Please follow the link to read on Blerta Sulhasi’s work with George Washington University (GWU) Center for Health and Health Care in Schools while completing the Washington Leadership Program of the Hope Fellowship!

Newsletter_George Washington University_Blerta

Adelina Nura

I would like to begin this letter with an appreciation for the staff in Kosovo and Washington DC who works with dedication. Through their fantastic work they produce women leaders through the Hope Fellowship Program who will work to bring positive changes in Kosovo’s society!

The Hope Fellowship Program, to me, is one of the most important and unforgettable experiences in my professional life. The possibilities that this program offers are unmatched. I experienced so much in a very short time.

As part of this program I had the opportunity to participate in training, workshops and various meetings that were very important and beneficial to me. Through trainings conducted by professionals both in Kosovo and Washington DC., presentations at NDI and CSIS in Washington DC, meetings with different organizations working in the field of health and social welfare I had chance to expand my knowledge in many areas and develop leadership skills.

Because of my experience in Kosovo, where I work to fight human trafficking, I had the opportunity during my stay in Washington DC to visit the shelters and organizations that work to combat this global phenomenon. I worked with the Polaris Project, Vital Voices, John Hopkins University, and George Washington University, all of which provided me a phenomenal experience!

I would like to emphasize the unforgettable Congress Shadow Day experience where I had the opportunity to meet congressmen and to see their work, atmosphere, meetings and the procedure of voting on Capitol Hill.

I also got to meet with Kosovo Ambassador to the U.S. Mr. Avni Spahiu and his family and with Ambassador William Walker.

Other things that impressed me were the values of American society. I learned of Americans’ work ethic, punctuality, consideration, and willingness to offer assistance, exchange of professional information, and people’s positive attitudes and communication.

My dream was realized – I had chance to visit American Psychological Association – where I was part of the working group of experts for anti – trafficking of humans!

During my time in DC I had the opportunity with the group of Hope Fellows to enjoy visits to interesting places in Washington DC and New York!

As a result of this program and through sharing this phenomenal experience with others I became a citizen who reflects the optimism and positivity that seeks changes in our society.

Now I have a group of people with whom I have established friendship and connections in Kosovo and in Washington DC who are willing to help and contribute to my professional goals!

I hope that this project lasts for a long time so other women will have the opportunity to be part of it, to become part of the positive change and to develop their leadership skills!

I would like to finish with another special thanks to USAID which has supported this project for many years. I hope that it will continue to do so in the future also!

Arbenita Pajaziti

Each day was like 100 days packed in to one. This is how I described this full learning experience to Congressman Jim McDermott on Shadow Day. The Hope Fellowships Program is already a well-known program in Kosovo. I heard about this program from colleagues and friends who had been part of it in previous years. Each of them spoke enthusiastically about their experience with Hope Fellowships. Based on what I heard, I enthusiastically applied to be part of this program.

In our meeting with USAID and the State Department, when we were asked to briefly describe our experience in Washington, I responded that “I do not know how to make my story short because my experience in Washington has been exceptional.”

As part of a group of women leaders in the field of health and social welfare, we have been able to share our personal experiences with each other as we came from different institutions and organizations dealing with health and social welfare. During our stay in Washington, each of us gained experience in various institution and we have shared that individual experience, too. Sometimes, when I hear my colleagues from the group speaking about their experience, I am not sure which one of us has had the best experience and learned the most in Washington with the Hope Fellowship program.

My project with Hope Fellowships deals with improving management of the drugs supply in public health institutions. As I was focused on the pharmaceutical system, I had the opportunity to visit the most important institutions in the field and to meet professionals and stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector in Washington. My experience in Washington has exceeded even my area of interest because I’ve learned not only about pharmaceutical public sector, but I also learned a lot about the private sector.

After many meetings and contacts with pharmaceutical experts in DC, I expanded my initial project to a much bigger project. I am instructed to make an assessment of the whole pharmaceutical sector in Kosovo, public and private. There are guidelines and instructions to follow on how to make an effective assessment. Since the end of the war, the pharmaceutical system in Kosova has yet to make such an assessment. I consider that this experience, assessment and results arising from this assessment, will serve the pharmaceutical community and institutions in the country.

