Featured Alumni –Nysrete Kumnova

Since 1999, Nysrete has represented the Association named “Thirrjet e Nënave,” and has tried to raise the organization’s voice to the local and international community to find relatives kidnapped during the war. Through protests, strikes, and different meetings with government officials Nysrete fought for her cause. One important meeting was with the Chief Mission of U.S. Office in Pristina at the time, Mr. Reno Harnish.  She had the opportunity to visit the U.S., where she was lobbied the unresolved issue of missing persons.
While in the U.S., Nysrete Kumnova visited many places and met important people related to the organization’s issue: Mr. James Kimsey, who was the founder and the president of the KIMS Foundation, and President for the International Commission on Missing Persons. She met representatives from the association of “Motrat Qiriazi”, the Traumatic Center of New York, the Albanian Ambassador in the U.S., Mr. Fatos Tarifa, and representatives from the Center of International Transition Justice. She visited the U.S. Department of Defense, where she met Major John Brown. She met one of the representatives of National Albanian-American Council, Mr. David Leotton, and other families from different initiatives that were working toward finding missing persons.
She also visited some fairs organized by the Albanian Community living in the U.S., the White House, and U.S. Colleges.
Nysrete writes: “In other words, this was a great experience for me personally, where I learned many important issues from our friends in the U.S., who have treated us with generosity by hosting us. In cooperation with them we have worked hard towards our issue. Moreover, from the people that I had a chance to meet I learned so much, and was advised and motivated to continue working to find our missing people. I am privileged that I am being supported by our U.S. friends. Our organization has learned various psychological treatments for the relatives of missing people that have been a significant help to them. In addition, I am thankful to the U.S. Office for the possibility of visiting the U.S., and I hope in the future an organized team of Kosovars will have the chance to visit again.”
She adds: “All the work I am doing is dedicated to those missing people, and especially to my son Albion, the only one I had and about whom we still do not know anything.”

Featured Alumni –Besim Beqaj

“Being selected to participate in two programs offered by USOP was an honor for me and a very useful learning process. The International Visitor Program related to “Role of Ethics in Business and Government” has broadened my view of responsibilities that every citizen of a democratic country has in his/her society. Communication, cooperation, responsiveness, responsibility, accountability and ethics have a great value in the U.S. democracy, which should be a model for emerging countries.  “I also was involved in the Fulbright Program as a researcher and a teacher in Chicago and this enlightened for me the picture of the turbulent world we live in. Such programs provide learning and sharing opportunities with students, teachers but as well create a great opportunity for networking with Fulbright Alumni Network which is spread all around the world.

“I would like to congratulate for the initiative to create KUSA, which will gather and facilitate communication among Kosovar U.S. Alumni, who definitely will create an additional value to Kosovar society. Thanks to USOP and the U.S. authorities who are constantly supporting Kosovars in their endeavors to create modern and democratic values in Kosova.

“ My message for all young professionals is go, contact, be informed and participate in the U.S. programs, because this is a real contribution to your professional maturity, and to Kosovo political and economic development.” Congratulations, KUSA!

Featured Alumni – Mentor Agani

Mentor Agani has had the opportunity to participate in three of the programs organized by the U.S. Office, Pristina: the International Visitors Program (January/ February, 2000), the Ron Brown Fellowship Program (August 2001 – May 2003), and the Fulbright Program (September 2006 – June 2007). Mentor says: “All of them were wonderful experiences, and each of them has provided me with extraordinary useful knowledge.”
In the Ron Brown Fellowship Program he got the Masters Degree in Public and International Affairs (Economic and Social Development), at the University of Pittsburgh, and in the Fulbright Program he did a research study on Alexis de Tocqueville, and American and French Revolutions, at Harvard University (The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies at Harvard University).
He adds: “The research study in the Fulbright Program was part of the work for my doctoral dissertation I am preparing here, at the University of Prishtina. The opportunity to study Alexis de Tocqueville, as well as the American Revolution, in the U.S., furthermore at Harvard, and above all, in Boston, MA, where so many from the great events of the American Revolution had happened is indeed extraordinary one. On the other hand, the opportunity to study in a graduate level economic and social development in the U.S., that is, in a country with the most advanced economic and social level, is extraordinary beneficial and useful as well.”
Here in Kosovo, he works at RTK – Radio Television of Kosovo as editorjournalist, and at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Prishtina, where he teaches courses Theories of Nations and Nationalism, Theories of Democracy, and Political Sociology, at the Department of Sociology, as well as the course Global Transformations at the Department of Political Science.

