Freedamn! - Issue 1

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April 2016

The University of New York Tirana Students’ Magazine

Find out more inside FreeDAMN! Politics Culture Entertainment Economy Kosovo Key figures Selfcriticism Social Sports Editorial Where is Politics?

Economy in the EU Zoutopia The biased immigrants and the foolish Europe!

Democracy feeding on itself

Living in the City Kujt t’i djegi le ta mbajë

Issue 1

April 2016 2 4 6 8

11 13 16 18

*The content of this magazine represents only the opinions and works of students of The University of New York Tirana

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April 2016

President’s Word

I welcome you to the first issue of FreeDAMN! which is the result of a wonderful initiative undertaken by the University of New York Tirana students with the assistance and guidance of the staff.

UNYT’s supportive and success-oriented culture empowers students to develop their skills and gain experiences that go beyond the classroom. At UNYT we believe that the global interconnectivity, on a planetary level, built on a foundation of high technology, has affected immensely the way we live, work and think in our global village. The implications of the globalization of education and labor markets are such that they require for the new ‘transnational’ graduate, the person who is confident, well-educated, and culturally literate to be able to relocate and join the cohort of global managers and leaders, thus building bridges among cultures, societies and economies and developing strong social and labor networks. Students’ goals and ambitions cannot be confined within national borders if they want to take their place in a global environment. The revolution in communications multiplied the rate of interaction on a global scale and has reinforced the need to respond on common principles and values in which students are expected to be immersed and develop their competencies and skills accordingly. UNYT has endorsed these values in pursuit of a democratic world that respects peoples, identities and cultures and as a member of the NYC Educational Group with a presence in Athens, Thessaloniki, and Prague, and with partner institutions in New York, London, Bolton and Toulouse, has contributed in building a truly transnational educational model bringing together students, staff, academics, programs and experiences from different parts of our world.

I hope this project continues to gain momentum, so that your contagious motivation inspires fellow students in Athens, Thessaloniki and Prague as well as members of the academic staff to further enrich the future issues of this magazine.

Sincerely, Elias Foutsis President & Founder

April 2016

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Rector’s Word

Dear Students,

I am pleased and honored to have the opportunity to convey my best wishes on the occasion of the publication of the inaugural issue of “FreeDAMN!”. Producing a magazine is not easy. It requires attracting hard work, significant articles to revise submitted papers, and – perhaps the hardest task of all – refusing to publish work that does not meet high standards of creativity and craftsmanship. The more important a goal, the more work is required to attain it, but the more rewarding are the process and the product. FreeDAMN! is off to a fast start. Its value to the community of University of New York Tirana and students of other Albanian universities who study political science and international relations promises to be great.

Having been an editor myself, I am aware that the success of a magazine depends not only on the individuals at its helm, but on many others who write articles, who review submissions, and who read and discuss the published work. I hope that FreeDAMN! meets with strong support, and is able to help advance the intellectual communication and exchange of an active community of students.

To make such a contribution, your magazine must be open to commercials and articles presenting work from various perspectives. Intellectual freedom thrives in constructive disagreement and restless search for better understanding, not in forced agreements. I am pleased, therefore, by your determination to make the new magazine open to ideas from different theoretical and cultural perspectives. Readers will not always agree with what you publish, but I hope they will be stimulated and informed by it.

This publication is and should remain a symbol of the inspiration and the success of the students of the University of New York Tirana to bring to the attention of scholars and students throughout he country what this university has the best. Such a publication is, at once, an instrument for enhancing the interest for the study of international relations and promoting research on regional and global affairs and foreign policy issues.

You are bright and brave group of young students who know well the power of the pen over the sword.

Use that power well for the promotion of peace, democracy, and above all, perhaps the free pursuit of the truth about our society and the world in which we live.

I look forward with great pleasure to reading your magazine and perhaps even writing for it. And I convey to my heartfelt wishes for a successful publication. Bon Voyage!

Yours,

Prof. Dr. Fatos Tarifa Rector

April 2016

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Where is Politics?

We, the people of Albania, proud and aware of our history, with responsibility for the future, and with faith in God and/or other universal values, with determination to build a social and democratic state based on the rule of law, and to guarantee the fundamental human rights and freedoms, with a spirit of religious coexistence and tolerance, with a pledge to protect human dignity and personhood, as well as for the prosperity of the whole nation, for peace, well-being, culture and social solidarity, with the centuries-old aspiration of the Albanian people for national identity and unity, with a deep conviction that justice, peace, harmony and cooperation between nations are among the highest values of humanity. – The Albanian Constitution (1998).

Are you of the same opinion that these words on our constitution sound too much cliché? Don’t they sound like words of an author of Renaissance?

Well maybe they are, probably not of the current Renaissance. Anyway, these are purposes that we decided to fulfill after a disturbing year of gun exhilaration. During the post-communist years, because democracy is not a term many of us would use for the last 25 years, I believe you agree that we as a tribe have made a lot to fulfil these purposes because like in the communist era our national interest is something we would die for. We all would like to have our saying in the politics with all the endless debates we have in our long coffee hours.

The parliament is a little bit small for all for us but we have chosen 140 elite politicians, some still in gun exhilaration, that fully represent us and our interests.

Is time for our tribe to realize that we’ve chosen them, or not? And we did have a choice right? I think yes and we did our best. I am sure that all the 140 (of this kind the less the better, as a distinguished professor would say) deputies in the Albanian Parliament feel the responsibility of the words of our constitution.

Why not? Aren’t they proud and aware of our history?

Some are, of the recent history mostly. We believe that with great responsibility for the future and faith in universal values like Hone$ty, they are working for our national best interest. Like most of the countries nearby, we might not have the most educated political class but we have voted them for their determination to build a state based on the rule of law, or any rule as long as they stay above, and not necessarily in the common meaning that they embody the law, but the law is to slow compared to their determination to accomplish their promises.

A lack of education and hungry hands is what does not permit our political class to reach the goals written in our constitution. That is all, nothing else.

