Edita tahiri biography examples

Tahiri was born in into what she describes as a very patriotic Albanian family. Her father was a native Kosovar, her mother an Albanian, and they married in Kosovo during World War II when borders between these two countries hardly existed in practice. Fate, however, would soon reward her prudent choice of education, pushing her in a direction she could not have dared imagine.

The fact that she was a woman was secondary at that time. Then came the difficult part. Inthe international order was changing rapidly due to the end of the Cold War and of communism in the Soviet bloc. When I started as foreign minister, diplomats didn't like to meet with me because they didn't understand what was going on during the dissolution of Yugoslavia and because Serbia was much better at networking, which became a barrier between me and the other diplomats.

Yet, the tragedy of her people, the Albanians, and of her country motivated her to never give up and to seek any opportunity to meet with diplomats and ministers. Her talent of sticking to the principles Kosovo was striving for, but also leaving space to create compromise where it was possible, helped her — and her nation — gain ground.

Her years of dedicated work as Minister of Foreign Affairs led to the cornerstone Peace Conference ofnegotiated in the French castle of Rambouillet, where the fate of her new country was decided. It was not an easy struggle, Tahiri says. In the end, the diplomatic mission in Rambouillet was a success. When he came back, I was six years old. For me, I defined it as an imprisoned childhood, because that period was all about that tragedy, but also about our pride, because my mother taught us to be proud when we go to school or when we are in social circles.

So, we belonged to this patriotic minority and the others in a way came to terms with the communist system and with the fact of the division of the Albanian nation. This was not accepted by my parents, but then it also became our cause, for the children of this family. So, we deeply understood the division of the Albanian nation, we deeply understood the injustice and where did this injustice come from that happened to the Albanians living in four — five countries due to the decisions of that time of some great powers, which was then exploited by Serbia and Yugoslavia to oppress and leave the Albanians as backward as possible.

However, it is important that when living in a family with a patriotic spirit, you have your ideals in life, you have your life purpose. Not because I was immediately involved in politics, but that patriotic inspiration lived within me. Also, Prizren as the capital of Albania gave us an additional inspiration, because as children we often visited [The League of Prizren].

I was an excellent student, in all stages, both elementary school and high school. From the descriptions that the family gives, they say that I was wise and polite. And then when I became involved as one of the founders of the Democratic League in Prizren, opposing the Serbian occupation, even to our family it seemed somewhat edita tahiri biography examples an energy or an internal force that grew inside me expressing itself through this direct commitment towards the establishment [of LDK].

And then soon after I became part of the leadership of the Democratic League. The reason why I was appointed to this position was not that I had any political or diplomatic experience, but as they explained from the presidency of the Democratic League, it was because firstly I came from a patriotic family, nationally formed, patriotic. It was a very important period because the activity took place in Kosovo and my activity was divided into two parts.

Ibrahim Rugova, 5 we worked in preserving the resistance, the spirit, the resistance of the people through organization of the society. Practically, the Democratic League of Kosovo as a movement for independence was successful in the sense that it organized the [parallel] institutions in the circumstances of occupation. I can also say that political-diplomatic engagements gave me the opportunity to do something that I had not planned at all as a life mission, to be in the service of the nation, liberation, independence, these became my primary commitments and to this day.

So, these 30 years all my commitment and dedication is connected to the Albanian nation, to the state of Kosovo, to make our nation as strong as possible, to make Kosovo a state as strong as possible internationally, fully accepted and an Euro-Atlantic state. While in high school I attended the gymnasium. Besides, he drew a red line, he did not allow us to become members of the Communist Party, because he was a democrat, he was committed to democratic values.

And because he thought, and I think he was right, that communism was in the service of Slavic interests and we Albanians suffered from such a system. So, that was the edita tahiri biography examples why I never joined the Communist Party. On the other hand I did not join the Ilegale 7 movement as my older sister did for example. It is not because our father intended to discourage us from underground activism and dangers that come with it, but rather he wanted us to be aware that if we commit to political activism, we should know the consequences that follow because he has suffered.

From a well-known figure in the city of Prizren, from a leadership position, when he came out of prison he was mentally ill. And I and everyone else lived with a father who for ten years refused to sit with us at the lunch table. He lived in a house prison because his psycho-social condition was terribly damaged. Not to mention that he rarely talked about his tortures, but when we grew up we insisted.

So the forms of torture used by Serbia and Serbian structures against Albanians were severe. And it is true that at the time when my father and his friends were imprisoned, no one was imprisoned after my father because he stopped it, so he managed not to give out the names of his friends, and that was a great value. Especially for the fact that we, Albanians, have had a tragic fate.

