Ka shembuj kur ata eliminojnë fare mandatet dhe rrinë në fuqi pafund. Ka shembuj kur ata burgosin, vrasin ose zhdukin kundërshtarët e tyre politik. Siç ka edhe nga ata që i praktikojnë të gjitha këto metoda së bashku.

   Zoti Trump ka folur me simpati për të paktën një prej tyre, për shembull kur tha se atij “mbase i takonte një mandat i tretë” duke u nisur nga “mënyra sesi na kanë trajtuar.” Këto ai i ka deklaruar përpara se të humbte zgjedhjet. Përdredhjet e lajmeve që dalin nga Shtëpia e Bardhë,  përngjasin me tymin e duhanit nga ku shfaqen sinjale se këshilltarët e presidentit dhe familjarët po provojnë disa forma psikologjike që Presidenti Trump ta kuptojë se është “pensionuar”, ndërkohë që sjellja e presidentit i përngjet më pak një puçi dhe më tepër një episodi të stërzgjatur hidhërimi të një fëmije të llastuar. 

Shumë anëtarë të legjislaturës republikane që e kanë neveri ta mërzisin zotin Trump, po ndihmojnë të ushqejnë iluzionin për pushtetin e tij. Por kjo ka një paralele në jetën e familjes së Trumpit. Kur babai i tij, Fredi, u sëmur me Alzheimer, familiarët thuhet se ranë dakort që ta linin patriarkun të mendonte se ishte ende drejtuesi i organizatës Trump. Revista Vanity Fair shkruan se plaku dilte për ditë në punë ku i jepnin të firmoste letra të bardha ndërsa telefonin e zyrës ia kishin lidhur vetëm me linjën e sekretares së tij. 

Disa rrjete mediatike simpatizuese të krahut të djathtë si edhe shumë nëpunës republikanë refuzojnë të pranojnë se Xhozef Biden është zgjedhur president. Miliona amerikanë duket se i besojnë thënieve të zotit Trump se këto janë zgjedhje të vjedhura dhe se epidemia e koronavirusit që tashmë është përshkallëzuar, nuk paraqet problem serioz. Përkrahësit e tij marshojnë në rrugë për të protestuar rezultatet e zgjedhjeve dhe nuk dihet se në ç’rrethana Trumpi do të largohet nga Shtëpia e Bardhë.

Gazetari dhe adhuruesi i Trumpit, Geraldo Rivera paraqiste në Twitter një krahasim të presidentit me një kampion të peshës së rëndë, që e di se ka humbur por mbahet me dhëmbë në ring duke grushtuar për një shans të largët fitoreje. Përshkrimi i tij lirik: “ai do t’i përgjigjet tingullit të këmbanës duke kërkuar nokoutin që mbetet larg në horizont.”

Autori i librit “Narcisisti i Njohur: Mburoja ndaj Narcisistit Ekstrem në Kohën kur Universi Rrotullohet rreth Vetes”, Dr. Bruno shkruan: “Kur të jenë shteruar paditë ligjore kundër zgjedhjeve, ai do ta kalojë gjithë jetën duke këmbëngulur se sistemi bëri komplot që mos e linte të fitonte. Do gjej rehati tek fajësimi i të tjerëve, vetë-keqardhja dhe tek indinjata që i takon vetëm atij për t’i pasur ato si mbështetje të vetes në mënyrë që të zbrapsi ndjenjën e poshtërimit nga humbja.” 

Shënim: Ky është version i redaktuar i shkrimit të Sarah Lyall botuar në gazetën Nju York Tajms me titullin origjinal “Kur Liderët Nuk Ikin, Mësime nga Shekspiri te Dikens te “Sajnfeld” për Moslamtumirën e Gjatë të Presidentit Trump. (When a Leader Just Won’t Go, Wisdom from Shakespeare to Dickens to ‘Seinfeld’ on President Trump’s long non-goodbye)

TRE TRANZICIONE PRESIDENCIALE ME PASOJA PER AMERIKEN

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Përktheu Rafaela Prifti/

Përse u miratua Amendamenti 20 i Kushtetutës Amerikane dhjetë vjet pas propozimit të projekt-ligjit? Cili president cilësohet si model i tranzicionit presidencial? Çfarë mund të sjellë dimri i ndasisë?