Our hopes and expectations rely on those five grizzly old men that come here from time to time to give us the feedbacks of our homework. It is funny to see history repeating itself when we, as sheep as a much known basketball player would say, every time beg these guys to help us interpret our laws and then they leave…

A-They said we were right here, here, here and here.

B-No they said we were right, there, there, there and there.

A-No, they said you were wrong here, there and there.

P- A no B, no A, no B... We are C, we always win.

Politics is not our best, kakistocracy maybe best define us. Better let foreigners do our politics as we follow our National Football Team through Euro 2016. That is one of the few national representative groups we can be proud of.

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April 2016

The "Lernean Hydra" of Europe I don’t know how many of you know the mythical creature of the Lernean Hydra but it is definitely one of the greatest , worst hellish beasts in the Greek mythology. The story has it that Hydra was a deadly venomous snake-like creature with nine heads. If you cut one of its heads, two others would appear, instead. Hydra was mentioned in the story of the 12 labors of Hercules and it was his second challenge.

So, how is Hydra connected to Europe? The other day, I was having a coffee when I suddenly heard two middle-aged men discussing about the “Whys” and “Hows” of the European crisis.

They tried to analyze the reasons behind the economic crisis that emerged in Europe in 2010; whose fault it was, the backstage of the story and all these questions that most of us have. They could not agree, in most of the issues. Yet, they agreed in the fact that the specific crisis is not currently as tremendous and dangerous as it used to be two years ago. Then, I thought things are better in Europe, indeed. The crisis is under control, so it could be better in time. But then, the refugee crisis popped up in my mind. Suddenly, my optimism crumbled further when I recalled the terrorist attacks or the images of the Nazi flags in Hungary, Germany, Belgium, Greece and so on, reminded me that Europe is not facing a specific kind of crisis anymore, instead it is facing a new multi-European crisis. It seems as if a problem is covered but two others appear.

From 2010, Europe started dealing with the economic and/ or financial crisis of many European States such as the so-called *P.I.G.S. countries, Cyprus, Ireland and so on. In the beginning, everything seemed to be so difficult, especially in the case of the spoiled-child of Europe, Greece, which during that time, the European Institutions found it very hard to deal with. Eventually, this issue found its way towards stabilization (or at least let’s hope it did) and it seemed as if Europe cut this Hydra’s head. Nonetheless, what was meant to come after this, would only be elegantly characterized as a torrent of problems.

In 2014 the Ukrainian crisis burst with riots, revolt and rage after the rejection of the E.U. Association Agreement by the, Pro-Russian, President Yanukovich. The other major partner of Ukraine, Russia, felt as if Europe wanted to eat from its plate, without even asking. In other words, Russia felt threatened and it threated back by seceding and “gently” invading, what it once belonged to it, Crimea. E.U., along with its allies, answered back with sanctions and preachings about democratic values. The problem escalated but after a few months, it was found a common line. Now, it seems as if it is re-escalating again. All in all, a new chapter in European crisis was written.

Yet, although the conflict with Russia could be defined as problematic, it could, one way or another, be solved (because it has not been solved and it is a ticking bomb until it does) in a diplomatic way. Putin is a rational politician/strategist, after all. But what do you do, when you have to deal with a bunch of irrational psychopathic murderers, whose only way of communicating is beheadings, selfexplosions, terror and death? I am referring to the notorious Islamic State guys, who have killed and massacred innocent people in major

European Capitals (and not only). This is a huge problem for Europe, which seems to be terrified and defenseless on the easiness of these terrorists to attack whenever and wherever they want.

The load of problems has become heavier since the Continent became responsible for the management of the Refugee Crisis and the thousands of desperate people that have entered in and cannot go back to hell, where hell is their collapsed homes, their destroyed neighborhoods, schools, hospitals and so on. A hell created in the name of Democracy and God by Westerners and Middle-Easterns.

Europe seems to be speechless and numb! Indolent at a time of tremendous and multi-dimensional crisis.

What makes matters worse is that the rise of Extreme Islam and terrorism, the uncontrolled refugee crisis, the major financial insecurity, fuel another problem; the so-called extreme right and Nazi parties who aspire to protect their national states from the bad Muslims, the bad blacks, the bad Jews and everyone else who is bad just because the blood of the “Arian race” does not flow in their veins.

It has to change, to reform and to mature! There is no doubt about it! This Europe is suffering an ideological crisis, it is paying the consequences of the controversial combination of its utterly technocratic and idyllic, at the same time, plans which are currently endangering the very existence of this solid, in many aspects, Continent.

It has to finally decide, as it has done successfully in the past.

Will it be the Hercules in this story or will it remain the Hydra? Because Europe is the Hydra, which cuts its own heads and hurts itself with its poisonous heads.

I can only hope that Europe of the great people, will soon reveal its true nature! *Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain

April 2016

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National Economy Analysis

Gross external debt – As to the analysis of the Bank of Albania The gross external debt stock of Albania hit a total of 7,475.8 million Euros, accounting for about 73.1% of nominal GDP and increasing by 8.2% on an annual basis.

Dividing the gross external debt by sector:

Government in general accounts for about 41% of the total, 17.3% depository corporations, other sectors 18.2%.

Foreign direct investment 22.5% Monetary authority 1%.

The division by investment instruments: the external debt stock and investment loans dominate in currency deposits.

In the division by maturity, the external debt stock represented about 80.4% of long-term debt, increasing the burden on the total inventory by about 0.8 percentage points compared with the same period a year ago.

Indicators of long-term repayment ability of external debt worsened, starting from 2008.

Performance ratio between gross external debt and annual exports of goods and services was estimated at 211.7%. It stands over the theoretical optimum of 150% since the third quarter of 2011. Adequacy of liquidity indicators attest to lower short-term pressures arising from the repayment of debts over gross external debt. of Albania notes that the stock of foreign currency reserves in our country is sufficient to withstand negative impacts from abroad.

The insurance market During the period January - February 2016 the insurance market experienced a decrease by 4.72% compared to

the period January - February 2015.

