Operazione Colomba – monthly report of activities in Albania – August 2018

Author: admin 3 October 2018

Present situation

In August, the Albanian press reported on numerous conflicts, unfortunately including some homicides. On the 10^th of August, a man was killed in Shkoder for reasons that are still unclear but that, according to the police, could be connected to a blood feud that has already caused the death of four other people. Few days later, on the 14^th of August, the police arrested a 39 years old fugitive who had killed two people in 1999 in a blood feud. Media monitoring allows the constant collection of information related to human rights violations caused by the practice of the blood feuds.

Activities

We spent the first week of August in the Tropoja region, where we ran our annual summer camp for children, girls, and women. Our presence in Tropoja allowed us to monitor some situations of revenge, through visits to families involved in the phenomenon. An especially meaningful episode has involved two kids who are cousins and come from a family involved in a blood feud: we talked about how to deal with conflicts and concluded that it is pointless to try to solve them through violence. We hope these can be small seeds of peace that one day will bring wonderful fruits. Once back in Shkoder, we resumed with our usual activities and escorted two women in prison to visit their husbands. We also took advantage of the warm summer weather to take a few day trips with some families. In particular, we escorted a man, who has been self-isolated for a long time because of a blood feud, and his family to a village in the northern Albanian mountains: it was their first time back in their home town after 20 years. This month, we have also been particularly close to a young couple who is going through a tough time because of their involvement in a blood feud. Despite their willingness to move beyond the killing of one of their closest loved ones, processing the past is a daunting task that is particularly challenging them.

Supporting the victims of the blood feud phenomenon in the process of overcoming grief and re-elaboration of the conflict facilitates the implementation of restorative justice paths and promotes the use of alternative dispute resolution. These elements help to shape a positive and safe context in which families involved in blood feuds can think with serenity about their future and that of their children.

Relatinsship with institution and civil society

In August we shared our experience with several people. In particular, we answered to the questions of two journalists, who came to visit us to further investigate the phenomenon of blood feuds and our work.

We continue to collaborate with other associations: AVS, an Italian association, has come to Shkoder to entertain kids from families involved in blood feuds with a clown show, and the Mary Ward Loreto Foundation that has helped us with the implementation of some activities of the summer camp in Tropoja.

This project is financed by European Union, Save the children and CILSP.