Embassy Welcomes New Community Members

On August 14, the Management Office organized a “Meet and Greet” reception in the rose garden to welcome recently arrived members of the embassy community.  Ambassador Withers also took the opportunity to announce the new “Lani Adami” award for local employees.  The award is named for an Albanian embassy employee in the 1920s who was arrested because of that employment and tortured.  He later died from his injuries.   The award will be given to an employee who exemplifies those qualities synonymous with Mr. Adami’s service, namely integrity, dedication, and courage in the face of difficult circumstances.

DCM Gives Send-Off to YES Program Exchange Students

On August 13, Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) Deborah Jones and Acting Public Affairs Officer Leigh Rieder welcomed Albania’s first participants in the Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program to the embassy for a friendly pre-departure chat.  The informal discussion touched on U.S. cultural diversity and the opportunity the students will have to educate Americans about Albania.  The YES Program sends high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to the U.S. for one academic year to attend high school and live with a local family.

Embassy Bids Farewell to English Language Fellow

Supported by Public Affairs, English Language Fellow Celeste Coleman worked at Aleksandёr Xhuvani University in Elbasan during the past year to improve English language instruction there and in the surrounding community.  She collaborated with university faculty to create or redesign several course curricula and taught the university’s fourth year English students, who were preparing to become teachers in local schools. Celeste taught methodology and professional development courses to this group, and also supervised them through the processes of their teaching practicum and diploma thesis.  In addition, she taught an academic writing class to the university’s first year students, and presented at several international conferences.  We appreciate Celeste’s accomplishments in Albania and wish her well in her future endeavors.

Albania Represented at Ben Franklin Transatlantic Fellows 
Alumni Conference

Anri Kodhelaj, Patricia Myslymi, Denisa Qori, and Era Tushaj returned happy and full of ideas for community service after attending the Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellows Alumni Conference held at the American University in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.  The program brings high school-aged youth together for leadership development in a cross-cultural context.  The alumni conference featured opportunities for participants to grapple with Roma (and other minority) rights, the role of religion in democratic societies, and other cutting-edge issues.

USAID’s Roberta Mahoney: “Albanians, Raise Your Voice”
 

On August 4, weekly magazine Klan printed an interview with USAID Country Director Roberta Mahoney, on Albania’s economy, corruption and tourism.  Mahoney highlighted the steps that Albania has taken in its fight against corruption, though she emphasized there’s still work to do.  She called on citizens to raise their voice, to not tolerate corruption, but to denounce it.  Mahoney commented on USAID’s economic development programs in Albania, and said that now the focus is on promoting Albania’s tourism and culture abroad.  “Albania is a beautiful country, with a wonderful shoreline and great hospitality,” she said.

U.S. and Albania Hold Joint Counter-Narcotics Training

The U.S. Navy, in conjunction with the Albanian Ministries of Defense, Interior, and Finance conducted over two weeks of counter-narcotics training near Vlorë, Albania, July 13-30.  US Navy Seals trained Albanian Naval Forces in the proper techniques for intercepting, boarding, search and seizure.
This was the first exercise that involved the command and control of the maritime agencies in Albania from the Intra-agency Maritime Operations Center (IMOC). In the photo, an Albanian patrol boat intercepts a suspected narcotics mother ship, as a second patrol boat provides security during the training exercise. 

Green Spaces: Reduce Your Stress and Help the Environment

Like most working professionals, Assistant Public Affairs Officer Leigh Rieder finds her job stressful at times.  One of her favorite ways of dealing with stress is growing flowers and herbs around her house.  But creating such green space was not easy to do upon her arrival in Albania – the soil around her house was poor.  The solution?  Start a compost pile, in which vegetable matter decomposes over time to become rich soil.  It’s a convenient way to dispose of vegetable scraps from the kitchen, and it produces chemical-free soil that plants love and that is friendly to the environment.  Now Leigh has plenty of flowers for stress reduction, all without using chemical fertilizers that can pollute ground water.  For information on compost piles:  http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/organics/HomeCompost/ 
For information on the beneficial effects of green spaces: http://www.becausegreenmatters.ca/whygreenmatters/lifestyle.html

DCM Presides at ICITAP Donation

Deputy Chief of Mission Deborah Jones and the Department of Justice’s ICITAP Program Manager, Gary Bullard, officiated at a donation ceremony that benefits the U.S./Albanian joint task force to apprehend fugitives wanted by both countries.  The July 28 donation includes a vehicle, computers and office equipment.  Interior Minister Bujar Nishani, who also attended, noted that the help of the U.S. through ICITAP functions as an important deterrent to crime and increases the ministry’s capacity to strengthen its security forces.  The task force has achieved some significant successes with the arrest of two Albanian fugitives wanted in the U.S. and has facilitated information exchange between the two countries.  FBI Liaison Danny Harrel and Regional Security Officer Dennis San Miguel also participated in the ceremony.

