Letter to Albanian mayors

Author: admin 23 July 2015

Dear Mayor,

first of all Operazione Colomba congratulates with you for your victory in the elections and would also like to wish you good luck with your work.Operazione Colomba, the Nonviolent Peace Corps of the Association Comunità Papa Giovanni XXIII – Komuniteti Papa Xhovani XXIII, has been working in Albania since 2010 to promote the overcoming of the  blood feuds phenomenon. To accomplish this goal, Operazione Colomba volunteers promote nonviolent strategies such as personal journeys of forgiveness and reconciliation between families in conflict; outreach campaigns carried on through public events and demonstrations; nonviolent conflict management in order to disseminate a culture of human rights respect; awareness campaigns for national and international institutions so that effective measures can be taken in order to fight the phenomenon.

Every year Operazione Colomba organizes national campaigns against this phenomenon in order to unite and focus the efforts made by the civil society and national institutions in fighting against it. The strong participation of citizens and their representatives in events such as the campaign “5000 Signatures for Life – 5000 Firma për jetën” launched in 2013 and the peace march “A crowd moves for peace, against blood feud – Një popull lëviz për paqen, Kundër gjakmarrjes” in 2014, have shown a real desire to change this practice that still violates fundamental human rights, including first and foremost the Right to Life.

This year, on the occasion of the mayoral elections, Operazione Colomba decided to ask all the candidates of every political party, in each constituency in Albania, a few questions. The goal was to urge the future representatives to carry on a real commitment for eradicating this practice, following the wish expressed by a large part of the Albanian citizens during the above-named events. Some answers came from several candidates before 21 June 2015. Now the election returns are available and all the Albanian mayors have been elected. Now Operazione Colomba needs even more the answers of the Albanian mayors to fight against this phenomenon.

Consequently, hereby Operazione Colomba sends you a questionnaire, that has already been submitted beforethe  21st of June, in order to ask you to answer.  The questionnaire concerns the blood feuds phenomenon, with particular reference to its prevention in the city/town you are the mayor of.

Through these questions, you will have the opportunity to demonstrate to civil society who you represent, which concrete measures you are going to take in order to curb and to fight against this phenomenon that, in different parts of Albania, is cause of death, pain, violence, fear and risk for the Albanian citizens.

The answers to these questions will be published on the website of Operazione Colomba  that can be consulted by all interested persons.

Thank you for your cooperation and we are available for any clarification.

Thanks for the attention.