Featured Alumni –Adriatik Kelmendi

Adriatik Kelmendi (29) works as the Director of News with Kosovo’s national TV station KTV Kohavision. This year he was awarded as the Best Journalist of Kosovo 2006-2007 by the Association of Professional Journalists of Kosovo for his contribution to the Kosovar journalism.
He is also part of the team working for American Radio Works/National Public
Radio documentary on war crimes in Kosovo that won 5 journalistic prizes in the US,
including the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton 1999-
2000. KTV news casts are praised as the most objective and professional within the
media environment in Kosovo. They regularly appear as the most watched news casts at media polls.
Adriatik participated twice in programs sponsored by USOP. Here’s what he has to say: “I was honored and privileged to participate in two programs by USOP. The first one was training on newsroom management, where I spent two beautiful weeks with lovely staff of KGW TV in Portland, Oregon, and the second was a program for TV executives - part of the International Visitor Leadership Program – meeting TV professionals in six different states.
“More frankly speaking, I participated in a dozen of other professional programs over my 10 year long career in media, but none of them can compare with the two I mentioned.  I felt like I was wearing a comfortable suit tailored exactly to fit me. None of the days were a waist. Both times I gained a lot of new experience that helped me make qualitative changes when back at my workplace.
“I would like to encourage every professional who is eager to expend his/her experience and knowledge about their work to try and get hold of a USOP offered program.  They will definitely find an impressive wide range of new perspectives on how to achieve professional goals.
You have my word on that!”

I am very grateful to have had the chance to visit the United States of America in 2006 with the help and support of the United States Office in Prishtina (USOP). With their help, I was able to be part of the International Visitor Leadership Program on local governance.

During my stay in the US, I learned a lot about the functioning of local and state governments, and their interaction with the federal government. Furthermore, I learned about the division of the power at the central and local level, and about the division of competencies and responsibilities between the two levels of the government.  Among all the issues that I have been received training on, such as the various approaches toward the generation of income, tax administration, social and sanitary services, and campaign for public information, engagement of citizens in government is the one that has impressed me the most. I would like to see civil society influence decisionmaking in the Kosova Government.

Once more, I would like to thank the USOP for giving me the opportunity to visit the US, gain great new experience, and meet people with good will who are ready to help us, as much as they can, with their political and professional experience.  Likewise, the founding of KUSA is an excellent chance for us to meet and get to know the other Albanian alumni who attended different programs in the US.

Featured Alumni – Valon Kurhasani

Shortly after returning from a Youth Leadership program supported by US Office, I have begun a new, senior position at National Democratic Institute, leading a very important program of political parties. While honing my understanding of political concepts, I was also able to practice new leadership techniques within the safe environment of my organization.

  I could fail, receive feedback and try again. But I learned to take greater risks and the results were successful. Part of this recent success I credit to the Leadership Program and my time in the USA.

What a joy it has been to use the life skills I learned at the Leadership program, such as time management, planning, volunteerism, civic education, ethics and even culture shock – as I would describe USA as a big country having everything in the XXL size!  So far, I’ve supported political visits of various politicians and institutions and worked with our top party and institutions leaders — many of whom have visited USA.  The Youth Leadership program has provided me the means to integrate new leadership knowledge into my profession, increasing my value and capability, as well as enabling me to play a direct role in helping NDI Political Party Program achieve its objectives. I am truly grateful to my family, employer, colleagues and faculty for their support of my career.

