Americans Honored for Service to Albanian Cause
Fifty-six Americans garnered Presidential attention for their dedication and volunteer service to support Albania’s social and economic development at the National Albanian American Council’s (NAAC) 10th Anniversary Awards Dinner in New York on September 8.
Brock D. Bierman, Chief of Staff with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Europe and Eurasia, presented each honoree with a Presidential Volunteer Service Award and commemorative pin. Those recognized contributed a minimum of 100 hours of service, with one volunteer donating more than 4,000 hours to Albanian advocacy.
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| Brock D. Bierman, USAID’s Chief of Staff for Europe & Eurasia Brock Bierman presents Harry Bajraktari with the Presidential Call to Service Award which recognizes those who have volunteered more than 4,000 hours over their lifetime. Mr. Bajraktari, a founding member and Trustee of the National Albanian American Council and founder and former publisher of the Albanian-American newspaper Ilyria, is President of Bajraktari Management Corporation, currently the largest private investor in Kosovo. |
Briefly addressing the crowd, Bierman said, “Volunteerism is at the very center of civil society, giving of one's self to help others is a core value that people from around the world share in common. The commitment, dedication and most importantly, the, passion that these NAAC volunteers have demonstrated is remarkable and merits our grateful recognition.
“NAAC is especially honored to receive the awards from President Bush whose father is credited with drawing the line in the sand during the genocide in Kosovo,” said David Scotton, NAAC Senior Advisor.
Soren Jessen-Petersen, the former chief of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo and community activist Bruno Selimaj received NAAC’s “Hands of Hope Award” and “Lifetime Achievement Award”, respectively, for their efforts to enhance the lives of Albanian people in the Balkans. More than 500 dignitaries and guests attended the gala, including the Rosemary DiCarlo, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Fatmir Mediu, Albania’s Minister of Defense and American film actress Eliza Dushku—a descendent of Albanian ancestors.
NAAC is a non-governmental organization dedicating to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace, democracy and economic development in the Balkans. The organization is headquartered in Washington, DC with a field office in Prishtina, Kosovo.
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