The International Scientific Conference "Albanian Political Emigration in the Years 1944-1990" is being held
Light on the activities of the Sigurimi in the country and abroad, historical events, human profiles and organizations in emigration
Tirana, February 19, 2020 – The Authority for Information on Documents of the Former State Security, in cooperation with the Institute of History at the Academy of Albanological Studies, the Institute for the Study of Crimes and Consequences of Communism, the Institute for the Integration of Former Political Persecuted Persons, the National Historical Museum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Europe and the “Ali Hadri” Institute in Pristina, today held the international scientific conference on the topic “Albanian Political Emigration in the Years 1944-1990”. The conference and documentary exhibitions on emigration were presented throughout the day at the premises of the National Historical Museum.
Ms. Ardiana Topi and Ms. Pranvera Dibra, heads of the AIDSSH and MEPJ archives, presented the exhibition with authentic documentary materials, declassified and opened for the first time to the interested public.
For the conference on political emigration, AIDSSH and MEPJ exhibited numerous archival documents, such as statistical overviews of fugitives, management and search files for fugitives and declassified ones, registers of persons attempting to escape and photo albums of fugitives, belonging to various cities of the country. The archival materials are part of a rich fund on political emigration, which has been made available to researchers, including events of embassies, political organizations, the history of the Popa family and files on fugitives.
Facts were presented on the position of the Albanian state towards the activity of the so-called “reactionary emigration” abroad, the “Free Albania” Committee, the geographical map of its distribution, propaganda and counter-propaganda prepared for use in any situation, the old political emigration and the addition of its ranks with other fugitives from Albania.
Ms. Gentiana Sula, President of the Authority, made a presentation of the work of AIDSSH that led to the realization of the first conference on political emigration, in cooperation with partners: “….In this complex issue, we will of course touch on hot topics, but I am sure that the discussion will continue. Around 13,600 people were counted as fugitives in the State Security reports, from 1944 to 1990, not counting those who fled through embassies. Of these, around 4,784 were women and children. The fugitives of 1945 and 1948 dominated here. In the high figures of Albanian emigration over the centuries and during the prolonged transition, this size seems to be only a fraction. But this fraction is very important for our country. Fully integrated into the host societies, today they represent a strong bridge of communication with the most developed countries and with our allies. They did not stop loving Albania and be active in various forms, denouncing human rights violations in communist Albania and raising your voice for national rights”.
On the 30th anniversary of democratic changes in the country, the conference on political emigration sheds light on an Albania that has been surveilled, much-talked about and misinterpreted for years.
Mr. Bernd Borchardt, Ambassador of the OSCE Presence in Albania, stated: “Looking at Albania today, I see strong arguments supporting this academic view: We often hear – and the more heated the debate, the more often it happens – unsparing blame for those who think differently. We hear not only arguments against their points of view, which would be normal, but we hear attempts to discredit them. We hear the refusal to engage in dialogue with the political opponent. We hear attacks on those who try to set facts against myths.
All this seems to me like a remnant of the communist model of behavior. As scholars describe it, in few places is political polarization as deep as in Albania, and the “confrontation with the past”, with the heinous crimes of the communist dictatorship, has only just begun…
Truth commissions have played a crucial role in many countries after the atrocities of dictatorships. The culture of memory associated with victims and suffering reinforces change of the narrative that is necessary to build a liberal society after the dissolution of a dictatorship. As the late Czech President Václav Havel defined it: the difference between “living within a lie or within the truth.”
That said, today’s conference is another important and necessary step towards this truth. The killings of people trying to leave Albania, the execution of those caught trying to leave, the exodus of a good part of the pre-war elite in 1944, the forced departure of foreign spouses of Albanians after the break with the Soviet Union – together they brought so much pain to the people. This suffering deserves to be highlighted here – and to be part of the confrontation with the bad past”.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Albania, Mr. Brian Williams, said: “If I have one message to convey today for this conference, it is that the United Nations strongly believes that a full and truthful disclosure of the past has direct value in terms of today’s efforts to build democracy. There is a need for a comprehensive truth-finding process in Albania - and here I would like to underline and support everything that my OSCE colleague said on this subject.
