Dielli | The Sun

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

MEMORIAL DAY QUARANTINE AND A PERSONAL TRIBUTE

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By Rafaela Prifti/

In a reminder of the way coronavirus has transformed American lives and traditions, in the third month of the quarantine for some areas, Memorial Day parades have been canceled and many gatherings have been curtailed with scaled back crowds. Other ceremonies went forward with fewer participants. Instead of the usual events, there were drive-by parades and patriotic house-decorating contest in towns across the country. This year we pay tribute to the fallen soldiers on the battlefield and the veterans who died from the virus. The toll of the virus on military veterans has been particularly harsh. They are older, have underlying health problems, and many reside in facilities that have been breeding grounds for the disease. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 1,000 veterans have been killed by the coronavirus. Hundreds more have died in state-run veterans homes, such as the hard-hit facilities in New Jersey, Massachusetts and Louisiana. Around the country families are struggling to find ways to honor fallen heroes on a Memorial Day like no other, with people avoiding crowds to prevent the spread of the virus. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund traditionally holds a large ceremony in Washington. This year, the organization decided to hold a virtual ceremony and share video messages submitted by the loved ones of fallen troops. The grief is compounded with the difficulty of not being able to pay proper reverence and homage to the veteran family members who died at nursing homes and hospitals. “Are there different kinds of grief?” I posed the question to Neka Doko, an Alternative Eco-Therapy Researcher and Practitioner in Boston. “In my view, grief is a natural complex feeling and behavior of any human being that may accompany the thoroughness of their drama, tragedy and loss. The intensity and the length of its personal, socio and psychological evolution depend upon the cause of it, since each one of us experience the state of grieving differently from one another in terms of the correlation with the cause. With that said, there are many different kinds of grief. I can think of two main categories of grief: collective and personal ones. In the present days, we are experiencing the shock and the common grief in a global scale due to the coronavirus pandemic, which qualifies as a collective grief. Within it, one can see the cultural grief – the group of people, like African Americans or Latin Americans…as communities who were hit hard by the virus and suffered huge losses) also the social, political, economic aspects brought to the surface by the pandemic whereas the personal grief is a family being affected by the loss of a member, or a relative a friend or a co-worker. I asked Ms. Doko to elaborate on the emotional toll associated with the deep sense of loss. She explained that in such cases there are risks of complex mental health complications and behavioral disorders… and that complex combination is very unique to each all of us. “Each one perceives pain and loss differently and is uniquely equipped to cope with it by creating and practicing positive habits to improve emotional wellbeing in the face of the Coronavirus,” said Ms, Doko. Experts are warning of the emotional and mental health toll of the frontline workers at hospitals, nursing homes, paramedics, and medical staff. Alongside the experience of loss, there are possibilities of developing life-threatening illnesses. Handling stress in order to ultimately cope creates positive habits and reduce response patterns that predict post-traumatic stress disorder, in which a tragic event leads to symptoms such as disturbing flashbacks and severe anxiety. Studies show that the majority of people who have suffered or gone through a life threatening event recover on their own and never meet criteria for PTSD. Trusting in the human ability to recover increases the chances of coping with the event they have endured. Human resilience is very powerful. For those who are struggling more profoundly, research shows that even the most intense feelings of hopelessness eventually pass. One venue is finding ways to distract yourself. In order to increase our well-being in the middle of facing a trauma, experts recommend taking breaks. While being surrounded by bad news, the specialists’ advice activities to offset the pain, like something you once enjoyed doing. Improve your well-being by taking little moment to reflect and appreciate or make a donation to express your gratitude. These acts enhance your human resilience in dealing with a crises. Another key resource is the community of people, which in the case of the pandemic encompasses the whole globe. Staying connected with a support group helps combat the feelings of loneness and loss. As the result of the quarantine, there are infinite amounts of group wellness activity online, virtual talks and fitness classes. Participating in one or more of such events helps to improve the sense of connection and mood.  Pay attention to your mindset by controlling the negative thoughts, silencing the self-critic and passing no judgment. One way to move away from negative thoughts is to ask yourself, “Is this helpful?” doctors say. Studies show that overthinking invites depression, Instead of staying stuck in the same painful moment, experts recommend putting your concerns on paper, keeping notes or journal, as to provide a distraction for yourself. In the ways of improving our well-being, dealing with negative emotions is challenging. To notice one’s emotions and respond to the experience with perspective rather than avoiding negative thoughts or feelings altogether. Suppressing or pushing away can be counterproductive in helping to create a healthy relationship with your thoughts. The key is to balance accepting difficult feelings without multiplying them, while increasing your emotional immune system. Let the sense of purpose based on what you value drive your next steps or future possibilities that could improve the recovery.

