A Letter from Albania

The Albanian Media Ignores the Initiative of Peace


The situation in Egypt has taken almost completely all media attention away from the latest developments in Albania which witnessed too some large demonstrations at the end of last month, with a consequence of four demonstrators dead.

Arian Galdini, a friend and a representative of the Citizen's Delegation of Peacemakers in Albania, has been sending regular updates about his attempts and the attempts of a number of his friends, to be the instruments of peace and reconciliation in his country.

The is Arian’s most recent update:

My dear Friends,

I know I have been a burden to most of you with my messages that sometimes go too long due to my desire to express all my feelings. Please accept my apologies for that. Today, I will try to be short.

Yesterday, February 8, 2011 we made public our latest initiative. We expect hundreds, even thousands of citizens of Albania to sign our Petition for Peace. This is a citizen’s Petition for Peace calling for dialogue, trust and understanding between our key political leaders – Prime minister Sali Bersiha and the Socialist opposition leader Edi Rama. The signing campaign will go for two weeks.

However, we need your help and support very much.

Even though our peacemaking initiative is recognized by the President of Albania, our Albanian media is completely ignoring our initiative. We see their attitude as being very hypocritical since everybody knows about the initiative.

As I’ve already shared before our media is very much divided at this time. One half is controlled and influenced by the Government, while the other half by the Opposition. None of the side is willing to give a voice to our message of peace. Both sides have usurped the free media and turned them into an agitation and propaganda outlets for the leaders of the major parties.

The Albanian media grants abundant broadcasting time only to commissioned, paid and amplified voices of those who side with one or the other political camp. The language and messages that are heard nowadays in the Albanian media are only those of propaganda, division; hate speech, conflict, intrigues and political interests. It seems that the voices that pursue peace, reasons, common sense, dignity and freedom are not allowed in the Albanian media any more, or marginalized at best. And within such a context the voice of many academics, intellectuals, young people, religious leaders and students involved in the Citizens Delegation of Peacemakers’ initiative cannot be heard.

This is why I am asking for your help. Help us to have our message be heard. We in the Citizens Delegation of Peacemakers’ initiative cannot agree with the opinion of the Members of the European Parliament who suggest that there is no light at the end of the tunnel in Albania, or even worse – that there is no tunnel at all. There is hope here. All we need is help and support for our voice to be considered and heard. There are many Albanian citizens who are willing to put their signatures on our Petition, despite the ignoring of the Albanian media.

This is what is actually happening. The media in Albania would come to our events and witness what is going on. They would get the interviews, but would not publish or broadcast anything. Yesterday we were visited by at least 4 TV crews (Koha TV, Ora News, Vision+, and ABC News). We also sent our “Petition Initiative” to all Albanian newspapers. None of them wrote or said a word about this initiative for peace of the Albanian citizens. But we will not get tired. We will not get discouraged. We will not give up.

Sincerely Yours,

Arian Galdini

Representative of the Citizen's Delegation of Peacemakers