Avni Mustafaj (member), U.S.A. Mr. Mustafaj was born and raised in New York, U.S.A and has had a lifelong dedication to the national cause of Albanians. The organisation where Mr. Mustafaj has given his contribution through different capacities and as a chairman as well, is “National Albanian American Council – NAAC” (Këshilli Kombëtar Shqiptaro-Amerikan). NAAC has been one of the most vocal and influential organisations before and during the war in Kosovo. Mr. Mustafaj has led both the American delegation of the congressmen and Board members at the Summit of Rambouillet, France in 1999. Amongst other activities he has also met the former President of the United States of America, Mr. Bill Clinton at the White House in order to strategize on sensitizing the US public on Kosova.
Contact: avni.mustafaj@germin.org
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Explore the latest developments, initiatives, and discussions shaping advocacy and diplomacy within the diaspora community.
Inclusion and Empowerment of Women in the Diaspora: Priorities and Opportunities
GERMIN publishes a new policy brief exploring the role and contributions of Albanian women in the diaspora, the challenges they face, and opportunities for their empowerment. This policy brief provides recommendations for improving policies and encouraging the active participation of women in economic, social, and political development—both in their host countries and their countries of origin.
To read and download the full analysis, click HERE.
Date: 03/02/2025
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National and Cultural Identity of the Albanian Diaspora
The Albanian diaspora plays a key role in preserving culture and maintaining strong ties with the homeland. However, challenges such as assimilation and lack of institutional support require concrete measures to safeguard national identity.
GERMIN has published a policy brief on the national and cultural identity of the Albanian diaspora, written by Dr. Klement R. Camaj. This brief highlights the importance of the Albanian language, government engagement with the diaspora, and the role of technology in strengthening cultural connections.
What does this brief cover?
🔹 The importance of preserving the Albanian language and the challenges the diaspora faces
🔹 Strategies for more effective cooperation between governments and the diaspora
🔹 The use of technology to support the Albanian language and culture
Read the full publication here.
Date: 03/02/2025
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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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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).