The willingness to help, the support, and the respect that Americans show for each individual who has ambitions and desire to learn and contribute, is a value that has made them the world’s leader. I encourage all women to be part of this project. I congratulate NAAC and encourage them to continue with this program because the experience gained doesn’t serve only Hope Fellows but it also impacts our colleagues and community. All that positive energy that we accumulate in Washington undoubtedly influences the people and the surrounding community in Kosovo.

Endless thanks to USAID that financially supports the Hope Fellowship program, hoping that this support should continue.

At the end, I will recall Martin Luther King’s sayings that I learned while in Washington:

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that,

Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”.

This is what the Hope Fellowship has taught us and this is what we will be practicing and preaching in Kosovo.

Blerta Sulhasi

I would like to begin by expressing how much of an honor it was being selected to be a part of the Hope Fellowships Program. It is a wonderful program that has taught me so much! I am particularly privileged for having been a member of the Health and Social Welfare Group. I was surrounded by intelligent, enthusiastic, kind and friendly women. I feel enriched for having had an opportunity to get to know each of them.

The NAAC staff in Washington DC and in Prishtina made us feel very special. Avni, David, Laura, Amelda, Shqipe, Jarrettt, Mesi and Ardiana, were always ready to help us at anytime. I am grateful for their tireless patience and generosity towards us.

My experience in Washington DC was comprised of three elements:

Research Sites: My development research sites during the study tour in Washington DC were: George Washington University (Center for Health and Health Care in Schools), DC Department of Mental Health (School Mental Health Program) and American Psychological Association (APA).  It was fascinating to work closely with them.

I was lucky to have my specific mentors: Olga Acosta Price, PhD, Charneta Scott, PhD, and Shari Miles-Cohen, PhD. The three of them helped me, supported, and guided my needs in regards to my project. They willingly shared their skills, knowledge, and expertise. I was amazed by their enthusiasm for their work. This has inspired me within my work too.

Presentations: I was invited to give a presentation at George Washington University by the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools. My presentation covered “Health/Mental Health and Education in Kosovo,” through which I shared my experience working with adolescents and children. I had an opportunity after the presentation to get constructive feedback from the participating professors and students. Their insights and comments were very helpful to me. In addition to my individual presentation at GWU, myself and three other fellows gave a presentation at National Democratic Institute (NDI).

Meetings: I visited many important institutions and organizations in Washington, DC, and received a lot of useful and important information. I was at the State Department, USAID, World Bank, the Embassy of Kosovo, NDI, Pan American Health Organization Society for Public Health Education, German Marshall Fund, Global Health Council, International Republican Institute, Family Research Council, DC Government, Center for American Progress and AIHA.

In addition to my research sites, presentations and meetings, I also spent an entire day within the halls of the US Congress – The Congressional Shadow Day was very interesting and informative to me.

In addition to the professional scope of the program, I had time to meet different people, talk with them and listen to their life stories. As a psychologist I really enjoyed this opportunity to get to know people at a more individual level. I particularly liked the positive attitude of American people; I liked their readiness to help you at anytime; I liked their respect towards others.

Another favorite part of this experience were the many, many museums. They were very exciting, glorious, rich and fascinating.

This whole experience has had a great impact on me. I feel more enriched as a person after I returned to my country.  I learned that Change is possible, and I am feeling this deeply within myself. The Hope Fellowship Program has motivated me to make my project a reality and help make others feel that change is possible too.

Merita Emini-Sadiku

“Each day was an adventure” …this was my experience with the Hope fellowship Program organized by the marvelous people of National Albanian American Council in Prishtina and in Washington. This program is famous in our country for supporting woman leaders to strengthen their capacities in different fields. And I am convinced when I say that I was privileged to be part of this program in the Health and Social Welfare group.

Based on the components that this program offers such as information about political and health system in Kosova and USA, professional development sites, different meetings and trainings in health management and policies, meetings with political leaders such as American Congressmen, development of our own project proposals, we had the opportunity to learn a lot of different things. We also engaged with the American culture, having the chance to visit different museums, including the Smithsonian Museum of Art which I will remember forever. And of course the famous presidential memorials, which I have to mention Roosevelt and Lincoln Memorial which gave me a special spiritual, feeling!