President Obama Launches Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate

President Obama has made it a top U.S. priority to accelerate our transformation to a clean energy economy and combat climate change and is committed to promoting and implementing clean energy technologies around the world.  As a key part of this effort, President Obama launched the Major Economies Forum (MEF) on Energy and Climate, which convened at the Leaders level in L’Aquila, Italy on July 9, 2009.  The MEF brings together 17 developed and developing economies to engage in a meaningful dialogue on clean energy technology.  Each country recognizes that climate change poses a clear and present danger requiring an extraordinary global response; the July 9 meeting produced a series of steps to meet this challenge head on, including plans to advance clean energy technology, establish financing mechanisms, and help poorer countries to adapt technologies to local conditions.  The 17 participating countries will report action plans by November 15, 2009.

Inside the U.S. Embassy in Tirana

On July 16 PAO Bix Aliu, Political Military Officer Tony Baird, Consul Abby Aronson, and the Ambassador’s Executive Assistant Bridget Kissinger were special guests on Albanian Public Television’s show dedicated to youth “Zik Zak”.  Bix talked about Public Affairs Office strategies and projects but also on his impressions of his first year in Albania.   Tony commented his experience as an election monitor in Shkoder and his section’s work during Albania’s NATO membership.  Bridget described her work with the Ambassador’s schedule as “challenging and amazing” and praised her Albanian staff for their professional work and efficiency.   Abby took the opportunity to explain to the Albanians the work inside the Consular section and the rules regarding the visa procedures.  The show host, Ms. Ketrin Gjonçaj, said that she was pleased to have Embassy’s senior employees talk casually and openly about their work, as the Albanians are very curious of what happens beyond the Embassy’s wall.  “We can learn a lot from your work and your democratic values,” she said while thanking the Embassy’s staff for their participation.

USAID Director Featured in Popular Health Magazine, Vitrina Mjekësore

USAID/Albania Mission Director, Roberta Mahoney, gave an exclusive interview for popular health magazine, Vitrina Mjekësore, about USAID/Albania's programs that are helping Albanian women learn how to take care of their reproductive health.  Coinciding with the launch of USAID's mass-media campaign, Happy Moments, the article discusses the importance of using modern contraceptives to not only protect young women and girls from unplanned pregnancies but also as an important tool to improving the overall health and well-being of young people in Albania.  The program is supported by the Ministry of Health and will launch its second phase in the coming months. To read the full interview, please visit: http://albania.usaid.gov

Dr. Maryruth Coleman: A Strong Partnership Between our Two Peoples

The July edition of the monthly magazine “Psychology” printed an exclusive interview with Ms. Maryruth Coleman as its cover story.  Ambassador Withers was also featured and explained  how he and Maryruth met while studying in China and noted his passion for poetry.  Ms. Coleman, who shortly after the interview departed Albania for a new position at the State Department in Washington, expressed her views on the country and how she will work on continuing to foster the bilateral relationship and on shortening the distance between her and her husband, Ambassador Withers.  “My husband is the shoulder on which I lean,” she said.  “He always finds ways to understand things.”  Asked to comment on how her presence helped the Ambassador’s work, Ms. Coleman said that “When the partnership between two peoples is strong, than they are more sensible toward the community’s needs.”

I Will Always Treasure the Friendships of the  Generous People I Have Met

PAO’s son Bled Aliu was interviewed for the July edition of the children’s magazine “Pëllumbat”.  “We came to Albania a year ago.   It was a big change, but I like everything here,” he said.  Bled talked also about his life in the U.S. Foreign Service,  his little sister Tea, his experience in Albania so far, and about his dog, Rocco.  “Traveling all over the world has been a beautiful experience for me,” Bled commented.  “I will always treasure the amazing landscapes and the friendships of humble and generous people I have met.”

