Photo Credit: USAID/Albania   Illegal Housing in Bathorë, Albania

First-time Community Platforms in Albania

From Monologue to Dialogue
First-time Community Platforms in Albania

November 2, 2003 | Bathore, Albania

Most residents are extremely dissatisfied living in Bathore, Albania, a suburb of the capital of Tirana. Since the collapse of the communist regime, 21,000 migrants from northern Albania have illegally settled onto 1000 acres of state and private owned land, turning orchard fields and rolling grass hills into a plethora of concrete block structures and muddy impassable streets. Their movement was condemned by the government who has refused to provide the basic services to the population. Due to the extreme frustration concerning the poor living conditions, some citizens have resorted to street violence and riots, but others to dialogue. The later has proven to be the most effective route to change, and residents are noting the difference.

USAID/Albania’s program is succeeding in offering the Albanians a means to express their needs and opinions in a non-confrontational and constructive way. For the first time citizens of Bathore, like citizens throughout Albania, are choosing to use the community platform approach to present their concerns to their elected officials. With the guidance of the civic forum program of the USAID-funded National Democratic Institute (NDI), hundreds of citizens have gone door to door, organized community meetings and events and collected over 3000 surveys, from which priorities and opinions have been identified, and presented them to their local leaders. Says Jennifer Butz, Country Director of NDI, “What these efforts represent is a willingness and a capacity for democratic action by citizens in central Albania.”

Transitioning from a situation where leaders informed their citizens of what their priorities were, to an environment where the citizens have a voice and can influence the political direction is a significant step to the democratization of Albania. Citizens now have more confidence that their priorities and opinions will be reflected in the electoral platforms.

Elected officials and potential office holders have positively responded to the community forums. The Mayor of the commune of Maminas, Ilmi Gjeçi, proudly said after a community platform, “We often celebrate the birthdays of man, but today is the birthday of our community.” Burhan Çaça, Mayor of Synej explains, “The community platform priorities will be utilized when we create the commune budget and when we seek funds from the central government.” The political parties see that the problems are numerous. However, with the survey results in hand, they are able to direct attention to the citizens’ priorities: water supply, education, jobs, publication of official decisions and accountability, and thus begin to satisfy their electorates’ concerns.

One civic forum participant explains, “The other electoral campaigns have been a monologue where the only speakers have been the political party candidates. This time it will be a dialogue between the politicians and us.”