Certainly for us, as visitors in Washington, DC for the first time everything seemed different compared to other European countries, starting with fantastic urban planning of the city which gives the impression that the whole town was built at the same time not having started in 1790 and continues today to be constructed without destroying even a millimeter of its beauty.

Another thing that impressed me, which has to do with my project, was the importance that  the state was given to fight obesity in the country  which now totals a somewhat alarming 33% of the population. United States Department of Agriculture issued a decision that any restaurant in the country must inform clients about food calories served on the menu and healthy food promotion through key institutions doing mostly organic food services with limited amounts of saturated fats and soda.

Similarly conversation with American people is quite impressive, the ones that you meet in your daily work and those with very high state functions. In general, they are very open and direct in communication, they inspire you with the optimism and motivate you to bring forward your goals. I will never forget the Mrs. Charlotte Ponticelli from International and Governmental Affairs. The story of her journey toward a brilliant career as woman leader remains an inspiration.

Also I will remember with pleasure the lecture held by our Hope Fellowship–NAAC founder, Mr. Ilir Zherka an open minded man who gave us the perfect example of his enthusiasm for the Albanian cause and at the same time for his commitment to American politics.

I also fondly treasure meeting Deputy Secretary of State Philip Gordon, an impressive professional. We had the chance to present during his hearing about the current situation in Kosovo, Bosnia and Serbia in front of the panel of congressmen of Capitol Hill who were involved in Balkan issues. Also in the framework of the Congressional Shadow Day, the day when we got to follow the work of a congressman or congresswoman on the Capitol Hill, I was in the cabinet of Congressman Eliot Engel, a wise man who is very well known and highly respected in Kosovo. Congressman Engel, offered me the opportunity to be part of all the meetings he had that day. This was one of the most special days in my life. I will never forget the simplicity of communication he had with all the people he met and the reflection of his beliefs to them concerning Kosovo. I left his office convinced that Kosovo has a very important friend in America which supports the Albanian issue in the best possible way!

Professional Development Sites were the most important part of the program where I had the opportunity to set up my project details associated with obesity, healthy food, and physical activity. During this period of time I visited three institutions: Institute of Medicine of American Academy of Science, Department of Exercise of George Washington University and the American Society for Nutrition. I must thank my three mentors in the following institutions: Dr. Clyde Behney, Prof. Loretta DiPietro, and Dr. John Courtney who took care that I would feel at home and gain as much as is possible from these institutions.

The Institute of Medicine as the highest academic medical institution in US had a very structured organization of scientific activities. The main part where various scientific committees which work to finalize their publications as various books, reports, studies, etc. on raised issues from the Congress and other state Institutions.  In this institution, in addition to leading the institute’s staff meetings I met with many other professionals among the most important were meetings with board members for obesity and healthy food. In these meetings I received very exciting recommendations for the implementation of my project and many other contacts with persons dealing with clinical nutrition.

One of the important parts of the information from the American Society for Nutrition was the publication of three scientific journals with high impact factor. Here I had the opportunity to discuss the studies that are undertaken in the framework of my project and which may be published later in any of these three scientific journals.

From the Department for Exercise at George Washington University the most interesting part was working with two clinical dieticians who showed me their own experiences with patients and the importance of vegetarian diet and those with high amounts of protein how they work. A very special day was a journey with Prof.diPietro to Maryland to the Laboratory for Human Beings at the Department of State for Agricultures. It was my first time to see the work done by scientists in regards to consumption of food and calories measures of the rest of the metabolism by very sophisticated equipments. I learned how patients’ bodies, who are exposed to different foods, reacted by measuring the values ​​of various metabolic parameters.

After all this experience and professional meetings with many people I finally met with my mentor at the Institute of Medicine, Dr. Behney suggested that I act as the external consultant of the Institute of Medicine with the mandate of an independent agent to advise the Institute of Medicine’s Office of Reports and Communications on strategies for the global Communication of their reports. This proposal was exciting and a motivation for my work in the future.

This was a brief description of my experience in this program. I wish every success to NAAC and to continue leading the country forward to reinforce the impact of women in decision making, while we as fellows seek to implement our projects and to provide the best potential for development of our society.