In her comments on observing Memorial Day, Merita McCormack, member of Vatra’s Executive Board and one of the leaders in the Albanian community of the Dioceses of Arlington, provided insightful context and reflections. “For us, who are immigrants, integrating onto the life of the host country, includes getting to learn the history and as we weave our lives into the second homeland, we learn to be part of it and experience life as it happens in the new country,” she said. Acknowledging the many members of the community that answered the call, Ms. McCormack continued: “For Albanian Americans, Memorial Day is not just a holiday, it is a Remembrance Day that marks a significant part of the American history, which calls upon the individual and the society to reflect upon and draw lessons. While our inherent dignity and liberties are bestowed upon us by God, the nation is defended by men and women who want to give and serve and many have given their lives to do so, thus paying the ultimate price. We not only remember, respect and honor but we also participate in several ways. Whether laying a wreath, sharing a story, or offering prayers, we educate ourselves and our children, our communities too. We offer our thoughts and prayers for the fallen and we pledge to not forget.  As a mother my heart goes to the mothers of the fallen, as a sister too. And as an individual, I wish to offer my time and care to the families of the fallen. As a fellow citizen, I am sad for the loss, but grateful to them for the ultimate sacrifice which guaranteed our freedom. As Albanians we understand the meaning of the blood shed to defend the country. Being where East meets West, Albania has had its own large share of wars and attacks and loss of life. We share that grief, that anger and also that gratitude for the heroes who died for our freedom. This little reflection won’t be complete though without mentioning that during communism there was division and class warfare even after death. Not all the fallen in the World War II were honored as deservingly as they are here in the USA. Thus a reminder that while our heroes fight to defend our country, they also fight to defend what is noble and democratic, for the justice and liberty for all. May God rest the soul of the fallen and shine His perpetual Light upon them!”      

By now the virtual meetings and online events have become common for most of us. We communicate via a screen of faces, celebrate, honor and also grieve, collectively and personally. I thank the co-panelists Merita McCormack and Neka Doko for sharing their views. Then I bring up the pictures of the family members that we pay homage on Memorial Day: my uncle Apostol Prifti, older brother of Peter and Naum, joined the services of the Navy in the Pacific Ocean in 1958, and my nephew, Eri Tare, who served with the Translators Team at Camp Bondsteel in Kosova in 2006. Although years apart, their stories began in Albania and continued in the US where they embraced serving the country that made them proud to be Americans!

VATRA COMMEMORATES MAY RIOTS OF SPAC AND QAFE BAR BY STANDING WITH SURVIVORS

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By Rafaela Prifti/

VATRA held its first virtual commemorative event to honor the anticommunist prison riots of Space and Qafe Bar of May 1973 and 1984. On behalf of the survivors of Albania’s political persecuted, VATRA’s leadership vowed to raise awareness and take action to petition US Congress and authorities.

