In Focus: Drafting projects and developing local policies
Date: 21 December 2018, Tirana International Hotel
During 2018, the “Qemal Stafa” Foundation fully implemented the National Political Academy project with the support of the Olof Palme International Center. The overall aim of the project was the strengthening the social democratic values, leadership skills and promoting future leaders. In the framework of promoting young potential leaders, the Foundation gave to students of the Political Academy Alumni the opportunity to draft a project on a specific issue.
The activity started with the welcoming speech of the Executive Director of the “Qemal Stafa” Foundation, Teuta Vodo who emphasized the importance of the Political Academy as a training school for young people to cultivate the passion for civic and political engagement as the basis for better policy making. She also mentioned other projects that as well as its longer-term plans and stressed the belief to turn The Final Academy into an annual tradition, with the aim of selecting and training each year young people with the most prominent political engagement, thus shaping the future leaders.
Other very important activities with which the “Qemal Stafa” Foundation is currently engaged are: the first publication of the Political Journal “Zoon Politikon”, various conferences and discussion panels with the participation of Albanian and foreign experts on the topics of actuality , the establishment of the “Qemal Stafa” Publishing House, study visits conducted to EU Institutions such as organizing visits to the European Parliament in Brussels, holding various meetings with MEPs etc.
All of these activities where had within the framework of the Foundation’s objective, which is promoting diversity of thought through free criticism and democratization of internal processes of policy-making structures. Our focus is the education shaping of future potential politicians, as a final result of which we will have a platform with new ideas on certain policies.
The 12 projects presented at the Final Academy addressed various issues of specific circumstances and provided a solution for each of them. The criteria the jury based its took into consideration the applicability of these projects, their social impact, eligible partners and supporters in the realization of these projects.
The 3 winners selected by the jury were:
– First place: Lusien Beci, Political Academy of Fier with the project on “Service center supporting women that are running the houses .
– Second place: Erjola Ndoci, Political Academy Lezha with the project “Opening a DayCare Center for Elderly of Kurbin”
– Third place: Leonard Bokçiu, Kukes Political Academy of Kukës with the project on “Rehabilitation of the Kukes City Library and transformation into a multifunctional center”.
For all three of these projects, the Foundation will apply to the relevant institutions the opportunity for their real implementation through the necessary draft laws, where the ideating students will certainly have a certain role.
The jury composed Elisa Spiropali, Arbjan Mazniku, Plejada Gugashi and Romina Kuko, of evaluated other projects and promised to younger participants greater support for present their project ideas, such as before the municipal councils of their districts, or contacts with responsible institutions the action of seeking solutions and ideas for dealing with issues certain local ones. A key point for the realization of these project ideas is also support of international partners that will enable their realization. The “Qemal Stafa” Foundation has a fundamental role in this process, serving as a powerful mediator between the best ideas and foreign donors that will support their implementation.