Featured Alumni – Burbuqe Bakija-Deva

The new KUSA Board treasurer is an architect and at the same time deals with restoration and conservation of cultural heritage. She has specialized in the field of cultural heritage maintenance.
Currently, Burbuqe works at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport as Director of the cultural heritage division, which has an important role in protecting the security cultural heritage objects. She also represents Kosovo in the European Council in Strasbourg, France as a Coordinator of the “Days of the Cultural Heritage” program –a program which is realized under the supervision of the European Council in 48 states of Europe.  Since September 2007, Kosovo is officially accepted to hold these “days”.
Burbuque attended the International Visitor Leadership Program, “Cultural Heritage Management.” She describes the experience: “It was an honor for me to have been part of this program through which I had the chance to visit five states of the USA and to meet various representatives of governmental and non-governmental organizations that deal with cultural heritage.
“In addition to learning the means of managing cultural heritage in these states, I also had the opportunity to present Kosovo’s cultural heritage as valuable treasure.  A”side from the personal experiences that I gained while attending this program, I think that Kosovo was the one that benefited the most. Immediately after returning from the US, I received an invitation form the American International Council for Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to attend the 11th symposium of the American ICOMOS, an event that will be held at the end of May 2008 in Washington.
It will be the first time that a representative from Kosovo has been invited to attend a symposium of this level.

Featured Alumni – Dardan Velija

If someone mentioned Seattle to me before, I would think of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, the alternative rock bands that shook the hearts of youth in the last decade.  I only learned when I went there that Seattle was the place of Microsoft and Boeing, two companies that changed the world. Visiting the two headquarters made an enormous impression on us.
A futuristic museum at Microsoft headquarters intrigued us into imagining the world of tomorrow. Indeed, Microsoft has changed the world in this age of information revolution. But this is not the end; it is just the beginning of what’s to come. Refrigerators that tell you the expiration dates of everything that’s inside and mirrors that talk to you while you shave are what we can expect in the future.
A very friendly Deputy Director of Boeing took the group to the world’s biggest airplane building plant in the world. I never came closer to my childhood dream of being one with airplanes. The famous first Dreamliner (Boeing 787) was proudly in front of us while the Deputy Director told us that airplanes are composed of over 6.5 million parts. Not very comforting news to those that are afraid of flying.
We took pictures at the first Starbucks café, the origin of the world-wide chain. We tasted the original coffee and ate at anItalian restaurant where we were served by waiters of Balkan origin! We learned that among half of the
adult population of Seattle had higher education, making it among the most educated cities of the
world. Maybe it was our subjective Eurocentric approach: “This looks more like Europe than anything else,” we told each other while we were being driven around town in a bus.
Getting on the airplane to fly to Lincoln, Nebraska I was pondering whether Seattle had ripped Prague of the title “The best place I’ve been”. A tough choice. I have to come again to decide, I thought while I looked through the window
towards Mount St. Helens, a living volcano.

Featured Alumni – Sali Bashota

The Source Of Knowledge And Culture

Through the existence of Kosovo, there is evidence for functioning of a library named The National and University Library of Kosovo (NULK), which was founded in 1944 in Prizren. There are facts proving that the functioning of the library has been interrupted many times, with the aim of changing its name. The disturbances continued up to 90’s when the library was entirely occupied from the Government of Serbia, as of that, they moved out the funds of this library.
A part from the difficult stages the institution has been passed through, it has built a tradition of science, education, and civilization by offering access to the variety of publishing’s and other sources of information’s.
Last years, National and University Library in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the US Embassy in Prishtina have initiated and developed many important projects, those in different fields and segments. Such as, project of organizing the international library event named “The Kosovo’s Library Week”, is organized by NULK and US Embassy, the project started in 2003, and has become a tradition as it goes on every year, it includes invitation of experts in the library field, coming from US and Europe. Another important event worth mentioning at NULK is the International Conference of Libraries, which started on September 20th, 2006, it is initiated and organized from NULK (National and University Library of Kosova) in cooperation with National Library of Albania.
As a leading institution in the library field NULK has been successfully initiated and organized other projects
such as: the founding of the American Corner and the Center for Educational Exchange. This was done in cooperation
with the US Embassy; other one was, the cooperation with the Ex Libris Company regarding the installing of Electronic Catalogue, thanks to that the catalogue is currently functioning at NULK, the program operates based on Aleph 500, which is one of the most sophisticated electronic library programs. Since 2004 when this program was installed, up to know, NULK has catalogued around 35 thousand units.  During this time some of the other activities were: NULK become a member of The Research Libraries Network of Europe (LIBER), the founding of National Agency of ISBN in Kosovo; many titles by NULK, those in different fields; founding of NATO Library outlet; creation of Modern Arts Library; Publishers Archive; library of Kris Maloku, European Library etc.