On Thursday, two members of the Executive Board of VATRA, Ervin Dine and Merita McCormack sent out e-invites for a Zoom meeting dedicated to the Spac and Qafe Bari prison rebellions. Unable to go to the annual commemorative ceremony in Washington DC in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, they said that moving the event online was appropriate. VATRA’s Vice President in charge of innovation, integration and youth, Ervin Dine, reinforced the importance of such acts of remembrance for the future generations and to not allow the return of the past. Elmi Berisha, President of VATRA thanked the initiators, participants and the ones who were not able to attend. He said: “The generations of Albanians who suffered persecution and were victimized by the Communist regime have protected our national identity and moral integrity.” Directly speaking to the survivors, Mr. Berisha stated: “You are the spark and the inspiration for our freedom. The Pan-Albanian Federation of America Vatra is proud to stand with you.” Expressing respect and gratitude, Dr. Pashko Camaj, VATRA’s Vice-President for Community Outreach and Education, remarked: “Nothing is worse than forgetfulness. Tonight’s event serves to remove the dust of history and let these heroes shine.”

Delivering a poignant key note address, Pellumb Lamaj, a symbol of anticommunist resistance, greeted “the positive initiative to pay homage to two crucial revolts that have become synonymous with anticommunist resistance. “The prison uprisings in Spac and Qafe Bar occurred three decades ago. In both cases, the regime’s violently crushed the protests and executed a number of the protagonists. Yet the martyrs have no grave for their family members to go to. Such actions by the communist amount to nothing more than a coward act of robing us of our history,” said Mr. Lamaj. He praised VATRA for honoring the martyrs and indicated that the Pan-Albanian Federation of America has the resources to take on the role of the anticommunist advocate in the diaspora. Lek Mirakaj, member of VATRA’s Board of Directors, remembered how his son, and his co-sufferer’s son ran into one another when families were allowed to see them in prison. It was a powerful image and message of the long-lasting wounds inflicted by communism onto the people. Mr. Mirakaj recalled the tenacity of Pellumb Lamaj who was thrown in Spac prison as a 19 year-old teenager, where he served a 12 year sentence, equal to about three-fourth of his whole life. “For a state with a history of roughly 100 years, the riots of Spac and Qafe Bar mark two stand-out moments. It was exactly there that chants like “Freedom! Democracy!” “Down with Communism!” were voiced out by the politically persecuted. The same cries rallied the students in the 1990s anticommunist movement in Albania. So, it is clear that the prisoners’ rebellions were expressions of the people’s aspirations to throw away the shackles of the regime,” said Mr. Mirakaj. Standing next to his son, Ervin, the next keynote speaker Dine Dine, started by saying that he shies away from public speaking. Then, the published author eloquently emphasized how the persecution practices and sentencing were maliciously prolonged in Albania. “After serving time in prison, we, as many others, were sent to internment camps of hard physical labor and unspeakable conditions,” he said. Mr. Dine recalled another fellow prisoner, as “an honest man and a hero”, who is the brother of Mark Mrnacaj from VATRA’s Board of Directors. He said that attending the meeting is an act of commemorates the legacy of the survivors. His family has endured a lengthy persecution from 1948 to 1989.      

The survivors have been subjected to prison and labor camps for the better part of their lives in Albania. They are American Albanians and live in the US in the last decades, well-respected for their civic duties and role in the community. Roughly three decades after the collapse of communism, these survivors feel they have been terrorized for a second time by the ensuing noncommunist elite in Albania and lack of accountability by the ones in charge and responsible for the acts of torture, persecution and executions under communism. Mr. Dine Dine reference the dilapidated state of a Tepelene memorial in Albania dedicated to the Spac prison revolt. Responding to the idea of memorializing the survivors, Dr. Pashko Camaj of the Executive Board suggested a publication to document their memories and life stories. Merita McCormack advised the screening of the documentary film produced by Pellumb Lamaj at VATRA’s Headquarters. Mr. Mirakaj and Mr. Dine spoke of Pellumb Lamaj’s courage and uncompromising determination to expose the crimes of communism in Albania. Dielli’s Editor Dalip Greca said that he has covered extensively the topic of the crimes of communism through survivors’ interviews and witness stories. “The notorious prisons of Spac and Qafe Bari belonged to the communist machine of victimization and oppression that were prevalent in Albania. The barbaric punishment continued even after the Spac riot was crushed,” said Mr. Greca. Speaking as a survivor of imprisonment in the former-Yugoslavia, Shaqir Salihu said that, in comparison with Kosova, the prisons in Albania were harsher, while at the same time the communist propaganda promoted a false reality to indoctrinate the minds of Albanians who lived outside its borders. On the topic of actions and future goals, Augustin Mirakaj and Ervin Dine of the Executive Board of VATRA suggested drafting a petition to US Congress and the President to denounce “Albania’s communists as terrorists”. “Ironically”, they said, “today the same individuals who are responsible for the crimes against the persecuted in Albania are not held accountable. Instead, these individuals speak as democrats and hold government positions.” At the end of the meeting, President of VATRA, Elmi Berisha pledged his support: “I, with all of you, will stay committed to the cause of fighting for the martyrs of communism.”  

