FEMRA SHQIPTARE

Femra, qeliza  baze e cdo shoqerie te civilizuar, ne Shqiperi eshte nje figure dytesore e cila jeton e murosur nen hijen dhe sundimin e nje trekendeshi te perbere nga babai-burri-vellai dhe nje shumekendeshi traditash.

Historia na ilustron shume qarte se kjo qenie e brishte ka qene gjithmone kulti i mundimeve, diskriminimit dhe perhuljes.
Ne Romen antike, femra ishte vetem nje placke lufte ose tregtie. Mashkulli kishte te drejte ta shiste apo vriste.
Ne vende te tilla si Azia, Australia, Afrika ose Amerika e Jugut ajo ishte vetem nje objekt riprodhimi.
Pra roli dytesor i saje ne shoqeri eshte nje pasoj historike e cila ka legjitimuar poziten superiore, dominuese dhe pushtetin e mashkullit ne familje, sferat social-ekonomike dhe politike.

Ndonese ne pjesen me te madhe te ketyre vendeve  sot femra ka arritur te luaj nje role kyce ne shoqeri, ne vendin tone (sidomos ne zonat rurale) ajo vazhdon te ngelet nje objekt-subjekt makthi ekzistencial.

Ndonese perpara ligjit ajo zoteron barazi te plote gjinore, duket se ne jeten sociale ajo nuk zoteron as elementet baze te te drejtave te njeriut. Pjesa me e madhe e tyre rriten me frymen e nje edukate qe keshillon vetem ndalime, ku fjala kyce eshte;"mos"...Mos dil! Mos hy! Mos fol! Mos qesh! Mos qaj!

 Te lindesh femer ne Shqiperi do te thote te mos mundesh te jetosh pa catine e nje mashkulli. Pa nje cati te tille ajo konsiderohet si e mjere, e felliqur dhe perbuzet nga shqiptari. Per kete arsye pjesa me e madhe e femrave ne shqiperi kane si objektiv dhe shpetim te vetem martesen. Martesa per femrat shiptare nuk karakterizon vetem kurorezimin e endrres por edhe lirine( lirine nga babai-vllai) dhe sigurimin e nje vendi ne shoqeri.

Kultura e te qenit femer ne Shqiperi eshte ajo e nje dhune psikologjike dhe sociale qe duhet te pertype tradhetite e bashkeshortit bashkekohor me dinjitet. Asaj i duhet te qendroje ne heshtje sepse ky eshte  mashkulli i sukseseshem shqiptar qe ka nisur te mekembet ekonomisht ndaj nje femre. Mashkulli kjo figure kaq e adhuruar ne Shqiperi, konsideroet i zoti nese ka mardhenie te dyfishta ose te shumefishta. Ndonese femra eshte e felliqur, e perdale dhe e pamoralshme po te jet poligame. Femra duhet te jete e ndershme qe ti pergjigjes jetes sociale ajo nuk duhet te kete nje jete seksuale. Kurse mashkulli, duhet te kete nje koleksion sa me te gjere femrash per tu konsideruar nje mashkull i denj shqiptar nga shoqeria...Nje realitet shume i trishte dhe i semure e karakterizon kete vend...

Femra kjo krijese e brishte qe gjendet ne mese dy botesh, asaj te emancipuares perendimore e cila gezon te drejta dhe privilegje, dhe asaj te traditave shqiptare ku vazhdon te sherbeje si objekt i shoqerise ne sherbim te interesave maskiliste.

Femra kjo krijese e brishte qe ne Shqiperi, izolohet, dhunohet dhe vritet duhet te duroj gjithshka ne heshtje...askush ne kete shoqeri nuk e perkrahe. Ajo vetem gjukohet dhe diktohet...madje femra shqiptare vazhdon te gjukohet edhe pasi vritet ose dhunohet...sepse edhe ne keto raste ajo vazhdon te konsideroet e pamoralshme...

Me dhimbset ky komb skllav i se kaluares...ku femra per te qen e respektuar nga shoqeria  duhet te shnderrohet ne burre, duhet te vetembrohet ndaj dhunes dhe  te jetoje me synim e vetem per te kenaqur babain apo burrin.

