Dear cyber-patriots,
As the author of the article, I felt compelled to write a brief response to your comments.
If i've learned one thing about living in the US, is how amercans'sense of self-criticism hsa been a driving force for progress. Sure, image repair for Albania is a dire need - i've felt it from the US, Africa and Latin America. But, as for any product, wrapping alone is not enough, there has to be some substance to selling this new image of Albania. Pumping patriotic horns simply doesn't cut it for the modern day and age.
I argue that Albanian's sentiments for the USA have nothing to do with the respective premiers, but are forged through a bond amongst peoples, and our historic gratitude to the US is far and beyond gestures of convenience between politicians. What's wrong there?
How does this hurt Kosova and national unity, i couldn't quite get it. Now, everybody does their share, and i believe we at MJAFT have done ours. Many of us worked with refugees at the border, helped the relief efforts in Kosova proper in 1999-2001, and are still working with civic movements there to attempt to accelerate the process of independence and keep Kosova intact. Which unity is this hurting? Shouldn't we in Albania fix things here first, before trying to 'export' our despotic regime elswehwere? My friends in Kosova who try to do politics would be doomed if Nano and Berisha were their role-models to follow in the new state.
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Erion Veliaj (See profile | I'm a fan of Erion Veliaj | posted 8:00 am on 06/27/2007)
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I can't comment on UDB, communist, serbs, greeks and all that nonesense - the unfortunate thing about many of us Albanians is that we're too busy fighting with ghosts. Because, if you Mjolti truly cared about Greek violence, you should have joined one of the MJAFT protests in Tirana, Fier, London about the incident - or better even organize a protest yourself wherever you live, or call your congressman, or call to the Helsinki Committee in Congress. (where MJAFT has testified agains another appalling premier named Fatos Nano). Now, this would be patriotitc wouldn't it Mjolti? And yes Valerie, i too can't wait to be Mjaft-ed out, as I feel rather exhausted fighting it out with a few committed colleagues who left their cozy NY apartments to deal with the Berisha's and Nano's of Albania. But that would mean that, you Valerie, and others who disagree, actually DO return to Albania, and bring your better and brighter ideas, to not only boot us out, but most importantly to work on the ground so that fundamental rights are respected and concrete progress is achieved - only then will you have a good story to sell for Albania. And then, you may realize that shooting the messenger and cyber-nationalism may not quite be the most effective ways to generate change.
Last, my email
erionveliaj@mjaft.org may be a better way to redirect hate speech and paranoia. This way we spare western readers from more nasty 'image of albania' rhetoric, where folks are vilified for standing up for any principle.
Cheers,
Erion Veliaj
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