Nine employees of NLK have been trained in a project supported by NULK, Ministry of Education and US Embassy, also, thanks to a well cooperation between those institutions the NULK now has access to EBSCO and GALE, by which, readers can login and search independently to a variety of information sources. The grant provided by US Embassy in Prishtina enables NULK to have access up to 2009 into the previous mentioned sources, other than that the access into Oxford Journals and Oxford Scholarships Online during the year of 2008, has been provided by OSCE. On other words the NULK has established good relations with most of the institutions operating in Kosovo, government and non government ones, but, it is worth mentioning that NULK cooperates best with US Embassy in Prishtina. Apart from the local functioning institutions NULK has established relationships with US Congress Library, European Library, IFLA, and Network of European Research Libraries.
In 2005 the Deposition of NATO Library has been created, based on the agreement, publishing’s of NATO in Brussels are provided to NULK for free, in this case the Library of Modern Arts has been created, which has variety of arts collections from different fields. At the same time the same library has been established in Frankfurt, as of that it is unique in the whole world. Moreover, in the year of 2007, “European Library” is the newest project which is done thanks to a support by German Office in Prishtina and European Initiative in Kosovo.  Dr Kenneth Oberembt, an ex-director of NULK in his book “The Strategic Plan of National Library and University Library” has stated the following: The National Library is based on the past; rather University Library is based on the future.

In other words, the mission of National and University Library of Kosovo will improve by fattening the library funds, development of variety of collections, improvement of services, digitizing the technology of communication, and providing access to a variety of information sources.

Featured Alumni – Rina Kryeziu

Generosity of Southeastern Europe Youth Leadership

It was the summer of 2001 when I visited the USA. I was part of “Southeast Europe Youth Leadership Institute”. SEEYLI was a unique and exciting program initiated and funded by Open Society Institute and the U. S. Department of State. This program was hosted by Towson University.  The point of this institute was to explore American politics and culture, to engage in workshops, to hold dialogues, to debate and also to meet and visit major political and cultural institutions in Baltimore, Washington D.C. and New York.
We were separated into several small groups. I was part of the Drug Policy and Youth Activism sessions. We focused on the skills of advocacy, negotiation, and investigation. It was a very good experience for me and the others.
When we went to the USA we are accommodated in a beautiful part of Maryland State, in Baltimore, exactly at Towson University.
Baltimore is a very beautiful city. It is known as a major U. S. seaport because it is on the Patapsco River. I liked walking
in the inner harbor of Baltimore. In the inner harbor the National Aquarium is located, where we felt very relaxed and
amazed with the construction and species in it. Inside the National Aquarium is a pool with dolphins, called Dolphinarium
which was very beautiful. I visited and a lot of beautiful places in Baltimore like the Maryland Science Center, the American
Visionary Arts Museum, theatres, museums, volunteer agencies etc.
When I talk about volunteer activities I cannot forget to mention Mrs. Tracy Miller. Tracy was formerly a young activist
and she is still an activist. She teaches at Towson University. Mrs. Miller was part of the “Southeast Europe Youth Leadership
Institute” program and she was engaged in the Youth Activism session. Part of program was staying at the home of an
American family and Mrs. Miller was my host. She was very close with all of us. She is a mother with a big heart because
4 years ago she lost her young son in Iraq, for which I was very sorry.
Our trip to the USA included visits to a lot of political and cultural places in Washington D.C., like the Smithsonian Institution
museums, the Holocaust Museum, the Senate, the Lincoln Memorial and reflecting pool, the Corcoran Gallery, National
Gallery of Art etc. The unforgettable event in Washington D.C. was the 4th of July. We were there to celebrate with the American people on Independence Day at the Washington Monument.
Visting New York City was so interesting. There we saw many cultural and interesting places like the Statue of Liberty,
The Empire State Building, The World Trade Center, Rockfeller Center, and a musical performance on Broadway.
In the end of this article I would like to express my thanks to American Office in Kosovo, The Open Society Institute and
the U.S. Department of State who gave us opportunities to learn so much.