Thomas Balcerski, autor dhe mësues në Eastern Konektikut përshkruan tre episode famëkeqe të tranzicionit administrativ në historinë e Amerikës.

Dy javë pas përfundimit të zgjedhjeve Presidenti Donald Trump nuk e pranon humbjen ndaj ish-zv Presidentit Xho Biden. Disa zyrtarë të lartë të administratës së Trumpit, përfshirë edhe ish-shefin e përgjithshëm të Shtëpisë së Bardhë Xhon Kelli, kanë bërë thirrje për një proces paqësor tranzicioni. Megjithatë, shumë nga republikanët në Kongres qëndrojnë në krah të Presidentit.

Në realitet, Trumpi është president në dalje e sipër. Presidenca e tij ka shpërfillur precedencat e mëhershme në shumë aspekte por në këtë pikë ai është si gjithë presidentët e tjerë paraardhës. Mandati i tij do përfundojë dhe ai do dalë nga Shtëpia e Bardhë për të filluar kapitullin tjetër të jetës së tij. Dhe mënyra sesi sillet në këtë periudhë mnnd të jetë ajo që i jep vulën administratës së tij duke qenë gjithashtu edhe një moment kritik në historinë amerikane. Vendi ka përjetuar disa episode famëkeqe tranzicioni.  Tre të tilla kanë qenë: Xhejms Bjukenan dhe Abraham Linkolni gjatë dimrit të përcarjes 1860-1861, Herbet Huver dhe Franklin Delano Rusevelt gjatë përkeqësimit të krizës ekonomike të viteve 1932-1933, Bll Klinton dhe Xhorxh W. Bush pas zgjedhjeve të shumëkontestuara të vitit 2000.

Rrethanat e diktojnë më shumë se më parë nevojën për tranzicion efektiv. Përkeqësimi i epidemisë së COVID-19 kërkon angazhim total nga dega ekzekutive dhe kooperim të presidentit aktual me presidentin e zgjedhur për hir të vendit. Për të mos lejuar thellimin e tragjedisë, Trumpi dhe Biden duhet të shmangin gabimet e tre tranzicioneve me nam të keq.

1860-1861: Xhejms Bjukenan dhe Abraham Linkoln

Inagurimi i Abraham Linkolnit si presidenti i 16-të i Shteteve të Bashkuara në Uashington DC pasardhës i Presidentit Xhejms Bjukenan u bë pas Zgjedhjet e vitit 1860 ishin një sfidë serioze për tranzicionin presidencial. Në nëntor të atij viti Linkolni kishte fituar mjaft vota në Kolegjin Elektoral ndaj tri rivalëve të tjerë duke siguruar mandatin e ardhshëm të presidentit. Pa kaluar një muaj, Karolina Jugore u mblodh në një kuvend shtetëror nga ku vendosi unanimisht shkëputjen nga Bashkësia e Shteteve (Unioni). Pas saj, gjashtë shtete të jugut e ndoqën atë shembull. Presidenti Bjukenan që kishte humbur zgjedhjet tregoi dobësi në përballjen me krizën. Ai deklaroi se nuk e mbështeste shkëputjen e shteteve të jugut por besonte se qeveria nuk kishte forca ta ndalonte këtë veprim dhe iu drejtua Kongresit për zgjidhje. Mbledhja e ‘të urtëve’ në Uashington DC doli me një varg me propozime të hartuara me qëllim që skllavëria të kishte mbrojtje kushtetuese. Ky dokument njihet si Kompromisi Kritenden (mbiemri i Përfaqësuesit ligjor të Kentakit, Xhon Kritenden, që propozoi masat ligjore – Shënim i Përkthyeses)

Por Presidenti i zgjedhur Linkoln me mençuri refuzoi të pranonte çdo lloj kompromisi të dalë nga administrata e papëlqyer e Bjukenan. Në ditën e inagurimit, Linkolni shkoi për vizitë në Shtëpinë e Bardhë dhe të dy vajtën me një pajton në ndërtesën e parlamentit. Pavarësisht nga fjalimi i paqtë inagurues, lufta shpërtheu kur forcat e Konfederatës hapën zjarr në Fort Sumter në prill 1861.    