Gross insurance premiums amount to ALL 1,913,125 thousand, decreasing

by ALL 94,790 thousand.

Loans for the private sector have increased moderately in the end of the year as the Bank of Albania reports. The sluggish performance of loans in the economy highlights problems by the demand and supply sides. The stock of credit has recorded the highest growth of the year compared to the other three quarters.

Albanian Lek (ALL) loans, though at a slower pace, continued to support the increase in loans to the private sector. On the other hand, foreign currency loans are still in negative territory. The weak dynamics of business loans are determined by the diminished number of business loans in foreign currency and the slowdown in loans growth rate in the ALL. Thus, business loans in foreign currency shrank by 0.8% and in domestic grew by 1.5%.

The performance of our commercial partners Eurozone inflation remains at low levels. Its rate fluctuated at 0.2% in the fourth quarter of 2015 and continues in the first quarter of 2016 reflecting the impact of declining in oil prices and energy sectors. The economies of Italy, Germany and Spain have continued to grow in the third quarter of 2015, albeit at a more

moderate pace compared with the previous quarter. A bullish forecast of improved economic performance is expected to continue for the following quarters of the year. Economic growth in Greece remained in negative territory, reflecting the shrinkage in investment, domestic consumption, and net exports. Performance of GDP for 2016 is expected to return to positive values, but lower as a result of the effects of continued fiscal consolidation and slow recovery of confidence in investment. China's economy in the last quarter recorded a further slowdown in its performance, at 6.8% in annual terms from being 6.9% in the last quarters. Meanwhile, economic growth continued in other partner countries such as Turkey, Serbia and Macedonia. The performance of the Macedonian economy continues to have primacy among Southeast European countries, Serbia improved its growth rate, moving away from negative values ‌‌recorded in previous quarters. The commodity prices continued their downward trajectory run mainly by the fall in oil prices and metals. In relation to the performance of commodity prices throughout 2016, estimates show a slight increase in prices; however they are still positioned below the average values ‌‌recorded in 2015.

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April 2016

European Union Economy The European Central Bank (ECB), which is the institution in charge of maintaining price stability in the Eurozone, announced that it will be taking aggressive measures to support the stagnating European economies.

Currently Europe is faced with a number of factors that have negatively impacted the health of the economies. There is a weak global demand forecasting, with consumers not spending enough to support the growth of EU economies, which was as little as 0.3% in the fourth quarter (Q4) 2015. The low demand is attributed partly to troubled domestic economies of Emerging Markets (China, Brazil, Turkey, Russia), which have strong trade ties with the EU. In addition, an era of very low oil prices of around $40 per barrel, has resulted in deflation. Eurozone inflation was recorded at -0.2% in February and went up to -0.1% in March. Despite good news, prices still continue to fall even though at a slower pace, while Eurozone is missing the ECB target of 2% inflation. Therefore, strong stimulus is needed form the ECB to tackle the low growth and the off-the-target inflation in Europe.

The ECB has in place a monetary stimulus package aimed at reviving the EU economies. The institution is injecting â‚Ź60bn every month in the economy until March 2017. This is done through the central bank purchasing the debt of secondary banks

in Europe. This extra cash accumulated by secondary banks, can then be used to lend to customers. In addition, the ECB has cut the deposit rate to -0.3%, which means that customers have to pay the bank to hold their money, as opposed to being paid by banks to deposit their funds.

Following last week’s stimulus from ECB, the central bank decided to further expand its stimulus and cut the deposit rate further by 10 basis points to -0.4%. ECB has expanded the value of bonds it buys each month by ₏20bn, which is more than expected.

It also expanded the range of assets it buys to include high quality corporate bonds. This is the first time ECB will purchase debt from private companies.

There are still uncertainties over how this new policy will be implemented.

There are reasons to doubt the effectiveness of such measures. The expansion of debt purchases may be able to push down borrowing costs for corporates, but this is not to mean that it will necessarily encourage new corporate activity. On the other hand, companies outside the Eurozone, who raise money in euros, are also likely to find their borrowing costs fall. Thus, non-European issuers will also benefit from the ECB program. The effect these unconventional policies will have on Eurozone growth and inflation still remains to be seen in the following months, once the enforcement of the scheme becomes more transparent to the markets.

April 2016

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Zoutopia

Albania, the land of the eagles; much more when it comes to flooding... Who can better escape the disasters rather than these ancient, mighty creatures that are autochthonous, self-aware and warm-blooded? As the nature unleashes its wrath upon the whole country, the eagles quickly take flight to their unmovable rocks, eternal, steady and bloody, as the Albanians have craved them.

And the people are left to feed with whatever the waters might have spared for them. Yes, trash, corpses and nothing; the last one more convincingly believable. After all, eagles are so little in numbers comparing to the millions of sheep and pigs beneath them. Don’t they deserve to call this land their own as they have early hunt, stashed and gathered income to guarantee them life-long prosperity? We, the sufferers, will solve ourselves the problem, not bothering you

mighty eagles, our national treasures…

Everything under water; land, crops, asphalts, dignity, cabbage…

Ah, the nature has got it with us! It is destroying us repeatedly, like we have ever done something wrong to it…!?

The filthy streams of the rivers take away the bad luck. Definitely, it was bad luck that the flood hit us. But it was not bad luck for Gëzim who had it coming.

He has built all his property away from the village, with material from the bunk of the river. The nature knew what he did and he had to pay. But us, our 365 houses built in the bunk of the river, we have nothing to do with that. The only wrong thing we have done in our life, is voting for the deputy of the region; he has done nothing for us. He has not even dared to aware us for the heavy rains that caused the rivers to fill their banks. Even we have to make a living, you know?

And as the rains fall and make the countryside misery last longer, there is time for pigs to bath as well.

They come up cleaner than ever from the floods; no wonder why eagles don not feed with them but use them to run administrations. Even in the city they have the chances to bath

with the rain flood, allowing them to use expensive cars and own a penthouse. I saw one yesterday having a lunch in a fancy restaurant, even if he left early to go to a kebab around the corner; they are used to garbage, obviously, and too wasting money. It makes no sense, all of this. All those flock of sheep harmed by these floods, a pity that the flow did not carry them away though. Those sheep stand there, each time to forget the last flood and to die to the new one. Why have they to be sheep?