Nezahat Ramadani-Salihu

When I applied to this program I said, “Ok let it be just one of the programs that I have done in the past.” I had a lot of training about leadership. When we had the first part of the training in Prishtina about leadership, I questioned what else I could learn. But through the Hope Fellowship I grew to understand that learning is never enough.

I come from social field, but I had a chance to learn also about the health system in Kosova. During the Hope Fellowship I spent time meeting very important people from different institutions and organizations, participating in a lot of their presentations, shadowing a Congressman for a day, meeting other Congressmen and a few Senators, spending four weeks at research sites, and participating in different trainings. This was more than I expected.

I had two research sites. The first one was CCAI (Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute), were I was informed about their role, their programs, the role of NGO’s and their impact in making laws and changing laws in cooperation with Senate and Congress. I also learned about different forms of alternative care for children without parental care, their financial sustainability, and statistics for children out of family care (education, abuse, siblings, foster care, adoption).

My second site was MWCOG (Metropolitan Washington Council of Government). With the best mentor that I’ve had, I successfully became more familiar with the child welfare programs in DC and US. She organized a lot of meetings for me with different NGO’s and agencies which offer services for children without parental care. I visited some Foster families from the Mockingbird Family Model Project, participating in preparation of the TV emission Wednesday’s children with Barbara Harrison. I also participated in the COG Board of Presidents meeting before meeting with the all representatives on child welfare from all jurisdictions of Washington DC. I presented the aftercare program that we have in my host organization.

I also have to mention the friendliness and readiness of the NAAC staff in both of the DC and Prishtina offices. They continue to give us the courage and motivation for future steps.

I learned that we should advocate more in our institutions (Ministry of Social Welfare, Prime Minister’s office, and members of the parliament) and inform them of our experiences and work to make them more familiar with our programs, but also be more aggressive in our requests for child welfare, for the future of children without parental care, and for government subsidies. This can help me on realizing my project.

I would like to quote from my graduation speech: “As we look back this evening on our journey—a journey that started out with hesitant, tentative steps—we see just how far we have progressed as empowered leaders. It has been an honor and a privilege to be a part of this journey; and it is one that has imbued wonderful memories always remembering to hold onto our values, ethics and most importantly, our humanity. These are the qualities that will guide us further in our future”.

I can freely say that this was one of the best programs that I have attended and benefited from, and this is the program that I would suggest to all women that have a vision and who want to be leaders.

Zarife Miftari

Being part of the Hope Fellowship Programme in Washington DC for six weeks, meeting so many great people who shared with us their time, knowledge, resources and their best practices, was a really life changing experience.

The health sector in Kosovo is still weak and requires a lot of support in terms of strengthening leadership, managerial and professional skills of its employees. The group of Hope Fellows on health and social welfare developed 8 projects which aim to contribute and strengthening health and social sectors through different interventions. I hope that we will have the support of colleagues and institutions where we work; their role is crucial in implementation of our projects and in expressing our leadership capacities that we gained during the programme. It is not always easy to be a pioneer of changes, especially if you are a female professional, working in an environment where decision making positions are dominated mainly by men.

My project was related to cervical cancer, a disease that kills high number of women all over the world, especially in developing countries. My development site was George Washington Cancer Institute and La Clinica Del Pueblo, where I had the opportunity to further develop the project through recommendations, lessons learned, and best practices of my mentors and other professionals. I really appreciate their time, dedication and wonderful ideas! I am aware that Kosovo is a new country dealing with other more urgent issues, but we should join our efforts in providing accessible, quality services for all Kosovo citizens, regardless sex, age, social status, ethnicity, or religion.

Other moments from Washington that are important to be highlighted include presentations on “Health and Democracy in Kosovo” given at different reputable institutions like CSIS and NDI, Congress Shadow Day, debate on the Balkans’ at the US Congress, many trainings and meetings at different think tank groups.

I left home my small kids, Veron 6 years old and Arena 4 years old, but it was really worth it. I do hope that, one day, they will appreciate my efforts by understanding we are all working for a better, safer and a healthy Kosova, a country where our kids will be raised!

The last but not least, I would like to thank all NAAC staff in Prishtina and Washington: Laura, Shqipe, Mesi, Ardiana, Amelda, Jarrett, David and Avni for their support, patience and dedication to the programme and USAID for making the programme possible!

