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* - the year of war between Albanians and Macedonians in FYROM, which ended with the OHRID agreement

A Concern of The Albanian Peace Council related to recent protests in FYROM

July 2014

Ambassadors for Peace believe in individual and communitarian freedom, they believe that freedom is sacred and it is the essence of the broadly accepted mutual equality, where all love begins. Ambassadors for Peace are convinced that all humans are like a big family under God that must develop ties of love expressed by mutual empathy, sincerity, respect, accountability, responsibility and support to each other. We observe with preoccupation that in our neighboring regions peace is still fragile. The absence of war is not sustainable peace. What happens in FYROM today is not peace. It affects Kosova and Albania. People are protesting in the streets. The causes for such a grinding situation are historic. They are inherent to the past stages of development. We cannot change the past, but we can change the future! Only by going through the paths of living for the sake of each other, we might eradicate those causes. Thus, we are concerned today because the efforts to eliminate those causes do not keep the pace with integration standards. Making a tour around Albanian places in neighboring countries one becomes aware that Albanians have inherited and are experiencing ethnic and religious discrimination, which in turn brings economic and political favors to other co-existing ethnicities. So many public personalities of Albanian Ethnic provenience in FYROM denounce bad governance. They bring to the public opinion the question of 13 from 13 foreign investments, all implemented only in the Macedonian area of FYROM. They point their fingers starting from their own political leaders, naming them as traitors who cause their children to see no future. It shows a grim picture of Ethnic Albanians’ participation. So many denounce ethnic bullying in the streets, schools, stadiums, and they are all saying it in public, which means patience is nearing its verge. This is not at all a brotherly situation; neither it represents good neighborhood relations. It is the mere impression that Albanians are being hindered in their path of development and they do not feel comfortable at all with FYROM. Police shows separate standards of intolerance/tolerance toward different ethnic groups when intervening in public manifestations. What is happening today in Macedonia, (those public protests of significant popular participation), shows again, more clearly than in 2011 that FYROM is not a well-governed

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* - the year of war between Albanians and Macedonians in FYROM, which ended with the OHRID agreement

state as it is pretended, and it may exist only as a common state of Macedonians and Albanians. It is a civic manifestation of the revolt against inequality that all the Albanians feel and perceive; inequality witnessed by different levels of freedom, partnership, development, citizen's rights, It is, as well, a last call for the Albanian political parties in Macedonia to not abuse with the electoral trust. Ballot winnings are slimming fast. It is not simply a diversity and intransigence issue among ethnic groups. It is clearly a situation concerning inequality of identities; it is a matter of prejudiced political approach, which originates by the international political paradigm from a hundred years ago, served and abused by recent governing bodies to ensure short-term political gains. Albanians are telling it clear once more: That political paradigm is over! Ohrid’ agreement, which ended the armed conflict in 2001 is not being implemented. Still waters run deep. Albanian Peace Council, aiming to bring God’s peace in the hearts of people who make each other to suffer, asserts that there are means and methods to restart the frozen process of equalizing and defending reciprocal liberties; aiming for good governance and responsible behavior of people in charge. They must be all peacemaking. Good agreements make peace sustainable (Obama, n.d.a). At this stage, there is plenty of room for the Macedonian and Albanian political actors in FYROM to shoulder the burden of meeting the call of time and its democratic integrating philosophy. It is the right time to reflect upon the morality of their deeds! Hence, it is the proper time for Albanians to reflect deeply and to improve the quality of political instruments; to improve the morality and the quality of political formations and to appeal for accountability in implementing public and open politics. It is the only alternative to bring to civilized modern developments, which empowers Albanian peacemaking tradition. Let us invigorate that deep love for people, families and freedom; let us approach our neighbors and brothers from the same walks of life with sincerity, courage and love; with righteousness and wisdom. There is an emergency to extend activities of the Universal Peace Federation in FYROM. Thus, we shall be proactive in making peace. We call for Ambassadors for Peace, all around the Globe, to help in resolving this intrinsic component of Balkan situation. Ali Laçej

Albanian Peace Council