You probably know the story that Albanians from Kosovo during the Second World War did not want to fight against the German and Italian occupation, because at that time we practically united as a nation. Schools in Albanian language were opened, a perspective opened up.

Edita tahiri biography examples: Universität Luzern Grafik ·

But in the end, in the last period of the war, there was an offer from other nations of the former Yugoslavia to recognize our right to self-determination if we were to take part in the war. It was this event known as the Bujan Conference, 8 which adopted a resolution allowing Kosovo to join Albania after the end of the Second World War.

However, immediately after the war ended, the betrayals of the communist structures and the Assembly of Prizren began, so the parliament of… excuse me, the Parliament of Kosovo, the Assembly of Kosovo declared a union by force with Yugoslavia and Serbia as part of the same package. So we were again forced to remain under the domination and oppression of Yugoslavia but mostly executed by Serbian policies.

Because my mother tried for forty years to go to Albania and meet her family. As you know, we had an Albanian Berlin Wall between us. She died without meeting her family and I lived in an environment where my mother almost every morning either woke up with a dream that she went to Albania or with a dream that she met her mother and brother.

So this was a very particular childhood I had. Aurela Kadriu : It seemed very interesting to me that your sister was in the Ilegaledo you have any stories that she has told you, what was it like for you…. And those high school students joined an underground group, as they did all over Kosovo. These are the students of the demonstrations.

Aurela Kadriu : Aha. Edita Tahiri : So, my sister was one of the main figures, they were held all over Kosovo, in Prizren when the [Albanian national] flag was raised… even though, since we are talking about this, let me tell a story about myself at that time. And I was around twelve years old, and they asked me to take it to the tailor.

I immediately accepted, I accepted and I went there. Aurela Kadriu : Do you remember in more detail when you gathered to go there? Edita Tahiri : We were all there, my older sister Shyhretja, then the edita tahiri biography examples with whom I live here Myfidja, we were all there. I also remember that before we went to the League of Prizren, there was a parade with the Albanian flag on all the main streets of Prizren.

However, the effect of that event was very great in Prizren. Aurela Kadriu : Which year did you come to Pristina to study? Edita Tahiri : I started my studies inafter graduating from high school I studied, as I told you earlier, at the Technical Faculty, the Department of Electronics with Telecommunications. A field that was not my first choice.

Here, too, I want to share an important event. Because at that time there was no Department of Psychology at the University of Prishtina, there was a department in Zagreb and other cities. And, since my family did not have the financial means to invest in my studies, I was forced to change my field of study.

Edita tahiri biography examples: Deputy Prime Minister Edita

At that time electronics seemed like a modern field, Kosovo was far from any technological development, but it was more of a trend than a designation. And, since I always felt this unfulfilled desire to study psychology, then in parallel I constantly read literature on psychology, psychoanalysis. I have read almost all known psychoanalysts and their works.

In the coming days I will bring my personal library from Prizren, since I finally moved to my apartment after 30 years of work for Kosovo and the nation. Why did I do the reading? If he decided to meet us in the hallway or in the living room, he had a pride which reflected strength, and I liked that. For that reason, seeing all that suffering… and on the other hand he had a very dignified attitude, and my studies or active readings I would say in psychoanalysis helped me in a way to achieve this life desire, not to let it fade away, but accomplish it.

So I successfully completed the Faculty of Electronics and Telecommunications. I was a good student, and even later as a teacher of these subjects I wrote the first book in Albanian, the book Electronics for high schools. And some of my students were arrested, so we had to confront a new reality, and that year in September, assigning the reading materials to my students on the board, on the edita tahiri biography examples I had the thought, why are there always books in Serbo-Croatian?

So I did not have a book to recommend in Albanian. So I chose the field of electrical engineering and telecommunications and was committed to it. I also went to study in Great Britain at the University of Essex. But it was a commitment that in the future I could contribute to, in the field of telecommunications in Kosovo. Aurela Kadriu : Did you confront your father about the reason for his isolation from his family, as an adult or after all your readings?

About such issues he was more open, so he spoke about politics, what should happen to Albanians, how the West will engage, especially the USA. However, he would shut down all the questions concerning his experience in prison. There were a few moments that I managed to encourage him to vent out, and usually this has happened when we went on summer vacation.