Public Affairs Officer Appears on Talk Show “Shqip”

On July 13th, PAO Bix Aliu was featured as a special guest on Top Channel’s talk show “Shqip,” which examined the volunteerism efforts of the Forum of Free Thought.  Forum members are alumni of the U.S. Embassy-sponsored International Visitor Leadership Program.  Recently, the Forum established the Albanian Corps of Volunteers, which has undertaken a massive environmental clean-up campaign, especially in coastal areas of the country.  During the interview, PAO Bix Aliu, a great supporter of this initiative, underlined that volunteerism and citizens’ participation are vital for the development of democracy.  He added that these environmental initiatives of the volunteers contribute to a clean and healthy environment that benefit the entire community.  The U.S. Embassy salutes the Albanian Corps of Volunteers for setting such an excellent example of community mindedness. 

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release      
July 11, 2009


REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE GHANAIAN PARLIAMENT

Accra International Conference Center
Accra, Ghana
 
12:40 P.M. GMT

THE PRESIDENT:  (Trumpet plays.)  I like this.  Thank you.  Thank you.  I think Congress needs one of those horns.  (Laughter.)  That sounds pretty good.  Sounds like Louis Armstrong back there.  (Laughter.) 

Good afternoon, everybody.  It is a great honor for me to be in Accra and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana.  (Applause.)  I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle and Malia and Sasha Obama.  Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States of America.  (full remarks)

For more information on President's Visit to Ghana click here

PAO Featured on Top Radio

On July 10, PAO Bix Aliu was a special guest on Top Albania Radio’s popular radio show “Summer Time,” hosted by one of Albania’s most popular hosts Arbana Osmani and this year’s Big Brother Albania runner-up, Adi  Pojana.  Bix was asked about his impressions of Albania, from the food to the hospitality.  He noted “Albania’s youth has made the greatest impression on me.  They have cast away the complexes of the past and are equal in every way to their European counterpart.  They understand the importance of civic participation and what it means to be global citizens”.

Gardening as the New Diplomacy?

When First Lady Michelle Obama accompanied her husband to Russia this week, public interest was more focused on her gardening skills than on her clothes and professional credentials, as had been the case in Western Europe.  The weekly magazine Ogonyok ran a cover photo of her working in the White House garden with elementary school children with the headline, “The Queen of the Fields: Michelle Obama and Her Husband Can Overturn Our Understanding of America.”   The issue included an extensive article on gardening culture in the U.S.  In a world plagued by food shortages, pollution-tainted produce,  and debates over who should shoulder the responsibility (and cost) to address climate change, people take notice when the American First Lady tends her own garden.   

Embassy Community Blood Donation Day

On July 8, the U.S. Embassy, in collaboration with the Albanian Red Cross, organized its biannual “Blood Donation Day.”  Staff members donated blood in order to supplement levels in Albanian blood banks..  PAO Bix Aliu highlighted in media interviews the importance of this event and said that the Embassy’s aim is to surpass the number of donations from previous years.  He urged everyone to give blood. Each person who donated was named a “life saver” and received a pin and a red rose as symbolic signs of this charity event.

Vera Lesko Named Hero By Secretary Clinton

On June 23, Embassy grant recipient and Woman of Courage nominee Vera Lesko, of the Vatra Center in Albania, traveled to the U.S. to meet with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton upon the release of the State Department’s 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report. Ms. Lesko, a pioneer in the fight against human trafficking in Albania, was recognized as "Trafficking In Persons Hero" by the Secretary of State.  After receiving her award Ms. Lesko said, “I felt like crying...12 years and literally my tears and blood have been dedicated to assisting trafficked persons...this [award] represents a crowning achievement.”

Obama in Russia: A New Start

The United States and Russia have started a constructive dialogue toward a goal of few nuclear weapons, a world without fear from terrorism, a stronger global economy, and peace and stability in the Middle East. (more)

Embassy Celebrates the 233rd Birthday of the United States

The Ambassador invited over 1000 guests to the Embassy’s celebration of the 233rd birthday of the United States on July 2nd. The President of Albania, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the parliament and many others came to congratulate America on its Independence Day. During his address, the Ambassador noted “The United States has developed a powerful national concept:  that there is strength in our diversity.  For this, we have a phrase, E Pluribus Unum:  From the many, one.  With these words in our hearts, we have in times of war risen in unity to protect our land.  In times of peace, we have pulled together for our mutual well-being.  And in a time of hope, we have bridged our differences to elect an African-American President of the United States.  E Pluribus Unum.  From the many, one.” (full text)

For more highlights visit our Embassy Events 2009