The history of Albania is of absolute importance for today's situation. How can you ask citizens to trust the governing institutions if these institutions do not shed light and do not make known their past mistakes? Taking responsibility for the mistakes of the past is not a sign of weakness, it is an act of courage. Giving an account of the past - transitional justice - is a necessary condition for building accountable and democratic institutions in Albania”.
The Minister of Diaspora, Mr. Pandeli Majko, welcomed the conference by linking today's emigration with that before the 1990s, presenting their essential differences and recounting his personal experience with family runaways during the dictatorship.
Mr. Ermal Frashëri, member of the UN Committee on Migrant Workers, made the presentation “Global Migration and Political Regimes” on today's emigration, the problems it presents and the Albanian community scattered around the world.
Escaped from embassies in 1990, Mr. Gjon Radovani, architect, shared his personal experience of leaving the dictatorship for the free world and expressed himself on the dynamics of emigration in the globalization era.
Mr. Dritan Sejko, president of the “Çamëria” association, addressed the experience of the Cham community with emigration.
Next, the conference addressed the scientific papers of the period 1944-1955, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pranvera Dibra.
Researchers Beqir Meta, Dorian Koçi, Hamit Kaba, Enriketa Pandeleimoni, Romeo Gurakuqi and Leonora Laçi addressed topics such as: Hearth and the communist regime: from partnership to hostility; Albanian political emigration 1945-1953 through UDB files; Political emigration in the USA after World War II: Relations with the ‘old emigration’; Italy’s attitude towards Operation ‘Rollback’; “War criminals”: Albanian political emigration in Italy and the relationship with the Albanian communist state 1945 – 1955; The National Committee “Free Albania” and the emigration activity in the years 1949 – 1953; The Independent National Bloc, led by Ernest Koliqi;
The panel for the period 1955-1990 was moderated by Prof. Hamit Kaba, addressing the presentations of researchers Pranvera Teli (Dibra), Gjon Boriçi, Fatmir Arifi, Albulenë Halili, Mrika Limani, on topics such as: The epilogue of the dictatorship, from ‘terrorist’ to ‘impunity’ was separated only by a sea; The hijacking of the fishing trawler ‘Dukati’ for escape to Italy, January 6, 1989; State Security efforts to control Albanian political emigration in the years 1945 – 1974; Albanian political emigration, the role and influence of the state structure (Mission to the UN, embassies, consuls and diplomats) in approaching it; The role of Albanian political emigration from Kosovo in unmasking the Yugoslav totalitarian regime; Albanian emigration from Kosovo to Western Europe in the years 1960 – 1970, according to Albanian government sources; The events of July 1990 and the regime's efforts to minimize their political impact; Political organizations and platforms of Kosovo Albanian emigration in German-speaking countries during the years 1981-1989;
The closing panel, on memory, literature and emigration, moderated by Mr. Gjon Boriçi, continued with presentations by Kristale Ivezaj, Elma Ndreca, Enis Sulstarova, Lekë Tas, Andrea Llukan on topics such as: The project "Even the walls have ears"; Reflections on the exodus of July 2, 1990 and the "Embassy Road"; Reflections on the political activity of fugitive writers; Political emigration in the literature of socialist realism; Anti-communist emigration 1944 - 1990; Reflections on the political activity of the Orthodox bishops Kurila and Kotoko in emigration.
Each of the sessions was followed by discussions of the attendees and suggestions for expanding the topic and its in-depth treatment, by researchers in Albania and Kosovo, as well as those abroad.
The conference will be finalized with the publication of full papers, based on extensive archival documentation, which add to the official sources on the period of dictatorship, help in transparency on the past, promote social dialogue and consolidate democracy.
***
AIDSSH bases its work on important principles of memory, which place historical memory at the foundation of the identity and heritage of individuals and communities, such as presenting different perspectives; avoiding deterministic expressions: avoiding generalizations; treating historical figures as individuals; ensuring a genuine historical basis; using academic-level knowledge as sources, where each content must be confronted and discussed with recognized and certified academics for specific and appropriate knowledge.
Based on these principles, scientific research and professional confrontation of facts, the Authority continues to undertake projects that focus on the reexamination of history, its reassessment, the rehabilitation of victims, resistance in personalities and communities, and encourage social dialogue, in the name of transparency and the consolidation of democracy.