]]> http://naac-hf.org/publications/fall-2011-usaid-hope-fellowship-alumnae-share-their-stories/feed 0 http://naac-hf.org/general/hope-fellows-of-economy-and-energy-group http://naac-hf.org/general/hope-fellows-of-economy-and-energy-group#comments Wed, 11 Jan 2012 15:21:15 +0000 shqipe http://naac-hf.org/?p=1153 Congratulations, Hope Fellowships Program wishes you a successful professional and personal journey.

Albina Berisha, Small and Micro Enterprise Officer, Community Development Fund

Arijeta Pajaziti-Qerimi, SCADA Developer, System Operator Department in KOSTT

Dhurata Prokshi, Head Of Regional Office, Caritas Prishtina, Kosovo

Eglantina Hoxha Kastrati, Stakeholder and event Manager, Kosovo Energy Corporation

Gentina Jusufi, Fiscal Policy Senior Analyst, Ministry of Finance

Ilire Rizvanolli, Manager/Co-founder, “Te Komiteti” Restaurant

Ilirjana Mejzini, Coordinator for urban management, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning

Lejla Sadiku, Project Manager and Political Advisor, Royal Norwegian Embassy

Leonita Shabani, Chief of Cabinet, Ministry of Economic Development

Leonora Hysenaj, Manager of the Project Implementation Department, Kosovo Energy Corporation

Shqipe Neziri, Project Manager, the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe

Zana Sulhasi-Zherka, New Product Development Coordinator, Post Telecommunication of Kosovo

by Ulpiana Lama on Monday, 5 December 2011

A newly selected Prime Minister took office in Greece amidst confusion and high hopes, but the bad times are far from over. Greeks remain at odds with Tykhe and Ploutos, their ancient gods of fortune and wealth. As the European Union (EU) capitals are trying to answer the “whys” of the euro-zone’s dysfunctionality, Greece, the “euro-zombie”, is immersed in a paranoid self-scrutiny. Conspiratorial attitude about a Germany-led plot to sink Greece down and finger-pointing on governmental failures are common these days among the ordinary Greek citizens that are struggling to cope with the crisis. Actually in the Balkans crises seem to converge. No matter how unconnected they may seem there is a common pattern that produces the same dangerous outcomes. Irresponsible decision-making is manifested simultaneously in different ways throughout the peninsula.

 In Greece, the occurrence of governmental frauds, clientelism, unjustified spending for defense purposes, large tax evasion, a long-time exempt from taxes for the country’s biggest real estate owner – the Greek Orthodox Church, and an extra-large public apparatus that counts up to 14 per cent of the population, have shaken the statehood to the core.  

However, differently from its Balkan neighbors, Greece has a surplus of democracy. At Syntagma square, right in front of the Greek parliament, hundreds sit together, contributing to the vivid domestic dialogue on the future of the country.

 This is not the case with Albania. Albanians are living much better today than 20 years ago. There is substantial progress in all spheres, but the space for a free and ethical debate is still contaminated by the aggressive language of its political elite. Citizen’s participation in the country’s affairs is reduced merely to elections, a process that is still marked by severe frauds and contestation at every single round.  The “Family” – the network of children, cousins and protégées of the Prime Minister – is constantly accused by the media, the opposition and the civil society to be oligarchic and predatory. The depiction of Italy under Mr. Berlusconi as a “medieval court,” made by Princeton professor Maurizio Viroli, stands for Albania as well: a system based on rewards for loyalists and penalties for rivals. The Albanian governing cabinet remains in permanent state of denial towards all sorts of criticism and has lost any capacity for self-improvement.

Being at the periphery of global markets, Albania felt relatively safe from the economic recession that shook the West. The country has experienced a modest growth over the past years, with a 4.9 per cent increase of its GDP in 2010 alone. However the situation has changed dramatically this year. According to IMF, the projection for GDP growth is at only 2%, making the reduction of public and external debts a mission impossible. There is little accountability on how public money is used and just like what has happened with its southern neighbor, the Albanian government is allegedly cooking up the statistics.