Kongresi republikan ishte aq i mllefosur me veprimet e fundit të Bjukenan kur ishte ende në postin e presidentit por nuk ishte rizgjedhur për mandatin tjetër, sa ia tërhoqi privilegjin e postimit pa pagesë duke e detyruar administratën e tij të paguante vetë për veprimet postare dhe madje nuk pranoi të paguante as për portretin zyrtar të z. Bjukenan.  Ai nga ana e vet i doli në mbrojtje pozitës së tij në prag të luftës, të cilën historianët e quajnë si librin e parë të kujtimeve nga një president por kjo nuk mjafroi për ta rehabilituar emrin e tij. Për pasivitetin e tij gjatë kohës kur po e shihte se Unioni po shkërmohej në këmbët e tij, ai renditet si presidenti më i keq në historinë e Amerikës.

1932-1933: Herbert Huver dhe Franklin D. Rusevelt

Në vitet 1932, periudha e Depresionit të Rëndë e kishte rrëzuar ekonominë amerikane në nivele të ulta të panjohura më parë. Bankat e kishin humbur kredibilitetin, bujqit nuk kishin treg për produktet e tyre dhe papunësia kishte arritur në 25 %.  Në nëntor, Rusevelti doli me një program të quajtur Pakti i Ri që financohej nga fonde shtetërore, dhe fitoi shumë më tepër vota se fushata e Huverit për vullnetarizm kolektiv të individëve. Ditën pas zgjedhjeve në orën 9:34 të mbrëmjes Huveri pranoi humbjen me zor me anë të një telegrami: “Për hir të qëllimit tonë të përbashkët, unë do jem i përkushtuar ndaj çdo hapi të mundshëm të dobishëm.” Në ditën e inagurimit të Franklin Delano Rusevelt në 1933, ai dhe paraardhësi Herbert Huver shkuan bashkë në ceremoni. Në të vërtetë Huver nuk kishte lënë gjë pa bërë që ta sabotonte Paktin e Ri të Ruseveltit. Praktikisht, ai donte t’i anulonte pjesë të tëra të programit social përpara se Rusevelti të hynte në Shtëpinë e Bardhë. Nga ana e tij, Rusevelti nuk pranoi të bashkëpunonte për asgjë me presidentin ‘në dalje e sipër.

Ndërkohë, pasojat e Depresionit të Rëndë u përkeqësuan. Në ditën e inagurimit Huveri dhe Rusevelt udhëtuan “si në gjemba” nga Shtëpia e Bardhë drejt Parlamentit. Rusevelti bëri vetëm disa komente për përgatitjet madhështore përgjatë rrugës ku do mbahej parada. Fatmirësisht, ky do ishte fundi i kohëzgjatjes së periudhës midis dy administratave, e caktuar në një kohë kur amerikanët udhëtonin me kuaj ose vaporë. Në vitin 1933, Kongresi më në fund miratoi ligjin e propozuar për herë të parë nga Senatori Xhorxh Norris në 1923 – që arriti të hynte si amendamenti 20 në Kushtetutën e Shteteve të Bashkuara.  Midis të tjerave, amendamenti e përshpejtoi kohën e daljes së presidentit prej postit zyrtar nga data 4 mars në 20 janar.