At that time the main destination was Ulqin, an Albanian environment and he relaxed. There, I had the opportunity to talk about these topics. And I remember at that time, not only a summer, but for a few summers he talked about his political activity, he talked about the movement in which even his cousin was involved. He told me about their activities and in particular about a secret operation to bring some American paratroopers smiles who at that time wanted to observe closely the situation of Albanians on this side of the border but also in Albania.

He then said that they had managed to establish a radio link with which they had maintained Kosovo-Albania communication, in order to form a military resistance to liberate Kosovo from Yugoslavia and to join Albania. He also told me a very interesting case, one of his friends who had come down from the mountain to see his family, and at that time the Yugoslav Secret Services 12 found out and went to his home to catch him.

He always brought up these cases. He also mentioned the friends he had in prison, with whom he had great relations, especially a friend from Rahovec. While my father was in prison we would spend the edita tahiri biography examples with them. The reason was that they wanted to help my mother survive the economic hardship, because our means were very limited.

He also spoke about moments of torture, he singled out this electric method, due to which he lost conscious for two weeks. There may have been medical treatments but only after two weeks he regained consciousness. Aurela Kadriu : How was this reflected in your mother, she had to take care of you on her own? Edita Tahiri : Mother was always busy, she had two jobs.

Too much, so that when we had to study, she would never interrupt us because of house chores. She also talked about her family in Albania which was also persecuted, all six uncles and two aunts there. So there was real resilience, not only individual but also national. There are many other life stories related to the role of my mother, but also the role of father in my upbringing.

Aurela Kadriu : Did you visit him while he was in prison? Edita Tahiri : Yes, yes, we… my mother would go to Sremska Mitrovica every month. Some women would go smilesthere were some patriotic men who were in prison at the time and they all went together. And I went there, so did my siblings, we went in turns. My father told me that he was touched when we met, he took me in his arms and hugged me.

You are not my father! I remember a little bit but they told me the story, I was one or two years old then. All the time I was waiting outside until he came… cries. Aurela Kadriu : Do you want to rest for a while? Then my grandmother after that moment when she went home she got paralyzed and spent her whole life paralyzed. Life is very interesting, not only mine, but my life was very specific.

But many Albanians had tragedies like this happened to them. I do not want to magnify it, but ours was like that. Edita Tahiri : The University of Prishtina was our greatest national achievement, because all the intentions of the Serb-Yugoslav structures that were lined up against the Albanians were against the University of Prishtina. But really the University is probably the beginning or the basis of the independence we have today, because without an educated nation we could not progress.

But in general, those who looked at the political position of Albanians more thoroughly, it was never good.

Edita tahiri biography examples: Edita Tahiri was born in in

We were constantly exposed to imprisonment, discrimination, inability to access international education and so on. So we began to see the light smiles in the long tunnel of Albanians on this side of the border. Aurela Kadriu : What can you tell us about student life, what was it like for you, you came from Prizren to Pristina as a young adult?

Edita Tahiri : Yes, yes. First, Prizren is very beautiful, it is an inspiring civilized environment with a lot of national cultural heritage. So, it takes a great power to leave Prizren, it is a challenge, it is not easy to leave. However, Pristina was the center of education, it was a student world and for me it was all a novelty.

Although I was disappointed by not being able to study psychology in Zagreb, I nevertheless began to get into sciences I chose, so telecoms and electronics and I built many friendships.

Edita tahiri biography examples: Deputy Prime Minister of the

So, in a way I had the two components that gave me the ability to fulfill how I was feeling inside. So, the studies were not easy. I studied for five years and showed commitment to my studies, I collaborated with colleagues, I would say I have put in all the work to receive my degree. I told you that my mother wanted us to have an education, and this instilled in me that desire to have an education.

While on the other hand, the socializing part and having fun smiles happened with my friends who were either artists or painters, most of them were painters, sculptors. So, it was a good life. Aurela Kadriu : Did you live in the dormitory? Edita Tahiri : Yes, I lived in the dormitory…. Aurela Kadriu : Do you have any memories? Edita Tahiri : …most of the time.

Aurela Kadriu : Do you have any instances that you remember from life in dormitories? Edita Tahiri from Kosovo is one such rare example, and she has many stories to tell. She served as Minister of Foreign Affairs for ten years during the hard times of the fight for independence, as Deputy Prime Minister, as Minister of Dialogue, as Minister of Public Administration, and as a representative in five different National Assemblies in Kosovo.

For seven years she acted as the chief negotiator of the normalization dialogue with Serbia and signed the Declaration of Independence of the Republic on 17 February Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. Kosovar politician and academic.

This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. References [ edit ]. We have been constructive and serious in our contribution for a fruitful dialogue".

Archived from the original on 12 August