 Me dhimset kjo femer qe perdoret si objekt (kukull) nga meshkujt.

 Me dhimbset kjo femer qe jeton brenda kesaj dhune psikologjike dhe ketij presioni social qe nuk e lejojne as te pyes ndonjehere veten...Cfare do ajo vet te bej me jeten e saje?!

Ministria e Jashtme e Shqiperise

                            

Gjendem ketu per kerkime arkivore, me pak fjale nje lloj halli fisnik më solli. Vite larg Shqiperise por megjithese, per motive lehtesisht te kuptueshem, kurre s’i kam konsideruar te pushtetshmit apo intelektual-politikanet shqiptare, gjithsesi me shoqeron nje forme “ndrojtje” dhe “pasigurie” ne te tilla ambjente, ose keshtu mund te shihet nga jashte, por qe ne fakt eshte thjesht edukate, perulshmeri dhe jorehati me vendin ku ndodhem, pra nje forme tjeter mendjemadhesie ndoshta. 


Shume situata limite, mes komicitetit me absurd dhe tragjedise me te pa kuptimte ne pak kohe mund te perjetosh ketu. Tani qe po shkruaj, jam ne barin e brendshem te Ministrise. Perveç faktit se nga “muhabetet” dhe fytyrat e njerezve apo vithet e femrave mund te jete nje nderthurrje mes barit te lagjes dhe atij luks-pordhe, natyrisht “vetem per familjare”, ne Bllok, dicka tjeter sot ishte surreale: hyj dhe, tymi i duhanit ne 30 m kuadrat si perde s’lejon shikim. Eci, arrij deri tek banaku i boshatisur dhe si ne gjysmegjum degjoj nje ze nga televizori idiot. Mendoj fillimisht se s’ka njeri, megjithate e zeza, bluja, domethene e erreta dipllomatike si mjegull bje ne horizontin e syve te mi dhe me lajmeron se lokali ka njerez. Kthej koken nga e djathta, nga “idioti” dhe nje numer dipllomatesh dhe ministroresh me koken ngritur lart, te perqendruar ndjekin levizjet e nje thike ne televizor qe pret rehtazi nje karrote. Po shohin te gjithe pa fjale nje program gatimi dhe mes tyre zeri i baristes komenton nikoqirllekçe c’ka sheh. Une shtanga. I drejtoj syte nga baristja qe me ze te ulet, si pa dashur te shqetesoj publikun-klient, duke tundur koken majtas djathtas “ç’fare do?” - me thote. Urdheroj kafene time te shkurter dhe ulem, gjithmone larg idiotit.


Mendova se teatri me kaq mbaroi, por vazhdojne te tjera zbavitje. Pushimi i drekes nisi dhe dalengadale lokali perjeton dyndje. Muhebetet rreth e rrotull behen pushtues. Difekti im i te degjuarit nje e me shume diskutime njekohesisht, me denon te vuaj akoma idiotesi, por kesaj rradhe jo prej ekranit bidimensional. Shkruaj dhe degjoj: tipet modelet dhe cilesite e celulareve te fundit, natyrisht dhe cmimet; thashetheme dipllomatike e gjykime pseudopolitike te lloit: Italia eshte ashtu, Amerika po te doje ben keshtu, kush e pyet ate apo kete etj, etj... Pastaj diskutimet e femrave mbi lokalet e nates me pare, kepucet apo moden, dhe veshi me kap “s’ka numrin tim” etj. Pastaj fjalet vesh me vesh peshperitur si “Ai, I Madhi, I Gjati apo i Shkurtri”, me kujtojne nje pjese te tille te jetes se shqiptareve, ate te censures dhe frikes se regjimit, por keshtu me duket banalisht akoma me tragjike.


Vazhdoj te shkruaj e kollitem. Tymi i duhanit eshte dominant, eshte lider, ose me sakte per te qene ne teme, me passaporte dipllomatike, por i shoqeruar terthoresisht prej passaportes shqiptare qe qendron ne baze.


Oo... ç’them dhe une, jam ne Ministri...Do ti them, drejtorit - nje prej drejtuesve se ketu eshte mbushur, jane e ndihen te gjithe drejtora –se e kam shok te ma prezantoje.