Montenegro has scored better this year; the European Commission Progress Report praised Podgorica for a number of reforms, but the country’s sustainability remains a challenge because the economy relies predominately on tourism, the export of aluminum and the production of hydro-energy. Whilst the first brings seasonal revenues, the second is a volatile market with ups and downs that make GDP predictions quite a bet. The third sector is just a projection, with no likelihood to fulfill government ambitions for a leading role in the region. Politically, only a slight majority of the population supports the notion of an independent Montenegro – an achievement of the 2006 referendum – which makes the state’s cohesion questionable.

The Macedonian government is having a busy time trying to brand an identity for the republic, an activity which has mostly resulted in inter-ethnic latent tensions. The nationalistic discourse of the current young Prime Minister is turning Skopje into a provincial capital, where the narrative is largely dominated by his personal political agenda.   

As a matter of fact, state-building is at stake throughout the Balkans! Most of all, this is evident in Kosovo. The stand-off in the north of the river Iber threatens one of the primarily features of a state: its territorial integrity. Kosovo Serbs have managed so far to close the bridges which link the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica and are threatening to proclaim autonomy unilaterally. All started when Kosovo authorities took action to restore control over the custom points in the Northern border. The lack of any order and monitoring system has had a huge financial impact over the country’s budget. It has twisted the policy of prices because goods were allowed for years to enter tax-free with much lower prices than similar products exported from other countries.

Authorities in Prishtina declare that the resistance in North is sponsored by criminal structures. This is partially true. A shadow economy has prospered during the last 12 years in the Northern region. The local bosses have become rich beyond expectation thanks to the status quo and have no intention to give up privileges and power. The Serbian leaders of the North are affiliated with the ultra-nationalist wing of Serbian politics, the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS). Nevertheless, the moderate government in Belgrade keeps Northern Kosovo as an ace up its sleeve wanting to create opportunities for political blackmail in Bosnia as well with the precedent of territorial division in Kosovo. Belgrade has done nothing to soothe the political, economic and social tensions. On the contrary, it has injected radicalism through different means: first, by orchestrating a frantic campaign against Kosovo independence; second, by adapting a nationalistic rhetoric vis-a-vis the issue of Kosovo; and third, by financing parallel structures (health, education, courts and police). Until recently, the Serbian government has allocated about 500 million euro per year for the 120,000 Kosovo ethnic Serbs, one-third of them living in Northern Kosovo. This figure has dropped nowadays to a quarter billion euro. The contrast is clamorous compared to the budget allocated for 56,000 ethnic Albanians living in South Serbia (Preshevo Valley): only 20 million euro per year! By doing so, Serbian government is openly exercising a policy of ethnic discrimination.

Based on the international mediation led by UN envoy Marti Ahtisaari – which facilitated Kosovos’ declaration of independence – the Kosovo authorities have put extra efforts and resources in implementing a policy of affirmative action for the country’s minority communities. Instead, Serbia is systematically implementing a policy of negative discrimination against the ethnic Albanians that live in the Preshevo Valley. Belgrade may stick to its nationalistic agenda and unfair governance as long as it can. It’s up to international community to change the equation. If the EU does not intervene firmly on this issue, the situation might go soon out of hands.

Kosovo has many problems, the lack of statehood tradition above all, which results in dilettantish measures and improvisation, but it is stretching all its resources to build a multi-ethnic society and seek a decent place for itself in the world. Once its Northern territory is excluded, the Albanians in Kosovo would never understand why they should be called “Kosovans” and not simply “Albanians” in a mono-ethnic state (without the territory north of the river Iber, the percentage of all minorities in Kosovo counts up to 7%). A multi-ethnic Kosovo, within the EU – is the reason for the existence of a Kosovan state, predominantly composed by ethnic Albanians.

The concept of mono-ethnic states must be rejected by Brussels. Nevertheless, if Serbia persists sabotaging that European paradigm, the only quick-fix remains a symmetric solution, which involves the swap of territories with Serbia: North Mitrovica for Preshevo Valley. In any scenario, more active involvement is required. European integration is a political and an economic project for this part of the world, because it serves as the best safeguard and guide for political freedom, economic progress and social peace. Although the weakening of Greece is being followed by the revival of Turkish power and ambition for a paternal role in the Balkans, there is no alternative to European Integration for the region. The diversity and the notable contretemps of the Balkans should be treated with genuine interest and the way the EU strong countries react now has much to do with the future of European Union itself.