Could not they make another sense of themselves? Aristotle has mentioned that: “We are all political animals”, but we had to choose the wrong one to survive the flood? Or did we cause the flood? Or did others leave us to make wrong decisions (like they even care)? Wait a second, we take the decisions.

Oh the flood, Albania vomiting the waters out of her, under the beak of the eagles.

Those eagles that look nothing like the one we have in our flag.

They are not our eagles! Did it take so long to realize that our eagles have two heads, sign of a strong bond between people and their faith? But we trusted these other creatures instead? I can not even look at that flag the same anymore, the wet and unable to wave that it has turned to be. A tiny revolution in a flood. Do you love Albania? Rip this page off, scratch it, burn it, but change the reality of it. We can never do it without you.

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April 2016

*This article is written in English*

The Albanian life is very similar to the American action movies and music videos.

Rappers all over the U.S. sing about cars, money and ladies while all Albanians strive to look like they have them. They have exploding cars in action scenes, we have exploding ammunition factories in Gerdec. Female artists get naked in their music videos to receive millions of views and here thousands get naked in their Instagram profiles in order to grap that disgusting form of attention

from the opposite sex. Albania must also be the country with the highest percentage of thirteen-year olds trying to earn respect from their peers in the seventh grade in the same way Tony Montana did in “Scarface”.

When it comes to some certain aspects of the American culture I have some personal thoughts which may not be described as very positive but I am not discussing that here. I am conscious about the power of the American state and how it spends a lot of money in order to spread

certain aspects of its culture in other parts of the world. I give them credits for that.

American music, films and shows are watched all around the world. Just ask yourself what percentage of what comes out of your TV and computer in the form of arts is American? I believe it is a very high one am I right? After the second World War, the U.S. emerged as a true economical giant and it used this kind of supremacy to influence the states damaged by the fighting. This was when the first forms of the “Americanization” of different cultures emerged.

To continue in the lines of the first paragraph,

emerge from this process. Aside from the fact there are a lot of American music videos on TV, there also are a lot of Albanian music videos that don’t differentiate much from the American ones. If you mute the TV, it is all the same except for the people that are part of the videos. Even though I am not a nationalist, I want to listen to the music of my people (I mean the true one). Not only that but I also want to listen to Cambodian music and watch Chinese movies.

With the power of the internet I can do that but there are many others who

I will narrow down the concept to inside the borders of Albania. Aside from the different forms of broadcast reaching us in different parts of the country because of the neighbors, we are also heavily influenced by the American media. Be it television, news or different internet platforms, Albanians are getting more and more obsessed with this culture. The language plays a major part in this process but what could have really inspired our country to do so, may be the fact that others have been doing so too.

In a few words, a snowball effect that found us in its way.

Now, I am going to address the problem directly and state what problems

either can’t use internet or don’t know that there exist a lot of wonderful cultures that are worth discovering in the world. In my opinion, the Americanization of Albanian culture is doing more harm than good for us. We have lost a lot our national features and creativity and have become copycats instead. Despite us becoming chameleons, we are also losing the chance to discover what other different societies are offering.

I don’t believe that some cultures are more superior than others but I do believe that diverse systems are much more constructive than the unitary ones. What we see in TV isn’t us. We are not in the situation to show how rich we are in such a poor country.

We need to be more realist about our lives and art is the way to go. Let’s not forget that it has a very educational role in a society. We should try and have a more diverse projection of art which will include many other perspectives, most importantly ours.

My message? Go listen to Albanian polyphony, read Argentinian books, watch Japanese TV shows and learn how Tibetans like to dress. Get out of the shell that the media has blocked you in and enjoy the world from a different perspective.

April 2016

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Dear Albania!

Guess what, guys?! The day of our glory finally knocked on our door four months ago and all Europe and America is aware! The famous and talented Danish Albanian actress, Eliza Dushku lastly released the long waited documentary dedicated to her homeland, Albania and since that day the fame of our country has become viral. The most popular TV shows of United States and Albania are talking about this short narrative, which in more than fortyfive minutes explores Albania from the highest cliffs of the North till the virgin and beautiful coast line of the South. Some even accept the fact that they didn’t knew Albania existed until the documentary release and feel thrilled to visit and explore it closer.

But who is Eliza Dushku, for some of you who have never heard of her? She has been playing next to the greatest celebrities of Hollywood like Roberto De Niro, Leonardo Di Caprio or James Belushi and every single Albanian has felt enormously proud of her acting career. Eliza was born in Boston, Massachusetts to an American mother originally Danish and an Albanian father. During her childhood, she was brought up with the traditions of her homeland and as she states in the last interview that her father inspired Eliza to appreciate and learn more about Albania. The idea of making and realizing a documentary for her beloved Albania came together with the talented photographer Fadil

Berisha and her brother Nate Dushku, who is the director of the documentary. Over the course of the hour-long program, she and her co-directors visited fifteen cities in four countries seeking to find and explore the marvelous landscapes and sea shores within the borders and beyond them to the Ethnic Albanian regions of Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro, by showing gratitude and fondness to her homeland and its historical neighbors.

The love letter that Eliza writes for Albania except from being an honest and captivating commitment, it is also a demonstration that Albanian artists do not always try to use their home countries as a tool for granting them popularity worldwide. Instead of wearing a blouse with the Albanian flag or making the video clips in Albania, Eliza spotted from all the artists by joining herself on a personal journey of discovery and by guiding all the world tourists to see and learn about many of the sights in “the jewel of the Balkans” as she has called it. I guess it is more than appropriate to express our congratulations and gratitude to Eliza Dushku, by being the first Albanian artist that does not just stop on the very first step of becoming an Albania, which is gaining the citizenship, but who commits on exploring every corner of her origin land and documenting it in a short movie, which by October 2015 has been premiering almost in every country of the globe. We thank you Eliza from the bottom of our heart for displaying to the world the real image of Albania and not the stereotypic one, which everybody speaks and is aware of! I would like to end up my article by hoping and wishing that we as Albanians to try to not disappoint Eliza and many tourists who will surely visit our modest and tiny country this upcoming year.