The crimes of the ‘Red Terror’ have taken a significant toll on the members of VATRA for many generations. They are deeply embedded in VATRA’s long history of opposing communism and well-documented in Dielli. In May of last year, senior representatives of the Pan-Albanian Federation of America VATRA attended the annual commemorative service at the designated memorial site in Washington DC, to honor the memory of the victims of communism. I filed the report titled ‘We no longer wish to be victims of communism”. At the end of the virtual event on Thursday, it was proposed that the month of May be dedicated to the anticommunist martyrs. And there is a lot more to be done.   

“YOU CAN BET ON AMERICA”

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ANALYSIS: FINANCE AND ECONOMICS /

By Rafaela Prifti/

This article delves into understanding the gap between market and economic data, based on comments of financial and policy analysts as well as input from business and finance professionals of VATRA community. While everyone seems to be in agreement about staying cautiously optimistic, it is prudent to prepare for certain variables and a lasting impact.    

In the early stages of the outbreak, stocks tumbled amid fears of the virus spread and its potential impact on the global economy. During that time, at several points, trading was halted to rein in the chaos. In the following weeks, the markets bounced, for the most part, while the economy is in decline and 38.6 million Americans have filed for jobless claims in nine weeks. The stock market isn’t the economy, but it is worth-looking into the explanations that might be driving its performance in a relatively loose relation with the grim reality of the coronavirus pandemic. The IRS and Treasury Department announced that about 4 million stimulus payments will be sent to Americans on prepaid debit cards instead of as paper checks. The Federal Reserve and, to some extent Congress have taken extraordinary measures to pump money into the economy and prop up markets. The amount of spending up to date amounts to about one-third of GDP in a very short period of time. This is considered to be the main driver of the market’s rebound and a factor that keeps the investors’ nerves in check. 

Fed’s Monetary Policy

The Fed is the nation’s monetary policy authority. On Tuesday, the Head of the US Central Bank, Jerome Powell, appeared before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Committee urging Congress for more fiscal relief. The Chair of Federal Reserve assured lawmakers that the central bank is committed to using its “full range of tools” to support the economy as long as needed. The Fed plans to buy both investment-grade and high-yield corporate bonds, which means that the Fed is promising to buy corporate debt that’s at low risk for default, and debt that is not. These maneuvers have injected an enormous amount of liquidity in the market and restored faith of both private corporate bond buyers and equity investors that the central bank is there to back them up. The Fed still has not spent money on its corporate bonds program. The enormous amount of liquidity has allowed the market to be more optimistic than the health experts’ predictions for the pandemic. During the last global financial crisis, the Federal Reserve provided extraordinary policy tools never used before in effect “decoupling the stock market’s fortunes from that of the economy,” say the experts. The same measures were employed this time around. In the modern bailout era, between the Fed and the federal government, there’s reason for equity investors to feel okay. 