2000-2001: Bill Klinton dhe Xhorxh W Bush

Ndërsa President Bill Klinton dhe Presidenti i zgjedhur Xhorxh W. Bush qëndrojnë përpara Shtëpisë së Bardhë për herë të parë pas përfundimit të zgjedhjeve në 19 Dhjetor 2000, në Uashington, DC, pak kush e dinte atëherë luftën e brendshme që kishte filluar prej datës 7 nëntor. Në një prej garave më të paparashikuara në historinë amerikane, ish-Presidenti Al Gore dhe Guvernatori i Teksasit Xhorxh Bush kishin fituar shtete kyce që janë vendimtare për fatin e zgjedhjeve. Fituesi i shtetit të Floridës nuk mund të deklarohej megjithëse rrjetet kryesore mediatike ia kishin dhënë fitoren zotit Gore dhe e kishin ndërruar pastaj në favor të Bushit.

Duke menduar se kishte humbur, zoti Gore i telefonoi Bushit për t’i uruar fitoren. Gjatë rrugës për të mbajtur fjalimin e ‘humbjes’ pranë Momumentit të Luftës në Nashvil, asistentet vrapuan ta njoftonin të mos dilte përpara publikut. Sipas lajmeve, në Florida diferenca në numrin e votave ishte aq e vogël sa nuk numd të parashikohej fituesi, dhe kështu filloi një betejë ligjore disajavore derisa më në fund Gjykata e Lartë e ndaloi rinumërimin e votave në Florida, dhe z. Gore e dha pranimin duke iu drejtua publikut përpara kamerave në datën 13 dhjetor. Ndërkohë që priteshin rezultatet e zgjedhjeve, agjencia federale që hap rrugën për presidentin e ri, nuk njohu asnjë kanditat. Vendimi vonoi vënien në zbatim të Aktit të Tranzicionit Presidencial që përfshin lokalet e zyrave, pajisjet si edhe fondet përkatëse për administratën e re. Megjithatë Bushi u lejua të vinte në mbledhjet informative të sigurisë ndërsa Gore ishte i pranishëm si Zv President. Në 2004 Komisioni i Posaçëm për  aktet e 11 Shtatorit konkludoi se ngadalësia në tranzicion i ‘ndrydhi’ aftësitë e administratës për të emërimet e zyrtarëve në poste kyçe të sigurisë kombëtare.

Megjithatë nuk kishte pak episode dramatike – administrata e Presidentit Klinton nuk u largua pa bërë zhurmë. Dolën fjalë se personeli kishte shkulur telat e telefonave, kishin dëmtuar tualetet, dhe kishin kryer një akt mëse “fëminor” duke hequr shkronjën W nga tastierat e kompjuterave të Shtëpisë së Bardhë (personeli i Klintonit i ka hedhur poshtë shumicën e këtyre akuzave.) Zyra e Llogarisë paraqiti një raport të dëmeve prej 15,000 dollarëve. Si kundërbalancë, Bushi iu përkushtua punës për një tranzicion profesional kur erdhi koha për ta kaluar ‘stafetën’ te presidenti i zgjedhur Barak Obama. Nga ana e vet, Obama e ka cilësuar atë si ‘standarti më i lartë’ i tranzicioneve dhe e ndoqi atë model në kohën e tranzicionit nga ai te Trumpi.   

Zoti Trump mundet fare mirë ta pranojë rezultatin e zgjedhjeve duke ndjekur traditën e gjatë të ‘unifikimit’ të vendit që nis nga inagurimi në vitin 1896. Dhe prej aty mund të ndjekë shembullin e presidentëve përpara tij që marrin pjesë në ceremoninë e inagurimit të pasardhësit.  Por nëse e shkuara mund të shërbejë si prolog, për mbarë vendin pritet të ketë thellim të krizës dhe një periudhë të trazuar trancizioni. Ashtu si edhe përpara në historinë tonë, duhet të jemi të përgatitur për dimrin e ndasisë midis administratës së vjetër dhe asaj të re – dhe për pasojat që kjo do t’i sjell vendit.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KRISTI PANCE – ASSOCIATE RESEARCH FELLOW AT ROGERS CORPORATION INNOVATION CENTER

by

by Rafaela Prifti/

Kristi Pance’s research work has been awarded many US, European and worldwide patents. He says that it takes some time for new inventions to find large scale applications but he is optimistic about the new antennas designed by him and a team of colleagues. Kristi believes that the 2020 pandemic will have long term social, economic, political and scientific ramifications. His advice to students and young researchers is to fail effectively and to keep it simple. In the end, he shares a special message for Albania’s Independence Day!