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April 2016

Migration!

That one misconceived phenomenon which describes massive groups of individuals who move to other countries, by abandoning their home countries, in order to achieve better life conditions. It is completely normal for people to seek for a better life, happiness and security.

After all, these rights have been drafted on the Human Rights Watch a long time ago. However, nowadays the issue of migration has become the key event on many international organizations and summits, in an attemption to find the most appropriate resolution which will satisfy both sides; the hosting countries and the refugees. And do you know how “the most appropriate resolution” is found? By meeting the interests of these countries, based on economic, political and social factors. The problem is that their biggest concern is not how they will offer, these "hit-by-fate" people, a shelter and the optimal commodities of life, but how these "dangerous" people will affect their economic growth and how their hyper-sensitive society will react regarding this refugee invasion. I know that you may think it is fair to feel concerned about the domestic affairs of your country, but when you look at those poor and devastated people, who have been traveling for thousands of kilometers in order to find a place to live, to eat and above all to live in peace, don’t you think of helping them with what you can minimally afford?

Of course you do, but that is not what Europeans feel about refugees.

They have been used to living with commodities and luxury and nowadays that they see the danger of not having enough of all those things, they justify their ends by blaming the refugees.

The refugee crisis, which disturbes Europe, last year led to many tragic and devastating events, which are still fresh in our memory. Refugees from the so called “failed states” like Syria, Somalia, Eritrea or Iraq reached Europe through the Mediterranean with a significant increase compared to previous years. Over 80 percent of those originated from countries

The Biased immigrants and the Foolish Europe! beset by war, generalized violence or repressive governments. Even though, Europe took the decision last summer to increase the quotas of refugees allowed in each European Union country member, it easily found also the come-off of banning those previous quotas by justifying that terrorist attacks were occurring as a consequence of the negligence regarding police authorities on the country borders. But is it this excuse sufficient and reasonable for impeding immigrants to enter the borders of European Union? Why European Union has become an immense absurd and why Germany as one of the first countries to offer sheltering to these immigrants is now strongly forbidding them to enter its territories?

The answer lies on the prejudice that characterizes the democratic societies of the European Union. Their way of thinking makes them to believe that every “failed state” citizen is an individual who has extremist point-of-view regarding religion and who desires to abolish the liberal and democratic societies of Europe.

They strongly state that these refugee flows are endangering currently the order and stability of their states. Well, if you see it from their perspective, it is true, but tell me one thing guys!

Why the French newspaper “Charlie Hebdo” made fun of Middle East and its culture and did not accept the consequences of their actions but instead blamed it for the terrorist attacks? The true reason is that every European defends himself by the concept of democracy which favors the rights of speech freedom, but they forget that not every state has the same culture and traditions and they may get insulted by their actions or words. And the results of this indignity are those we have all seen in Europe for the last couple of months.

Unfortunately, the losses regarding human lifes on both sides have not convinced those foolish and self centered Europeans on accepting and understanding the reality of refugees on their country borders. All I have to say is poor them! Who repeatedly make declarations about not being supportive or responsible for the terrorist attacks in France, United States or elsewhere in the world and ask only better shelters rather than those desolated huts which make them freeze of cold and die of hunger and insufficient medical aid.

Obviously, this crisis will continue to be part of Europe for a long time, but the issue lies on what European Union will decide to do with the flow, because as Turkey has lastly declared, it will take refugees based on the quotas agreed with E.U. The question that arises is whether other European Union country members will agree on welcoming the refugees left demolished on the borders?

Until a final decision is taken, we, the ordinary citizens, can only pray for all those children, men and women who wake up every day hoping for a better life but soon repent on taking the journey and ending up on those miserable conditions on which even an animal could not survive. Let’s just pray, people let’s just pray for those selfish European governments and Chancellors to change the alley of their thinking, otherwise the world will experience the greatest tragedies on human history as it already has!

April 2016

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Kosovo *This article will be monthly dedicated to news happening in Kosovo. Whether they are over politics, economics, cultural, national and international affairs around the country.* The Republic of Kosovo has already passed 17 years of pluralist party life and 8 full years after the country’s independence. But yet, it hasn’t succeeded to create a genuine and actual law for the functioning and answerability of political parties, as judicial people who respond the law and the Constitution, just like all citizens and relevant institutions responsible in front of the law.

Although there exist rules and general legal norms for the right of establishment and registration of political parties, not having one to take lead in organizing the process, is creating the space that most of the political parties, turn into uncontrollable clienteles from the country, without explanation.

Experts of the field consider that NOW it is the right moment, for the country’s institutions in collaboration with the experts to come up with an adequate law which regulates the means of establishment, registration and of responsibility in front of law for the political parties, defining penal sanctions as well as functioning prohibitions when they risk the public interest and are indifferent towards the Constitution. The political scientist Faik Krasniqi considers that in Kosovo not only they don’t have a law for political parties, but no one until today has even given the idea of designing and even less, approving a law of this kind. Or even if it has begun as one, as the member of KQZ Florian Dushi has said, it remained paralyzed.

Is it difficult to think that this is all a crawl of big political parties to make a law that allows them to take whatever measure they want in a legal-based way, with reckless actions and with no democratic norms in their inner functioning? Meanwhile, protests over

corruption, unemployment and diplomatic agreements the government might strike are not less accurate. Meanwhile canisters of tear gas have become a trend.

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April 2016

Democracy feeding on itself

He’s been compared to Hitler.

And also Voldemort, also Mussolini, and an African dictator, and Sanjaya, and Biff Tannen from Back to the Future… Yes, I am talking about the front running candidate for the Republican nomination for President of the United States in the 2016 election, Mr. Donald John Trump.

