On the occasion of the World Day for Culture Diversity, “ALSAR” Foundation held the opening ceremony of “Harmony of Cultures” fair at the premises of Tirana International Hotel, in cooperation with the foreign students studying in our country, which now has already been turned into a tradition practiced and enriched throughout years.
In his greeting speech at the event, the Head of “ALSAR” Foundation, Mr. Mehdi Gurra, among others, stated: “It is the third year we organize this event. There are many students from different countries of the world in Albania, who thanks to the contacts that they have created with their fellow students in the universities, don’t feel like foreigners. They have integrated in the Albanian society, and just like all the local students, they are continuing their studies”. “This activity aims at the stimulation, cultivation and development of national culture on the youth, and promotes the raise of awareness for the relationship among cultures considering the cultural diversity as “Common heritage of humankind” and its preservation, concrete and ethical action, inseparable from respect and human dignity. Cultures help people live in harmony.” Gurra said.
Turkey’s Deputy Ambassador in Tirana, Mr Sinan Cem Baş, present at the “Harmony of Cultures” fair, stated: “What we are seeing here today is a wonderful view, there are students from different countries of the world. In the geographical point of view, Albania is a small country, but witnessing the diversity of many different elements cohabitation in this country, we cannot help but be amazed by this view. The best quality that characterizes the Albanians is the tolerance and cohabitation among them. Terms such as racism and other negative terms don’t exist in Albania. In this respect, I want to emphasize that Albania is more developed than some European countries.
The Deputy Mayor of Tirana, Mr. Abaz Hado, in his greeting speech at the activity expressed his support to the organization for such events. “Today, we are in a middle of important emigration inflows and different cultures transition, massive migration for various reasons, who settle in some other systems, which reflect the culture and heritage emigrants bring with them. From in the aspect of cultural exchange between different countries, Albania has become part of this transition, exchanging not only emigration, but also cultures of different countries, by means of the students that come here”, Hado stated.
At this activity, Dr. Halil Hyseni also attended the opening of the fair, who in his speech stated that the stalls from various foreign countries exhibited at the fair indicate an opportunity for students and the youth to present their countries’ culture and spot similarities between them. “Humankind has something in common: establishing peace and harmony among people. Each time various institutions and organizations put efforts and accomplish the creation of bonds, they build bridges that really provide opportunity of connection and communication,” Mr. Hyseni stated.
At the “Harmony of cultures” fair, organized by the “Alternative of the Future” Foundation (ALSAR), youths from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Presheva, Turkey, Italy, United States of America, Spain, Egypt, Canada, Ireland, Poland, Netherlands, Kuwait and Palestine presented their countries’ cultures in the promotion stalls.
Students introduced the historical sites of their respective countries representing culture, art, traditional costumes, historical monuments, etc.
During the event, the documentary “Harmony of Cultures” was also displayed. By the end of the activity, the students who represented their country were awarded certificates of appreciation and acknowledgement.