An illustration of this is the Greek case. There was no reason for an economy that represents a tiny slice (2 percent) of the EU’s overall economy to have such deep and depressing effect on European financial markets. We have come to realize that the crisis exposes a structural problem within the EU: the introduction of the Euro as a national currency was not followed by the adoption of a common fiscal policy, which leaves no automatic transfer mechanism for the EU as a whole. All at the same, EU members are extensively focused on an economic language, which – as we see – is impoverishing the political discourse. To this respect, a crucial point is the preservation of civic virtues, such as solidarity and community spirit, within the EU. The way in which the South-East periphery of Europe is portrayed in today Western media is not helping much; a certain amount of mild racism leaves a vacuum that risks being filled by resentment and disappointment. Economies and people in the Balkans are learning their lessons the hard way. They want fair and responsible decision-making processes. Unfortunately, they cannot do it alone. Brussels has a role to play, and that is a top role.

NAAC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and conducting educational and developmental programs.

Hope Fellowship is sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development and it is created and administered by the National Albanian American Council (NAAC). Initiated in 2001, Hope Fellowship began as a pilot program to champion the growth of emerging women leaders in Kosovo by offering fellows a 6-week leadership program in Washington DC.  To date, over 1,300 fellows have completed the program (140 of these fellows were trained in Washington, DC) and are actively engaged in leading new initiatives in their jobs and communities in Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro.

For more information on the National Albanian American Council visit us on the web at www.naac.org

Position Description:

The intern would work under direct supervision of the NAAC and Hope Fellowship staff to assist them in implementing a USAID funded program in Kosovo, as well as meet additional needs listed below. The intern would also attend pertinent seminars from think tanks, congressional hearings and other meetings, and prepare reports as directed.

Principle Intern Duties:

• Assisting HF Staff with Database Maintenance
• Draft Letters to Congressional Staff
• Conduct Research for incoming Hope Fellows
• Research Cultural Activities in D.C.
• Assist in developing a Calendar of Events for Fellows
• Assist in Social Media development
• Administrative Support

Position Requirements:

• Looking for a Full or part-time student seeking a degree preferably in Political Science, International Relations, International Education, or equivalent.
• Able to work 20-25 hours per week. UNPAID Internship.

Experience and Skills:

• Office Administration Assistance
• Strong Writing and Communication Skills
• Proficient in MS Word, Excel, Adobe, and Publisher software
• Good interpersonal skills
• International cultural interests
• Particular consideration will be given to those candidates who possess proficiency in the Albanian and English languages

The intern would at times be asked to help these Fellows adjust to life in DC by accompanying them on excursions and trainings, helping them to get around the city and generally answering questions they may have about life here in DC. This internship would be a great way to learn more about the Balkan region and the issues being faced in that area. It would also give the intern experience working on a development project funded by USAID and some exposure to high level people in government.

If you are interested in applying, please send your resume and cover letter to:

joakley[at]naac.org

The accreditation was given to Kosovo Bankers’ Association by Mr. Colin Morrison, Chairman of EFCB Accreditation Committee, European Bank Training Network (EBTN). With the accreditation, Kosovo Bankers’ Association will offer trainings and will distribute certificates for the program of European Foundation Certificate in Banking.  This is a training program in which individuals can gain knowledge on the economic and monetary environment in Europe, client – product/service relations and marketing, management and ethics.

This certificate will open the doors for young individuals in Kosovo to spread their knowledge and increase the opportunity of finding a job in the banking sector in Kosovo or outside the country.  First groups of this program will begin their training in early 2012 and successful candidates certified with this program will have an advantage in their employment in the banking sector in Kosovo or elsewhere. Additional information on this program may be accessed very soon on the Kosovo Bankers’ Association website www.bankassoc-kos.com.  

European Bank Training Network (EBTN) is composed of associations of banks and institutions for bank trainings of European states. This institution is committed to the development of professionalism of bank employees and the financial services sector and it promotes through education and training the harmonization of professional standards in the financial sector in Europe and other countries.

This training is supported by the USAID project, Kosovo Private Enterprise Program (KPEP).