The corporate America woes in the short term are evident. To illustrate the point, Ervin Dine, Deputy Chairman of the Pan-Albanian Federation of America VATRA, speaking in his capacity as the NYC District Manager at his company said: “This last quarter was a severe decline. Just to give you an idea, my company, the largest transportation solutions provider in the world, just on this quarter alone is eighty percent behind last year’s revenue.” Mr. Dine considered that the present financial and economic indicators would need some adjustments in the long term. “Markets did stabilize due to the stimulus package and assistance provided to both companies and individuals. However, if the stay at home orders continue for much longer, it could mean an even further decline. Yes, there will be investors that will be able to take advantage of the new reality, but with unemployment at the rate that it is, confidence may slip further. I firmly believe that the administration has a plan to get the economy back on track. I do think however that it will take some time for the new post COVID-19 normal. Companies and employees will have to adjust to a new way of doing business,” he said. The Fed’s actions solve the immediate liquidity problem. They keep companies afloat but don’t solve whether a business is going to be viable and therefore able to pay back the debt in the long run. Many companies, especially small businesses, have struggled to get loans. A new Congressional Oversight Commission report found that the Treasure Department has barely spent any of the $500 billion set aside to help businesses and local governments. In an interview with the English Editor of Dielli, President of Pan-Albanian Federation of America VATRA, Elmi Berisha projected optimism that “out of the economic downturn, new opportunities will arise.” In his view, “The Albanian American business community operates mainly in three area: gastronomy, construction and real estate.” Mr. Berisha, who has received US College education in Business and Management, said: “The restaurant industry has been hit hard. Those in the business who will adapt, will also be able to succeed. The construction contractors and companies that are subject to rules and regulations pertaining to the procurement of goods, services, insurances and so on, have to contend with those factors. Thirdly, the housing market has seen sales drop and given the numbers now it could be headed toward a downturn. Also the supply and demand for retail space may change significantly while the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic takes hold.” Yet, Vatra’s President expressed optimism in the revival and the prevailing spirit of the Albanian American community of entrepreneurs. I asked VATRA’s Treasurer, Marjan Cubi, for his personal perspective in the face of the global health crisis. “Since I came to this country in 1974, I have appreciated the American democracy,” he said. Mr. Cubi singled out the policies of President Trump to secure America’s borders, restore its economic and military powers in the world. VATRA’s Executive Financial Officer noted that in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, “the President’s actions of banning the flights from China and limiting travels from Europe, have significantly reduced the number of infection related deaths in the US. And there is a lot of hope for a vaccine in the year 2021.” 

Fiscal Recovery Driven by Intervention

Institutional investors and individual retail investors reportedly saw record sign-ups in the first three months of the year, amid volatility caused by coronavirus. According to analysts, there are not many lucrative alternatives to investing in stocks right now. The government bonds offer super-low returns. The interest rate on 10-year US government bonds is 0.6 %, down from more than 3% in late 2018. So, experts say that buying stock in companies that are still profitable despite the Covid-19 recession looks pretty attractive. Many companies are doing well particularly in tech: Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google-owner Alphabet, and Facebook reported strong earnings last week and make up about one-fifth of the S&P 500’s market value. The stock market doesn’t reflect the economy in total. Small businesses and companies that aren’t publicly traded are being hit hard right now. The stock market is sometimes considered to be a leading indicator of what will happen in the economy. Analysts say that investors are pegging some of their hopes to a treatment for the coronavirus, and they’re excited about states reopening. Most agree that in the global health crisis of the coronavirus, predictions about the economy are increasingly difficult. 

