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Workshop: Increasing Awareness about Diaspora Cooperation among CSOs in Kosova and Albania
Date: 26/10/2021
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An expanding variety of evidence suggests that diaspora present a significant role in fostering sustainable development by conveying resources, knowledge, and concepts back to their homelands, also in blending their countries of origin into the global economy. Given all the potentials that diaspora communities have, in particular the Albanian Diaspora in Germany, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, through GIZ, has commissioned the ‘Programme for Migration & Diaspora”, which offers plenty of opportunities for diaspora engagement, and cooperation between diaspora organizations and local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) at home countries.

In light of this, during October 20-23, a workshop was held with CSOs from Kosovo and Albania, which aimed to raise awareness of the potential for cooperation with the diaspora. During this workshop the GIZ program “Migration and Diaspora”, the study of the Albanian diaspora in Germany and funding opportunities for development-oriented projects by diaspora organizations in cooperation with local organizations in Kosovo and Albania, was presented. Also, in this event the work of GERMIN over the years was displayed as an example of cooperation with the diaspora and as a guide for other local organizations.

An equally significant aspect of this workshop was the discussion between all organizations that facilitated a meaningful interchange of varied viewpoints. These discussions unleashed impassioned presentations of each member’s vision for the opportunities that diaspora cooperation holds. Both GIZ and GERMIN have great familiarity with diaspora’s influence in Kosovo and Albania, therefore our joint input had resulted in an immense catalyst for ideas to the participating CSOs.

This workshop is supported by the program “Migration and Diaspora” of  GIZ Kosovo and GIZ Albania. 