Read full interview in Dielli’s Special Issue of November

I am grateful for this opportunity to talk with you, an Albanian-American physicist and researcher. I will start with a question about the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics. Three Laureates shared the prestigious honor awarded last month: Roger Penrose of Oxford University for showing that the general theory of relativity leads to the formation of black holes, Reinhard Genzel of LMU and Andrea Ghez of University of California, Los Angeles for discovering methods indicating that an invisible and extremely heavy object governs the orbits of stars at the center of our galaxy. What do these achievements mean for fellow physicists such as yourself? What is their significance for science at large?

Predicting Nobel Prize individual winners is rather more difficult than anticipating the winning field at times. For example this year, astrophysics was one of the expected winning fields of science. In a classic Nobel trio, the prize was awarded to a theoretical astrophysicist, Roger Penrose and two experimental and observational astrophysicists, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez for their ground-breaking discoveries in black hole physics. Sir Roger Penrose is a mathematical physicist, mathematician and philosopher who made significant contributions in different fields of science. One of the most celebrated scientists of our time, Penrose was a long-time collaborator of the great Steven Hawking. He and Hawking were the first to prove that black holes come out naturally from the equations of General Relativity when applied to stars or systems of stars with masses above a certain threshold. Sir Penrose invented wonderful mathematical tools to explain and further develop General Relativity and black hole physics. Looking back at the history of science and particularly astronomy, the moment of shifting from Ptolemy geocentric to the Copernican heliocentric system was a great scientific and philosophical tipping point. The significance of our Sun being at the center of the solar system gave rise to ideas and theories of possible existences of other solar systems in even greater hierarchical structures called galaxies.  It serves as an analogy to the recent discoveries and advancements in the theory of super massive black holes at the center of any galaxy. The two Laureates, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez developed very fine methods to map out with great accuracy the motions of stars near the center of our galaxy as evidence of the existence of supermassive black holes.

As a Research Fellow at the Rogers Corporations, how do you view the correlation between technological needs and the driving force for innovation and research? How do you perceive the synergy between science and technology, that is summarized in the expression: Science questions beget new technology and new technology begets new science?

There exists a great correlation between science and technology. After all technology is nothing less than science applied for practical needs. The day-to-day needs motivate research which results in a new scientific contribution followed by a novel technology, which potentially pushes further the boundaries of science discoveries and so on. For example, today’s communications speed calls for a high capacity of data transmission. Science responded by inventing and designing massive MIMO (multiple input and multiple output) systems. Their practical production requires smaller, more efficient and lower cost components, pushing the current limits of technology. Among other things, it requires developing new materials which is a longstanding traditional expertise at Rogers Corporation. To illustrate it with an example that ties in with the 2020 Nobel Prize Physics Award: the Hawking-Penrose famous paper on gravitational collapse and singularities that predicted black holes was presented in 1970. Although the methods did not exist, it fueled the efforts and pushed technological capabilities. Their work preceded Genzel-Ghez discovery by around 30 years.

You completed your college education in Albania in the late 80s. What was it like then? And what do you look forward to?

Right after finishing my undergraduate studies in 1987, I joined the faculty at the Theoretical Physics Department at the Natural Sciences College in Tirana. There I worked alongside some brilliant Albanian physicists. Five years later, I left Albania to complete advanced studies at the renown Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. Then I had the opportunity to pursue my graduate studies at Northeastern in Boston. I consider myself part of the generation that received a very good education in Albania. We were equipped to compete successfully with well qualified peers and researchers in Europe and in the US. As an innovator, I look forward to large-scale commercialization of my inventions in widely applied or practical uses.