You Can Bet On America But Be Careful

The market has been volatile in recent months and moves on a day-to-day news and headlines, which are constantly changing. At the moment, numbers show that the economy shrank 4.8 % in the first quarter and upward of 30 million people have filed jobless claims. I followed billionaire Warren Buffett’s virtual annual 2020 Berkshire Hathaway meeting streamed online. In the 2008 financial crisis, Mr. Buffet encouraged investors to “buy American”. This time he was careful to say that the markets will improve in the long term – though the time frame of his certainty was decades, not months or even years from now. He noted the possibility of a second wave of coronavirus infections and acknowledged that the world might profoundly change for years to come. “You can bet on America, but you kind of have to be careful about how you bet,” he said. Speaking about the overall climate, the Goldman associate admitted that the future is less clear. He described a worst-case scenario: “If we haven’t hit the bottom yet, things will get very, very bad, because then you’ll see a lot of cascading effects where a hedge fund will blow up, which means the pension fund that is invested in the hedge fund now has to take that loss, which means they have to de-risk, so they have to move out of equities. There’s a very real possibility that people could get washed out, not just retail investors, but everybody.” At a time when the stock market has been buoyed by Fed’s maneuvering, moves to reopen America and investors’ willingness to overlook the economic data, he said the energy, oil, real estate and retail industries are all facing problems that could reverberate throughout the economy, and into the banking system. He added that the banks were better prepared in 2008. One statement might have offered Mr. Buffet’s most immediate insight: “This is a very good time to borrow money, which means it may not be such a great time to lend money.”

CORONAVIRUS AND OTHER CHALLENGES FOR THE WORLD ORGANIZATION

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By Rafaela Prifti/ Kosovo’s vulnerability to the pandemic worsened by political divisions, says Head of UNMIK, Mr. Zahir Tanin. Security Council struggles over a symbolic Resolution for a global ceasefire.

The Secretary General Special Representative and Head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Zahir Tanin conducted his first regular briefing to the UN Security Council via videoconference on Friday. He told the Security Council that Kosovo is especially vulnerable to the threat of a wider pandemic. Mr. Tahin commended the ‘swift actions taken by public health authorities and heroic efforts by the medical personnel’. However, the Special Representative of Secretary General for Kosovo expressed concern over internal political instability. “It is an unfortunate feature of the present circumstances in Kosovo that political divisions have distracted the attention of many leaders away from the health crises,” he said. While calling for more resources to assist the most vulnerable in Kosovo, Mr. Tanin asserted that the internal divisions have “served to reduce public trust in political leadership…” The Head of UNMIK outlined several critical elements needed to combat the coronavirus outbreak such as “a focused government, a mobilized population and resources driven by strong leadership.” In the face of new alarming challenges such as a stark rise in domestic violence, Mr. Tanin urged political leaders “to focus on unifying their energy while putting personal and political agendas aside.”   

On another development, the US diplomats have blocked a vote on a UN Security Council Resolution intended to show global support for a ceasefire during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Council, comprised of fifteen member countries, has been trying for more than six weeks to agree on a text that calls for a ceasefire in global conflicts so the world can focus on the pandemic. The cause of the delay is the US refusal to endorse a resolution that references the World Health Organization, a UN agency based in Geneva. A spokesperson for the US mission at the UN said that if the resolution was to mention the work of the WHO, it would have to include critical language about how China and the WHO have handled the pandemic. Washington has halted funding for the WHO, after President Donald Trump accused it of being “China-centric” and promoting China’s “disinformation” about the outbreak. Through negotiations, a compromise was reached where instead of naming the WHO, the draft referenced “specialized health agencies.” China has insisted it be included, while some other members see the mentioning of the name as a marginal issue. United States rejected that language on Friday, because it was an obvious reference to the WHO which is the only such agency, diplomats said. President Trump has blamed the World Health Organization for the pandemic claiming that it withheld information in the early days without providing supporting evidence. During weeks of negotiations both China and the United States had raised the prospect of a veto on the issue of whether WHO is mentioned or not. A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the five permanent members: France, Russia, Britain, the United States or China to pass. The recent compromise on the text was rejected on Friday. A spokesperson for the Department of State said that the United States had worked constructively and accused China of repeatedly blocking compromises during negotiations. The Security Council is tasked with maintaining international peace and security. At the time of the Coronavirus pandemic, diplomats and analysts say the resolution would have projected global unity by backing the ceasefire call of the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