To start with, Trump is a native of New York City, a German from paternal grandparents and son of Fred Trump, the one who inspired him to enter real estate development. Therefore right after graduating from Wharton with a bachelor’s degree in economics, he joined his family’s company and was given control renaming the company “The Trump Organization” in 1971. It wouldn’t get much time until he would pass into politics. In 2000 he ran for the President of the United States when he conducted an exploratory campaign and won two Reform Party primaries.

But Trump's party affiliation has slightly changed over the years. Until 1987, he was a Democrat, then he was a Republican from 1987–99. He then switched to the Reform Party from 1999–2001. From 2001–09 he was a Democrat again, and switched to the Republican Party again from 2009–11.An independent from 2011–12, he returned to the Republican Party where he has remained from 2012– present. To be continued…No replies when saying he was a bit contradictory over time. He has listed his party affiliation

as Republican, Independence Party, Democrat, and "decline to state”. That’s too bad it doesn’t sound as a visionary move.

And now, in 2016, re-running for president, Donald Trump is making a career of validating the most fringe beliefs in US politics. The first time the current Republican frontrunner topped presidential polls was back in 2011, when Trump led a month-long public campaign to force President Barack Obama to unveil his birth certificate. He started his 2016 campaign by acerbically accusing the Mexican government of sending criminals to the United States and, along the same lines, charged Middle Eastern countries with using the refugee crisis as a method to shed themselves of likely terrorists. More so than any presidential candidate in recent memory, Trump has appealed to the most xenophobic and delusional conspiracy theories of our time. And a good connection is apparently being formed for Trump between these theories and social networks. He spends his time on Twitter not engaging with the many, many people who voice disagreement and disdain for him but, instead, retweeting and quoting people who praise him. In fact, Trump seems to use Twitter to engage with exactly the kind of conspiracy theorists he inspires, posting fake statistics(watch Politifact: Trump's Pants on Fire tweet that blacks killed 81% of white homicide victims) that seem to confirm his supporters’ worst fears and commendations from a significant number of accounts run by white nationalists. To continue with, four months ago Trump said

that he would ban all Muslims from traveling to the United States. He has called for a federal registry of Muslims, while also promising to "take out" the families of terrorists.

Trump says he would bring back the use of waterboarding.

If it didn't work, well, "they deserve it anyway," he said.

Trump has complained that Americans are too politically sensitive about profiling people who could be potential terrorist threats and "that's part of the problem we have with our country." ..American egalitarianism swiftly comes to my mind. I studied it in Composition. Oh well, apparently we might have to change the book.

And of course, the world is much more intriguing when seen through a conspiracy theory’s eyes. Ted Cruz isn’t a lifelong Christian as every detail of his biography confirms (according to Trump)—he’s actually a secret member of a Satanic cult.

What’s more exciting than landing on the moon or more terrifying than a few ambitious terrorists bringing down the World Trade Center? An authoritarian government that manages to fake both.

You could after all say, basically, that Trump’s popular reception has been making exceedingly clear what every “demagogue” will: that one person’s threat to democracy is another person’s populist hero.

April 2016

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Sport This page is dedicated to Sports, but not exactly like it. This is dedicated to what we believe is our behavior towards sports. Do we well—behave sportily? Or maybe sports are for those who have time to waste or for those who will always have low wages (and football is not the only sport here), or for those who seek a dream of becoming pros abroad , or for those who find that taking a two hour coffee requires high mental skills and go jogging in the park (only if it wasn’t for those vandal protesters who care about some trees). Some years ago, before the great rain of democracy brought “Lloto” every five meters, people used to waste their free time by participating in some sports or filling every possible stadium, playground, ring etc. Of course

today other things matter more.

Sport is not health anymore or entertainment or stile of living.

Gym is. Because it is a trend and most of the people just register or go just because all the others do. These are just inventions of people who don’t go to the gym.

At the gym you can continue the conversation you started at the café, take a few selfies, flirt with someone if given the chance, a last photo in front of the mirror and of you go. Gym is easy.

And they are everywhere. Like “Lloto” - s. Sports are better on TV. With all the investments that have been done in these years in cultivating the will for sports in our schools, we have just paid all the physical education teachers and professors’ wages. As a result the major fault falls on them for not making us love sports like our parents did. And in many

occasions they are the same teachers or professors. If you want to waste a little time and want to start finding out what other sports exist in Albania and some upcoming events take a look below and if by chance you go mad and want to deepen you information and participate in some sports try GOOGLE.COM!! Even there you won’t find the information you need/want to see. We have struggled to find some important national sports events, dates and venues and even though we know more important events such related to Summer Olympics are to come this month, we cannot publish unofficial information that is not coming from our Federations… Take a look at what we were able to find. We are so sorry not to find any information about other “living” sports in Albania.

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April 2016

Sport in Campus Indeed we have criticized the way we as society in general react towards sport, but as there exist attempts to involve students in sport through In-Campus Activities, a brief overview on the stated engagements will be provided. Below you will find pictures of the commitment of University of New York Tirana Board, UNYT Student Union and Student Community in Campus’ Volleyball and Football Championship. Provided are even photos of UNYT Futsal Team in Tirana Colleges Championship. Even if we are happy to see these activities happen, a worry rises to supporting of other sports that students can be involved. Hopefully the future is better.

April 2016

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Living in the city 19 – 21/04

14 – 15 /05

14 – 15 /05

Rhythm is it: -Summary: The first major educational project of Berlin Philharmonic: A documentary about 250 children and young people from different social and geographical origin, who study and perform Stravinsky's "Le Sacre du Printemps" in TreptowArena Berlin.

-Day/Time: Thursday-Friday/10:00 -Location: Deutschzentrum Tirana, Rd. Jul Variboba Free entrance

Oscal 2016 -Summary: Open Source Conference Albania is the first annual international conference in Albania organized to promote software freedom, open source software, free culture and open knowledge.

-Day/Time: Saturday – Sunday/10:00 – 18:00 -Contact: http://openlabs.cc/tools/mailinglist/ http://oscal.openlabs.cc/

Oscal 2016 -Summary: Open Source Conference Albania is the first annual international conference in Albania organized to promote software freedom, open source software, free culture and open knowledge.