National Theatre and Its Current Condition

How does the National Theatre function—its hierarchy and the current problems it faces?

As we know, the National Theatre is the main theatre institution in Kosovo. Its operation is guaranteed by current regulations that are in place. It is financially supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and other potential donors. Currently it is operating with around 90 employees (administrative and artistic) and must put on 5 theatre productions annually. Inside the National Theatre there is a Ballet Troupe, functioning actively during the year. The chain of command in the N.T. is as follows: it has its General or Managing Director; its Artistic Director deals with the artistic aspect of National Theatre, and there is athe Director of Ballet. It’s facing difficulties because of a continual reduction in its operational budget, and there have been allegations of corruption. In addition, we lack a sufficient number of administrative staff, and often face problems because of political pressure that influences the Theatre’s operation.

What are the main goals you seek to accomplish as Artistic Director of the National Theatre?

My main goal is a theatre concept that treats the audience in the way it should be treated. I also plan to further increase cooperation with regionally and internationally well-known theatres and art organizations.  Also, I will focus on encouraging playwrights writing in Albanian, as well as new play producers. I will also work on reworking the organizational structure and the work environment.
Could you mention some upcoming plays that would be available for readers of the KUSA Newsletter?
Where in Kosovo’s society does the theatre take place?
Visit alumni.state.gov to become a member

Featured Alumni

Want to advertise here? Contact KUSA Center: kusacenter@gmail.com
Recently we had two productions: the play of “Uuuuh” prepared
by Isa Qosja and “The Night of Classical Ballet.” It is
worth mentioning that both plays were done under the National
Theatre’s supervision. In addition to the productions
mentioned above, our audience will have the chance to see at
least another three plays performing at National Theatre this
season. One of them will be “The Fourth Sister”, which will be
prepared by Agim Sopi
We in the art community say that everywhere else in Kosovo there is more theatre than in the real theatre—that there is more theatre in Kosovo’s Parliament than in Kosovo’s Theatre. Here in Kosovo, we know that there is a lack of tradition regarding arts, specifically theatre, and I can say that as an institution our theatre is still in the process of maturing, especially in terms of infrastructure.  Compared to other cities in Kosovo we know that there is more theatre in Prishtina. In other cities in Kosovo there are some semi-amateur theatres which do some activities time after time. There are even some small cities that have no theatres at all.
Interviewed by: Irfan Lipovica