What is your advice to students and young graduates as they embark on the areas of modern sciences? What advice would you have given yourself in Albania? Have you encountered an increased interest by Albanian students in the science of physics?

I have come to know quite a number of very successful Albanian students of Science and Engineering here in the States. My advice may sound cliche yet it is worth repeating: work hard and never give up! There are no shortcuts particularly in science. To the young researchers, I would advise: “Fail efficiently!” Let me explain what I mean by that. The harder you work, the faster you are bound to encounter failure and the better you are able to manage your failures, the closer you come to the eventual success. A successful researcher or innovator is obviously knowledgeable, however his edge over the competition comes from another type of knowledge that is acquired through endless hours of hard work. The more efficiently you fail, the closer you come to the right solution, because you know more about the paths and ways that don’t work. That is a wonderful piece of knowledge that is only yours, not written or found in the books and that can make the whole difference. One more piece of advice: “Target simplicity”. Nature’s ultimate secret is simplicity, albeit elusive. A solution, or model that seems complicated, is likely wrong. We usually try to complicate things, but the ability to complicate is in fact a disability.

During the time of the pandemic, there has been resistance and even disregard for the science based approach. If one area specifically public health is ignored, what could be the repercussions for the larger science community?

It has been a difficult time for everybody. In our lifetime, I don’t remember any other period where it was so important to listen to the experts. Although, I must say here that because of the different nature and complexity of this pandemic there were disagreements in the science community stemming from the challenges of facing a new virus. Yet, almost all of them agreed on the ways of preventing the spread of the airborne pathogen. That should have been listened to. Unfortunately, it was not. From a theological point of view, I strongly believe, as do so many, that 2020 pandemic will be a turning point in world history with short and long term social, economic, political, technological and scientific consequences. We could make some historical parallels with the 14th century plague in Europe, which prompted the European Renaissance. More than five centuries have passed since then with tremendous development in sciences and technology and yet the human race remains vulnerable. The warning signs did not inform our preventive practices. Instead they were ignored repeatedly. Another illustration from science history. In 1977, famous physicist Louis Alvarez after analyzing geological layers proposed the asteroid impact theory that triggered Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction. His theory was criticized in the beginning, but bit by bit scientists accepted it and discovered even the impact site. Nevertheless, the general thinking remained skeptical. Less than two decades later, in 1994 all scientific community watched in awe the cosmic impact of Shoemaker comet colliding with Jupiter. So, we witnessed the cosmic impacts with catastrophic consequences that happened (fortunately on another planet). The same can be said for the 2020 global pandemic. It could have been, and still could be much worse if we don’t learn the lessons. It has shown the vulnerability of the human race, the risk of a possible extinction. In reaction to it, we will see humanity speeding up efforts towards the new space and technological frontiers.  We will witness soon Mars exploration. Maybe humanity will seriously push towards the first considered advanced scale of civilization, called Kardashev Type 1 civilization, by harnessing, storing and using all the energy available on planet Earth. I am very optimistic that after this chaos we will see a worldwide organized response that will bring nations and governments closer together.

The city of Boston carries a special significance for us. It is the birthplace of the Pan-Albanian Federation of America Vatra and its publication Dielli, dating back in 1912, still in circulation today. The founders and leaders of Vatra like Fan Noli and Faik Konica advocated and promoted Albanian independence. Noli established the Albanian Church in Boston and much more. What features of Boston do you appreciate more?

One of the early European settlements, Boston is an intricate part of America’s history. The city is home to magnificent art museums, cultural heritage, some of the nation’s top schools, world class scientific research, as well as a global leader in entrepreneurship and innovation. My family and I have a few favorite spots in the city including the Museum of Science and Boston Symphony Hall. As you said, Boston is also spiritually special for the Albanian community in America.

Read full interview in Dielli’s Special Issue of November