The Cultural Association “Bilal Xhaferri”

The Program

The Cultural Association “Bilal Xhaferri” (The Cultural Community of Chameria) is a nongovernmental organization with a humanitarian character, created from the voluntary union of the Albanian and foreign friends and well-wishers of the remarkable dissident writer Bilal Xhaferri.

This organization, founded in 1993 by an initiatory group of artists, journalists, writers and other representatives of the cerebral elites, was legally approved with the no. 28 decree of the Minister of Culture, on 30 October 1994. It has been put at Albanian national culture’s service, especially at service of art, literature and Cham culture.

It has its center in Tirana and operates in all the Albanian territory, in Kosovo, in Macedonia and in all the states where are concentrated the Albanian communities, especially in USA, where Bilal Xhaferri has lived and worked until he died on 14 October 1986.

The cultural Association “Bilal Xhaferri” aims to achieve these objectives:

The figure of the remarkable dissident poet, narrator, publicist and politician Bilal Xhaferri, who was infringed by the former Albanian communist dictatorship, needs to be retreated.

His name will be glorified and perpetuated in different cultural and educative institutions.

His work in poetry, prose and publicism will be collected and published.

His major work will be disseminated in the Albanian territories and also translated and published in foreign languages with the purpose to confront these Albanian values with those of the most advanced world civilizations.

The poet’s bones could return from USA to his homeland in collaboration with the Albanian state.

He was decorated as “Martyr of Democracy” and other degrees by the President of the Republic.
The publication in Albania of “Eagle’s wing” magazine, founded in Chicago by Bilal Xhaferri as an organ for the dissemination of the association’s activity, of the Albanian national issue and of the Cham ideal.

The selection, the publication and the dissemination of the young talents’ works and their encouragement in the difficult conditions of trade market to avoid the same traumas that Bilal Xhaferri had suffered.

The cultural, the artistic and the social activities of the young talents, especially the talents of the Cham community in all the fields, will be encouraged.

His works- national and international values, will be selected, published and disseminated and also put at service of Albania’s and Diaspora’s compatriots.

Artistic and folkloric groups of Cham territories will be put up.

The activity of the publishing house and printing -house “Bilal Xhaferri” will broaden and put at Albanian culture’s service.

The library “Bilal Xhaferri” will be built up.

The museum “Bilal Xhaferri” will be built up.

Chameria’s figures and personalities will be glorified.

Short films about Bilal Xhaferri’s life and work, about personalities that were near him and also other remarkable personalities of the Cham territory, will be realized.

Young talents and intellectuals of the Cham territory will be stimulated to follow state or world universities and also specialized.

The technical assistance for the Cham young talents and intellectuals will be assured through the collaboration with the western world and especially with USA.

The talented boys and girls of the Cham community will be employed in the Albanian state administration, in foreign legations and in Albanian legations in foreign countries as diplomats and ambassadors of the Albanian culture and the Cham ideal.

The association’s activity will be coordinated with the Albanian state’s structures for the realization of its objectives and purposes at service of the Albanian national issue and of the Cham ideal.

The association’s work will be coordinated with the activities of foreign governmental and nongovernmental organizations, with powerful institutions and personalities of the West in support of the Cham issue.

The association will join international organizations etc., etc.

Translated by: Lorena Uliu