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Success Story: Transforming Education Through Diaspora Mentorship
Empowering Educators with Cutting-Edge Technology In a small corner of Kosovo, a remarkable partnership between a diaspora expert and a high school has reshaped the way education integrates with technology. Shkëlqim Sina, a Senior Software Engineer based in Germany, brought his global expertise to the "Peer-to-Peer Diaspora Mentorship" program. Through Germin's matching efforts, he collaborated with the teachers of “Lutfi Musiqi” High School in Vushtrri, Sector Workforce Innovation Grantee of the PSWD, to drive impactful change. Together, they embarked on a mission focused on developing a joint project to develop an application for registering students’ absences at the School.   The Challenge Like many educational institutions in Kosovo, “Lutfi Musiqi” High School, faced challenges in adopting modern technological solutions to support their teaching and administrative tasks. Tracking student attendance was a cumbersome and time-consuming process, often prone to errors and inefficiencies. The school needed a practical, user-friendly digital solution that could be seamlessly integrated into their workflows.   The Solution Over 12 intensive mentoring sessions spanning May to July 2024, Mr. Sina introduced the high school teachers to .NET Core Web API, Entity Framework Core, and essential software development practices. The mentorship program focused on a collaborative project: developing an application to track student attendance.   Guided by Mr. Sina's expertise, the teachers:                Designed and built a robust application leveraging SQL Server for efficient data storage.                Learned advanced coding practices, including API documentation using Swagger and testing with Postman.                Implemented secure authentication and role-based authorization to ensure data privacy.   Key Outcomes The mentorship not only resulted in the successful development of the student attendance application but also equipped the teachers with the skills to sustain and expand their technological capabilities.   Teacher Fatime Azemi reflected on the experience: "We have successfully developed a student attendance application aimed at evidencing the number of students’ absences during the school year. The mentorship increased our knowledge of using .NET Core Web API, and we greatly benefited from Mr. Sina's professional expertise and cooperative approach. We are optimistic about the potential for future collaboration and will soon start using the developed application."   Teacher Adil Jusufi highlighted the broader impact: "This mentorship has provided us with technical and practical knowledge that will serve to advance our teaching methodology and improve communication with parents. This collaboration has been a big step towards improving education in our school."   The Impact The collaboration demonstrated the transformative power of diaspora engagement in education. By bridging global expertise with local needs, the program not only addressed immediate challenges but also laid the groundwork for long-term improvement.   The mentorship program equipped the teachers of “Lutfi Musiqi” High School with the knowledge and skills needed to develop a digital solution for tracking student absences. As a result, they are now prepared to adapt and implement the project, marking a significant step toward modernizing administrative processes and embracing digital tools in education.   This success story underscores the profound impact of connecting local educators with global expertise, proving that mentorship can truly transform ideas into lasting impact.   This activity is implemented within the framework of the USAID Private Sector-led Workforce Development Activity financed by USAID and implemented by IREX and GERMIN.  
Date: 17/01/2025
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List of Polling Stations for the Diaspora
To facilitate the voting process for the diaspora, Germin has prepared a detailed list of polling stations, including the addresses of embassies and consulates where you can vote in person, as well as postal addresses for sending ballots.   Click on the links below to download the complete documents, depending on the country where you reside: AUSTRALIA   AUSTRIA   BELGIUM   CZECHIA   DENMARK   FRANCE   GERMANY   NETHERLANDS   HUNGARY   ITALY   CANADA   KOSOVE   CROATIA   MONTENEGRO   NORTH MACEDONIA   UNITED KINGDOM   NORWAY   USA   ALBANIA   SLOVENIA   SWEDEN   TURKEY   SWITZERLAND   In these documents, the addresses are linked to Google Maps, enabling fast and accurate navigation. You can access the document covering all countries here.   For more information, join our official WhatsApp channel: GERMIN WhatsApp Channel.  
Date: 17/01/2025
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The second edition of the OriginAL program is officially launched
On August 4th, the second edition of the OriginAL program was officially launched. Participants had the opportunity to see the program's insights, its inaugural edition, and its ambitious goals. This event opened with a surprise performance by Arbër Selmani, journalist and poet from Pristina. He moved the audience with a rendition of his poem called "Kur vdiq baba." The co-director of GERMIN, Lirim Krasniqi, spoke about the importance and impact that this program has had and expressed that he is proud to be part of an initiative of historical importance and thanked all the supporters of this project. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, said that she is very proud of last year's result and of the group of the second edition of the OriginAL program. Acting President at RIT Kosovo (A.U.K), Michael Hess, talked about the important connection that the American University in Kosovo has with the diaspora. We also had supporters of the OriginAL program among us. Investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist from the Diaspora in Bulgaria, Elvin Guri. He talked about how this program helps the youth of the diaspora to understand not only their roots but also their parents and their sacrifices. One of the main pillars of this program is the founder and Chairman of the Board of the Global Albanian Foundation (GAF), Mark Kosmo. Unable to come from Boston, USA, through a video message, he once again expressed his support and told the participants that he really looks forward to starting this journey. From Paris, we also had GERMIN's co-chair of the board, Anila Smørgrav, who greeted and thanked the participants, supporters, and partners of OriginAL. At the event, seven esteemed alumni of the OriginAL program graced the gathering. Among them, Diellza and Elsa Vejseli, who once participated and now volunteered for the second edition, took the stage to recount their enriching experiences, the enduring friendships forged, and offered valuable insights into the program's overarching objectives and impact.
Date: 24/12/2024
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Discussion Roundtable – Advocacy and Public Diplomacy of the Diaspora
GERMIN organized a discussion roundtable on “Advocacy and Public Diplomacy of the Diaspora.” Panelists shared how their efforts have elevated Kosovo's international profile, improved diplomatic relations, and contributed to the development of social and economic initiatives. The discussion explored contributions to digital diplomacy, grassroots advocacy, and cultural promotion, highlighting the vital role of diaspora professionals in creating connections and strengthening global ties.  Behar Xharra, Co-Founder of GERMIN, began his opening remarks by sharing the inspiration behind GERMIN's creation. He described it as a seedling that initially leveraged the internet as a platform for digital diplomacy.  Blerinë Ukshini, Project Manager at GERMIN, presented the achievements and outcomes of the “Diaspora for Policy Development” project, supported by the regional Smart Balkans project. She emphasized that all activities aimed primarily to influence the improvement of policymaking processes in Kosovo by optimizing the contributions of the diaspora.  Elvira Dushku, Secretary General of the Basketball Federation of Kosovo, shared her experiences within the Federation, focusing on international competitions, the development of sports diplomacy, and gender balance within the Federation.  Vartan Marashlyan, Executive Director of Repat Armenia, shared examples from the Armenian diaspora, addressing the various challenges faced by countries like Armenia and Kosovo. He highlighted the importance of having ambitious goals with practical objectives.  Ariana Krasniqi, from the Civil Diplomacy Program in Denmark, a young woman born in Germany and raised in Denmark, shared her experience and her goal to return to her country of origin and contribute to civil diplomacy.  Bahri Cani, Moderator from Deutsche Welle, Germany, shared his perspective on categorizing the diaspora into three aspects: the first wave, which migrated for economic reasons; the second wave, which migrated for political reasons; and the third wave, which migrated for educational purposes.  Avni Mustafaj, Co-Chair of GERMIN’s Board, USA, underlined the importance of civil diplomacy, starting at the individual level and extending to larger communities to achieve common goals. He shared various advocacy examples, including efforts to meet leaders and convey clear messages about objectives. He emphasized the skill of capturing attention and making others listen to our demands. The roundtable highlighted the significance of organized advocacy efforts, digital engagement, and cultural initiatives in strengthening Kosovo’s relationships and global impact. This roundtable was conducted with the support of the regional project “SMART Balkans – Civil Society for Shared Values in the Western Balkans,” implemented by the Center for Promotion of Civil Society (CPCD) in cooperation with the Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM) and the Center for Research and Policy Making (CRPM), and financially supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA). The discussions during this roundtable are the sole responsibility of GERMIN as the project implementer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (NMFA).
Date: 24/12/2024
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