MARCH 7 AT THE BRONX ADDITION OF ALBA LIFE SCHOOL

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Rafaela Prifti/

For at least once each weekend, the students of Alba Life, sit in classes across New York boroughs to engage in learning their mother tongue. The creators of the school, Kozeta and Qemal Zylo, are aware that diffusing the knowledge of the family language to the young generation born here is to the advantage of all Albanian people. The ones who carry out this honorable task are teachers at Alba Life that first opened its classes in the early 2000s. To appreciate the educators, in the tradition of the motherland, over 100 school students ranging from toddlers to teens, performed in front of their families and guests on March 7 at the Christopher Columbus High School. The date commemorates the opening of the first Albanian language school in the home-country in 1887. The venue represents the new Bronx addition of the Alba Life School operating now in all New York boroughs.

The performance brought all the students on the auditorium stage where each group that was called stepped forward to recite, sing or dance. It was a touching display of an enormous commitment by the school’s faculty who had built a program that showcased each child’s skills and level of proficiency. The presenter, Ms. Rea Ulaj, who is also a Board Member of the School, introduced fluidly each class with the corresponding teacher and each student performer. Dressed in red and black, the American-Albanian children of the 21 century generation, recited immortal poems written by Albanian poets of 19th century like Naim Frasheri, Andon Zako Cajupi, and modern day authors like Odhise  Grillo, Adelina Mamaqi, Ali Podrimja and more. And the audience was overcome with emotions. Guests like Mr. Mark Qehaja, Chairman of Albanian-American Skenderbeg Association, Mr. Lulzim Krasniqi, Counselor at Kosova’s New York General Consulate, praised teachers as the unsung heroes who motivate students throughout their lives. Mr. Mehill Velaj, Chairman of the Albanian-American Writers Association, shared bittersweet memories from the time he was forced to abandon his students and his profession from the threat of persecution by the Serbian regime. Dr. Manjola Duli, who introduced herself, spoke with heartfelt admiration for her beloved high school teacher Mrs. Kozeta Zylo. They both recounted the bleak experience of Albania’s civil unrest in 1997, that “forced me and the family to immigrate to the US”, said Mrs. Zylo. After more than twenty years, teacher and student were reunited in what was a very touching and befitting moment at the performance. The poems dedicated to ‘the divine language’, the alphabet, the teachers who have been in the front line of the Albanian national movement for independence, motherland and so on echoed poignantly at this time of troubling news from the home country. Whether timid or confident on stage, each student assisted by their instructors delivered their lines, carried the tunes and danced in a performance that lasted over two hours. Their voices grew stronger and rose up as the celebrated Albanian singer and Vatra member, Ms. Valbona Peraj encouraged them to join her in singing her hit songs – Jam Arberore, Kuq e Zi. Speaking in Albanian and then English. New York Councilman Mark Gjonaj, said that he was honored to be invited and be included in Alba Life’s programs. Mr. Mark Gjonaj awarded each teacher with a Letter of Citation in recognition of their valuable work for the community. 

My personal connection with the school began when the directors, Qemal and Kozeta Zylo, invited my father, Naum R. Prifti at the Brooklyn classes on March 7, about ten years ago. He is a writer who also taught for a number of years in Albania. Since his birthday happens to be on the same day as Teacher’s Day, Alba Life celebrated both jointly. Last June, during the Albanian week that culminated with the midtown parade led by Albanian Roots, I covered the open classes dedicated to Chameria at the Staten Island affiliate of Alba Life. Students presented proudly the posters they had prepared with thoughtfulness and diligence. The performance of March 7, 2020 was an opportunity to see all the students and faculty of Alba Life from all boroughs. I got inspired to ask the students to write a short description of their performance experience. Much like the school and the teachers, I also aim to cultivate the love for our language by following the footsteps of the founders of Dielli. For it is to the advantage of all Albanian people to know both – the first language and mother tongue – equally well.