Featured Alumni – Eldita Tarani

Being a doctor was one of my adolescent dreams. It was my “bright” future. That vision of a comfortable tomorrow also fit with the (hidden) intensions of my parents. Becoming the successor of my father’s humanitarian efforts as a local doctor (working under a very basic conditions) was an imposed situation also by my friends and cousins. Suddenly, everything changed. My “great voyage” to the USA on the South-Eastern Europe Youth Leadership Initiative (SEEYLI) gave me a new approach to my future. In the U.S. I experienced all the colorful aspects of American life and the “American Dream.” I saw how dreams could become reality. During my one month in the USA, it seemed as though the program and all the people I met had been especially selected for me. I experienced the America from my books, my father’s old comic books, my adored video and audio concerts (greats like Dylan, The Allman Brothers, James Taylor, Steely Dan, etc.), and from my favorite movies (American Beauty, Virgin Suicide, Almost Famous, Hair, Erin Brokovich).
My first encounter with Washington, DC was a very special and exciting experience for me. The
magnificent statue in the Lincoln Memorial reminded me of the greatness and strength he had to bring unity and to preserve
respect for the rights of others. I felt the same emotions when I visited the Washington Monument and Thomas Jefferson’s
Memorial. The Library of Congress was the ultimate display of efforts to work for a better tomorrow, and the Smithsonian
Museums amazed me with the creations of yesterday’s great minds. Visiting the Senate and hearing a lecture from a Senator,
and meeting Congresspersons who were lobbying for Kosovo and dining with them, was exciting. I realized I was living
history.
Our one-day visit to New York City, with all the rush in the streets reminded me of the enormous number of movies, Broadway
shows, fashion shows, and rock and jazz concerts that are around me in my home in Kosovo.
The White House was very promising and comforting during our official visit and also during a traditional celebration of the
4th of July with some American families. At the Catholic University of America I took a course on rhetoric in media from a
Washington Post Journalist, and learned debate skills and techniques with SEEYLI and American students. It was a really
unique experience. Lectures on American Rule of Law and a mock trial of a hypothetical case made me think about my
goals for my career.
My visit to the USA and the activities during that busy one month changed my “established” direction for the future. I recognized
and understood that instead of helping only a few people as a doctor, I could help countless people as a lawyer and
as a fighter for creating and enhancing democracy in my country that, unfortunately, always lacked it. My encounter with
the American way of thinking and living was both enlightening and inspiring. I did change my study plans – instead of medicine
I am in process of finishing of the faculty of Law. (Although I “cheated” a little bit – I am also finishing studies in Psychology.)

Featured Alumni – Elvana Perkazi

Media in the Democratic Process

Kosovar society, which is passing through a very complex process of democratization, is aware of the importance of freedom of expression, an independent daily press, independent public service broadcasting and strong journalist organizations.  Those elements are central to making this society an open society, with a well-founded broad political consensus regarding the value of free and independent media, including in the context of maintaining and strengthening its fragile democracy.
In postwar Kosovo a rapid increase of number of media outlets that did not exist before the war was evident. Certainly, this occurred because of the initiative of the local and international community, which grasped media development as an important movement in the democratization of Kosovo. Most of these media were supported by various governmental and non-governmental organizations to create a larger information spectrum, so as to diminish the chances for monopolization of information.
Kosovar institutions, international organizations, and foundations administrating and supporting the media have to make strong efforts in the process of building a coherent, long-term, sustainable media system and a corresponding media policy.
Market competition in the media contributes to the increase in number of media, media owners and media products, and decreases the influence of government and politics on mass media content.

The most celebrated characteristic of the US is definitely its highly specific culture: the contemporary way of life for the American people take so much pride in. As part of SEEYLI, a program aimed at creating social links and teaching cultural experience, I had a unique opportunity to witness the ‘American Way’ first hand.

I was hosted by a typical American family, which altered my perception of how diverse, yet how common cultures can be.  During my home-stay with my host-family, I was most amazed at the pace and the style of life of their everyday routine. While both of my hosts were university professors, I was glad that our part of the world, the Balkans, was not a mystery to them. Maybe the educational level of my hosts was above average , but still the common traits they reflected are those of a typical American family.
What I came to realize in my experience is that the foundation of American culture is pure individual freedom, with a framework of certain restrictions.

Embraced as a temporary ‘member’ of the family, I witnessed among other things, a proper delegation of housekeeping duties between the family. Everyone knew what needed to be done and followed a daily agenda. At times I, along with my Bulgarian roommate felt uncomfortable waking up late and probably messing up their daily plan…. It was maybe a way we found ourselves useful: we shared a typical Balkans trait with them… Ranging from the overall impression of our short but powerful trip, down to the day to day experience,

I noticed that much like our culture, a happy family is very important. But at the same time, unlike our culture, their day follows a detailed schedule. After all, these differences makes ourselves and our world so unique, and having the chance to observe them was sheer bliss.