Art as a Political Phenomenon

           

I have always seen and considered Art as a powerful tool of Foreign Policy, but I have never reflected on the connection between art and  politics .
During these days in Albania I realized that through  the Arts  Albania and Kosovo are now more united than ever. I'd say that in this specific case Art has been more effective than politics.


But how are Art and politics connected?


When I first asked myself this question, I immediately thought of two complete opposite things such as black and white or angel and devil. I stopped thinking about it, till I got to the point where I found myself (so tired of listening to politicians) unintentionally  painting something  reflecting my emotions and feelings about the  political situation in Albania. At this point I thought of the first thing that they  could have had in common; I thought of...POWER...Both are able to touch our hearts and minds!!!


It came into my mind Nietzsche's book, The Birth of Tragedy, constructed about the duality between the "Apollonian" and the "Dionysian", where  Apollo(Politics) stands for intellect, reason and control, and Dionysus(Arts) stands for the opposites of these; for intuition, sensuality, feeling and abandon.
I'd  personally  compare the relationship between Art and Politics  to that of  a married couple, where the husband is the head, therefore the decision-maker and  the wife is the neck which directs those decisions.


 Why should politicians use art to seduce  and succeed?


Politicians see artists as a real threat, as many of them through visual and performing arts may result politically provocative, by making statements or highlighting certain issues. They know that art can make an effective political statement or that is the best promoter of social justice and  subsequently  impresses the public opinion more than politics.


Apparently our politicians seem to have  forgotten that arts are central to our dignity. How can we attract others without our sports, music, architecture etc.?!


ART IS MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN POLITICS AT CAPTURING THE PUBLIC IMAGINATION ...SO POLITICIANS SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE ARTS  TO LEARN HOW TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION, INTEREST AND INTEGRATION...AND  SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE ARTS AS A TOOL THAT COULD  ENRICH THIS COUNTRY!!!

Special Cultural Ambassadors

Today, I would like to dedicate few lines to some really special ambassadors operating and promoting  the Albanian culture  in UK.

Although, Shpresa Proggramme is an organization  that advances the education and training of the Albanian speaking people in UK, I have always considered Shpresa as the Albanian Embassy and its staff as special cultural ambassadors.

Shpresa does not only help the Albanian community to integrate and orientate, but through several and continuous activities  (such as Albanian traditional dance, poetry and different campaigns) excels in promoting and strengthening the Albanian language, culture and value in UK.

I personally discovered Shpresa last year while I was living  in London, and as a student who has been detached from the Albanian cultural heritage  for more than 15 years,  being back in my country and immediately integrating, wouldn't  have been possible without Shpresa Programme's help.

I would like to thank and congratulate my special ambassadors: Luljeta , Flutra, Evis and Ermir for the great job they have done and  I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Shpresa a very happy birthday as yesterday was it's 9th birthday. May all your dreams and aims come true Shpresa!

For further information about Shpresa visit the website: www.shpresaprogramme.com

Why Cultural Diplomacy?!

Encouraged by the challenge, inspired by the daily discoveries of learning new languages and cultures, intrigued by different life-styles and different cultures within the same country and curious about the function of embassies, I suddenly found myself deeply in love with cultural diplomacy. More than ever before, culture has a vital role to play in international relations. Following politics and trade culture is considered as the third pillar of international relations.
 While I was thinking of cultural diplomacy it came into my mind my university teacher, Mr Bennis who gave me  an outstanding example  of 1972, where neither U.S nor China wanted to blink first in public, and where, the actual break-through which led to the Nixon/Mao meeting  took the form of a table tennis tournament. 
Therefore,  Cultural Diplomacy are sports, music, exchange programmes and exhibitions . It is not only the exchanging of ideas, beliefs, values, informations and other aspects of culture, it is also vital for national security through the usage of cultural exchange.
I personally see culture as a fundamental tool for a successful commerce by looking at our economy, which, is knowledge-based.

Culture strongly affects people through attraction , so while today I was thinking on "how to make my country more attractive?", I thought of Cultural Diplomacy, a mean that can be used even from small countries and not only by superpowers, as a  tool of promotion and attraction, regardless  of the country's  size and GDP. 
Culture and values will be the policy that I will use to introduce and promote Albania to the rest of the world.