-Day/Time: Saturday – Sunday/10:00 – 18:00 -Contact: http://openlabs.cc/tools/mailinglist/ http://oscal.openlabs.cc/

22/04 Muzeu Im:

28 – 30/04

Employment Fair -Summary: “Create” your own -Summary: The fair aims promoting Museum by sharing your own jobs from businesses to workers. Also antique objects in National Historic in this exhibition will be presented Museum initiatives of the government and -Day/Time: Friday/11:00-18:00 social partners, that bring their -Location: Muzeu Historik Kombëtar, vision and policies regarding the Bulevardi Zogu i 1 developments in the labour market, -Contact: 04 222 3977 skill needs and career development.

-Day/Time: 22/04 Thursday – Saturday/10:00 – 18:00 Mjeshtri I Talenteve -Location: Palace of Congress, Italia Square -Summary: In the National Circus -E-mail: Arena the best acrobatic performance brikena.nallbani@shkp.gov.al -Day/Time: Friday/11:00 expovisionalbania@gmail.com -Location: Cirku Kombëtar, Bulevardi - C o n t a c t : 0 0 3 5 5 6 8 4 0 5 8 5 8 9 Zogu I 00355692095911 -Contact: 04 22 56 290 069 212 2658

22/04 Safety and Security EXPO 2016: -Summary: Exposition & Conference dedicated to Security Professions and Professionals -Day/Time: Friday/10:00 -Location: Expo City, Autostrada Tiranë-Durrës, Km 8

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April 2016

Entertainment This sector of our magazine is an effort to “blur and defocus your eyes” from the socio-politico-economic issues/problems! Here you will find critics and suggestions about movies, TV Series and a special sub-sector called “Live the City” where you will find whatever you want regarding events around Tirana. Enjoy it!

Suggested Movies: Cinema

“13 Hours” definitely deserves your attention! Its intense action in combination with its dramatic and agonizing tone will keep you “transfixed” for 2 and a half hours.

What makes it more interesting is that the movie is a demonstration of the real events of the “Benghazi Attacks” in 2012, when Islamic militants attacked the American diplomatic compound by consequently killing the U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.

The management of the chaotic situation lies on the shoulder of 4 CIA agents who are forced to keep, what is left, sound. At certain points, there is an overdoing with too much, horror and “infinite agony” but it could not be different bearing in mind that the director is Michael Bay (Transformer 1, 2, 3). Yet, it stills deserves your attention!

TV Series

House of Cards is probably one of the best series I’ve seen, so far! The TV Series is one among other perfect productions of the American Cable TV service, NETFLIX. The leading-role belongs to the stunning Oscar-actor, Kevin Spacey (Seven, American Beauty etc.), who plays an over-ambitious politician (What a surprise!), Frank Underwood.

Mr. Underwood, in combination with his wife, is willing to do everything to achieve his ultimate goal, to become America’s next President. House of Cards is an anthem to Machiavellianism and the negative side of the human-nature. Here, the goal justifies every means used. The 4 Season has already come out and it is “elegantly hellish” Give it a chance and I promise you will hate him!

Batman vs Superman

th

10 Cloverfield Lane

Suggested TV Series:

11.22.63

Mr. Robot

April 2016

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Kujt t’I djegi le ta mbajë

Do pyesni ju përse ky emër për artikullin...?

E përse në shqip? Epo..., na duhej një hapësirë për të trajtuar ca ndodhi në kampusin tonë që kanë emër dhe autor por që thjesht nuk duam të përdorim referenca në mënyrë që autorët të reflektojnë vetë mbi faktet. Dhe natyrisht është më e lehtë të kuptohemi qartazi nga masa në shqip, duke kërkuar ndjesë për individët joshqipfolës, qartazi se tregohet cilët janë shkaktarë të kësi problemeve... Pa e zgjatur po dalim në temë.

Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders? Motoja e shkollës sonë që qëndron fort e lidhur dhe me realitetin e nxënesve që nxjerr. Por sa janë këta Liderat e Të Ardhmes? 20% e të diplomuarve në mos më pak? Nuk mendojmë se i takon pakicës të mbajë moton e shkollës përsipër. Sugjerojme që të jetë : “Educating Next iPhone and X6 Users How to Spend Daddy’s money”. Të paktën kështu shumica gjen veten në moton e shkollës. Ndjejmë se ka rënë niveli i të nxënit dhe na falni por nuk mund t’ia lejojmë vetes të na krahasojnë me ndonjë Universitet tjetër vërdallë që njihen për fasada reklamore.

Një arsye e fortë përse reagojmë ndaj angazhimit të ulët akademik është sepse jemi të vetmuar në zhvillimin e mësimit. Zakonisht janë 5 ose 6 veta që flasin gjatë gjithë orëve të mësimit e të tjerët heshtin, zhyten në telefonët e tyre apo shohin ëndërra me sy hapur. Nuk po përpiqemi të tregojmë se ne jemi nxënës të shkëlqyer dhe kemi ndonjë lloj dëshire për të nxitur të tjerët të na konkurojnë, por sinqerisht nuk mund të mbajmë mbi shpatulla orën e mësimit kurdoherë. Njerëz jemi edhe ne… Ka raste që punët jashtë shkolle nuk na lejojnë të jemi aq efektivë në klasë. Ama ta dini se vihet re më shumë fakti që ne nuk do të mësonim, sesa mosprezenca akademike në klasë e çdonjërit tjetër. Bëni diçka për këtë, është në të mirën e të gjithëve që të mësojmë e të mos hedhim dëm paratë me të cilat paguajmë ato klasa.

Kam qënë gjithnjë i apasionuar pas Fizikës dhe po prisja që të bëja një klasë për këtë semestër. Prit pak, është të martën në orën 10.

