Since its establishment until now, the organization GERMIN has focused its capacities on working with the Albanian diaspora community wherever they are in the world. The design and implementation of projects has targeted the Albanian community and their political, economic and social rights in their home countries. Thus, the projects that GERMIN has implemented or is implementing are contributing to the monitoring of the voting right of the Kosovar diaspora, the identification and functioning of alternative methods for remote contribution such as specialized consultations by Albanian professionals, mentoring and others.

In the public discourse in Kosovo, the role of the diaspora community is mainly limited in economic terms, more precisely remittances. The data also show that the role of the diaspora community in the economic development of Kosovo is extremely high. A 2012 UNDP survey shows that 11–12% of Kosovo’s GDP comes from remittances. The same study concludes that around 25% of households in Kosovo receive financial assistance from their relatives living abroad. Consequently, no one can deny the role of the diaspora in the economic development of the country. But should their role be limited in this regard or should we try to change the general narrative on the diaspora by exploring other potentials that this community has?

GERMIN believes that the Albanian diaspora community in the world has amazing potential and goes beyond the economic potential. The Albanian Diaspora is not a homogeneous community and should not be analyzed as such. The Albanian Diaspora is scattered around the world and thus each and every one has a special geographical, gender, religious, socio-economic identity, different level of education, different level of professional development, different connections with the mother country and others. It is important to keep in mind that the experiences of Albanians in the diaspora are not the same either. Reasons for leaving the home country, experiences lived in the host country, immigration policies in the host country, age and others have determined and continue to determine their position in relation to the home country.

Given the above factors, GERMIN in September with the funding of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of the Republic of Kosovo, began implementing a short-term project that focuses on the new generations of the diaspora community. Albanian youth in the world have scored and continue to score many successes but their connection to their homeland and opportunities to connect with their peers may be different from what their parents had. The lack of platforms that unite Albanian youth in the world beyond the vote or the economy has made them / they have no knowledge of their peers who live and work around the world and who beyond national identity have other common interests.

Thus, within the aforementioned project GERMIN has organized a series of lectures and discussions with speakers from Kosovo and the diaspora. Starting from leadership and healthy living, to foreign languages, environmental activism, journalism and medicine, speakers shared with participants their experiences around the world, experiencing their identity as Albanians in different periods, obstacles and advantages that this identity was brought about and how they found different ways to contribute to their home countries. A large number of speakers also explored the interplay of their identities and how this determined the trajectory of their professional, academic and social development. For example, being a girl and Albanian in the diaspora and facing expectations from the mother country and family to maintain traditions and pressure from the host country to integrate while dreams and ambitions stood behind and waited to be realized.

Speakers such as Mentor Dida, Shqipe Sylejmani, Shpresa Loshaj, Marsela Ceno, Manuela Canaj, Muhamet Idrizi, Arianit Fazliu, Mark Kosmo and others reiterated the importance of knowing each other as Albanians around the world in the era of globalization. practical tips for academic and professional development, explored various opportunities how Albanian youth around the world can cooperate as individuals or through youth and student organizations and others. Furthermore, GERMIN within this project, created and launched an interactive platform of youth and student organizations which offers opportunities to create connections of Albanian youth virtually. The platform enables all Albanian youth and student organizations to share their contacts and establish cooperation with their peers in the world for projects, internships, activities and others.

GERMIN believes that by combining digital tools with the passion and willingness of the diaspora community to contribute to their home countries, we can create a new spirit of cooperation and expand our vision for the diaspora.