On the International Migrants Day and Albania Diaspora National Day, IOM Albania in collaboration with the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Albanian State Minister for Diaspora organised the Exhibition “Through the Eyes of Diaspora”. The exhibition was inaugurated on December 18, at 9:00 am at the Plaza Hotel, Tirana.

The visuals and related explanations show the achievements to date by Albanian young diaspora researchers from the Department of Architecture (DIDA) of the University of Florence in Italy, engaged in the framework of the IOM Albania Diaspora Programme. These researchers carried out the survey of three cultural assets in three villages of Përmet: the Church of St. Mary in Leusë; the Bridge of Katiu in Benjë and the area surrounding of the Church of St. Mary in Kosinë, including the anti-seismic point of view. The survey is made possible thanks to an innovative 3D laser scanning technique (“points cloud”) of the Laboratory of Digital Survey of Architecture of DIDA. 

The inauguration of the exhibition was held in the light of the Annual Meeting of Coordination Council of Diaspora and it was attended by H.E. Mr. Pandeli Majko, Albanian State Minister for Diaspora; H.E. Mr. Alberto Cutillo, Ambassador of Italy to Albania; Mr. Nino Merola, Representative of AICS in the Western Balkans; Ms. Manoela Lussi, IOM Albania Programme Manager; Prof. Antonio Lauria, DIDA, University of Florence and the students from the Albanian Diaspora in Italy, engaged in the survey.

The photo exhibition is organized under the research activity “The Diaspora as a Resource for the Knowledge, Preservation and Enhancement of the Lesser Known Cultural sites in Albania”. It will remain open for the public until 21 December 2019 in Plaza Hotel^[1]. A group of students will explain to the visitors the details of the posters/tables/pictures exposed and the survey developed.  

Programmes like this one allow to build bridges in terms of dialogue and opportunities between countries of origin and destination for making home a better place,” noted Ms. Manoela Lussi during the inauguration of the exhibition.

“During the recent month, everyone has witnessed the power, mobilization and the support of the Albanian Diaspora. I want to use this opportunity to invite the Albanian Diaspora architects and engineers to join and contribute not only to rebuild what it was destroyed from the earthquake, but to make Albania better and stronger” highlighted Mr. Pandeli Majko, the Albanian State Minister for Diaspora.

"It was a fantastic experience that allowed us to 'embrace' Albania again, to come in contact with our country from an unusual and beautiful point of view: discovering and studying its natural and cultural determination” says Sezai Celoaliaj, one of the Albanian Diaspora students, engaged in the research. 

The Programme 'Engage the Albanian Diaspora to the Social and Economic Development of Albania' is implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Albania, the UN Migration Agency, with funding from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) in coordination with the Albanian State Minister for Diaspora, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and Economy through Albanian Investment Development Agency (AIDA).

For further information on IOM Albania Diaspora Programme, please contact: infotirana@iom.int  For further information on IOM Albania and Italian Agency for Development Cooperation please see: albania.iom.int and: aicstirana.org

^[1] On 18 December in the 23^rd floor, while from 19 – 21 December in the zero floor