Unë kam Makroekonomi të martën., por mund ta

ndryshoj për të premten! Mos, edhe të premten kam mësim… Pra po e lë mënjanë pasionin për fizikën dhe mundësinë për të marrë një notë të mirë sepse oraret nuk më përshtaten. Por besoj se do t’ia kaloj mirë në Makro sepse do të jem njësoj me të gjithë nxënësit; do të jem aty sepse më përshtatet orari dhe jo sepse dua të jem.. . Me të vërtetë që shkolla ka menduar për ne. Na ka bërë të njohim njerëz të rinj, në ditë të tjera të javës me të cilët mund të ndash mërzinë për kësi lëndësh.

Kjo po që është frymë grupi!

Por në fund të ditës nuk ka shumë rëndësi se çfarë mendoj unë, por se çfarë ka rëndësi për të gjithë si studentë. Më mungon uniforma e vjetër e shkollës…

I pamunduar që të gjeje një veshje ekstravagante përditë që të përshtatesh me të tjerët në shkollë.

Atëherë kampusi nuk më dukej si cirk të paktën…

Po të na shihnin një grup nxënësish bashkë dhe të na pyesnin nga çfarë institucioni vinim, me siguri do të habiteshin po të thoni se vinim nga në universitet; nga ndonjë cirk apo ndonjë party edhe mua do të më bindte. Prapësëprapë e di që nuk është e mundur aq lehtë të detyrosh 20—vjeçarë të veshin uniformë shkolle. Sikur të kishim vetëm ndonjë uniformë për ditë të veçanta si për festa në shkollë, konferenca, vizita nga jashtë apo kur vjen Grida Duma… Mirë do të qe… Dhe një diçka tjetër, do të doja të praktikoja ecjen me taka në kampus. E kam parë tek disa vajza me takat e tyre leopard mbi 12 cm të larta. Ajo po që është dedikim ndaj shkollës, të vuash e të balancohesh sikur të ishe buzë një gremine. Dhe unë që mendoja se isha i shkurtër; këto takat po që më zbukurojnë!

Teksa ju lë të reflektoni mbi jetën, shkollën e të ardhhmen, ju uroj një pasdite të këndëshme me sa më shumë teknologji dhe biseda në gjuhën tuaj. E them këtë të fundit se ndihem i bezdisur në shkollë nga gjithë ata shqiptarë që flasin shqip kur janë në tavolinë me mua. E sikletshme… Të flisnin anglisht, ose të paktën greqisht…. Këtë të fundit po që nuk do e konsideroja problem.

April 2016

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April 2016

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UNYT Student

Write to the magazine in : freedamn@unyt.edu.al

April 2016

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April 2016

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Educating Tomorrow’s Diplomats

Through this opening paragraph we would like introduce you to our University’s new student club, the “Young Diplomats of Albania”. This is the first club created by students of a single major with the clear aim of using diplomacy to help improve Albania’s image abroad. Young Diplomats of Albania is set up to recognize and developed the next generation of diplomats while enhancing their capacities. As UNYT is the first university in Albania offering IR as a major, focusing on developing diplomatic knowledge and skills is the key goal for the club. Nevertheless, the main objective of Young Diplomats of Albania is to analyze global issues through a youth perspective.

Current developing amongst Albanian youth represent a lack of a good and convincing image of Albanian social and traditional culture, thus leading to the embracement of foreign culture, often improper to Albanian society. On the other hand, Diplomacy as a field of study and a profession has to be acknowledged, and a youth perspective is perhaps the best way to achieve that.

Considering that diplomacy is an underrated art in Albania, YDA decided to take this initiative in order to organize different activities which will help the student understand their investment in studying International Relations. As an area of study, International Relations merges disciplines such as history, sociology, psychology, philosophy, geography etc., in a way that reflects the dynamics of the

diplomacy itself. As a macro level study, International Relations makes the student a more knowledgeable person and shapes his path towards becoming a successful leader. In both occasions you have to appreciate that IR classes are of various fields and the work done toward receiving that degree helps you develop new skills in group life and in leadership positions.

Why is Diplomacy important to Albania? Nations worldwide project an image of themselves that shapes the perception of other nations towards them, whether accurate or not. Through diplomacy, states are able to foster foreign support in ways that benefits them. The same could be the case of Albania if we invest in our young generation of diplomats. Diplomats are the face of a county, and Albania needs good diplomats more than ever, as most European countries have tended to focus primarily on the negative experiences with Albanians. It is time we educate the youth on how to deal with politics at the International level and teach them how to play the cards of Albania—a stabilized state that can play the role of a regional leader. This is precisely what American political advisor Simon Anholt speaks of when talks about “nation branding” The idea of using marketing techniques, similar to public diplomacy, which aim at enhancing a country’s image abroad by generating a positive image of the nation.

Who are YDA? A bunch of conceited students so-calling themselves ‘diplomats’? Suiting to everything earlier mentioned, the name of Young Diplomats of Albania comes as a label to the general belief its members share— a belief that they are going to be the true generation of Albania’s Diplomats.

But that is why the group’s first aim is to consolidate itself as one, even out of school. That is, the group aspires to firstly participate in different activities so that it makes itself known and therefore gains the right to truly give the kind

of academic and diplomatic opinions and analysis in the big sphere of public affairs.

A country can never have enough diplomats. The aspiration to know more and to be part of the diplomatic world is the first step to get into the art of Diplomacy and achieve better International image. What it is important to mention is the spirit and energy the group has. For as long as everyone is working toward gaining greater diplomatic experiences, the growth will be continuous.

And that growth is what this group will be showing in the continuous years: be able to achieve critical diplomatic thinking and be able to produce a potentially authentic voice not only inside, but outside school doors as well.

What do YDA do?

We gather, we discuss, we write, we counsel with one another and in the end of the day we make a laugh out of it.

We are in our first steps and we are already thinking of our work’s impact in society.

Do we aim for a lot? That is the point! Finally some selfaware, well-educated, young lads and ladies are gathered with a burning desire to change images on Albanian life. Has this ever been bad in history? Please feel free to comment after us in the following issue.

By: YDA

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April 2016

Crossword

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© FreeDAMN! Contact : freedamn@unyt.edu.al

April 2016