There can be no JUSTICE without TRUTH and there can be no RECONCILIATION without JUSTICE.

On September 12^th, 2022 the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences in cooperation with the European Wasatia Graduate School on Peace & Conflict Resolution and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Tirana, organized the conference on "Truth, Transitional Justice & Reconciliation in Albania".

This event aimed to discuss political peace in the country from its capability to expose the truth of the past regime, offer mechanisms of justice to the victims and finally enable societal peace by means of reconciliation. To do so, the conference firstly brought together in a public panel recognized personalities who shared their professional perspectives and experiences on the topic. The panel chaired and moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lisen Bashkurti, Dean of the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences, EPOKA University included Ms. Flutura Açka, member of the Albanian Parliamentt; Mr. Simon Miraka, the General Director of the Institute for the Integration of Former Political Victims(2002-2013); Mr. Bekim Blakaj, Executive Director of the Humanitarian Law Center in Kosovo and Ms. Admirina Peci, journalist.

Mrs. Acka spoke on how the political elites in Albania through the years have infringed the truth which is necessary for the transition. Mr. Miraka offered his personal experience as a prosecuted individual during the dictatorship period in Albania. He highlighted the hardships of the past and the main problems in terms of the transition to democracy. Specifically, he stressed the lack of retribution towards the criminals of the time and compensation for the victims as concerning problems of the transition. Furthermore, Mr. Miraka put an emphasis on the need to reminisce the past as a cruciality for a safe and secure future. Mr. Blakaj, on the other hand, centered his talk on the need to get recognized as a precondition for justice. Then, as he mentioned, there is a necessity for the existence of a single narrative recognized by all for the process of reconciliation to go forward. This can be achieved, according to Mr. Blakaj, by educating the people on the truth since education can act as a tool to memorize the past. Finally, the last panelist Ms. Peci was given the opportunity to present her perspective on the topic as a media representative. She explained that there had been little to no media coverage on the process of transition in Albania for a long period of time and this position had been slightly changing in the last five years. Nevertheless, the longevity of such indifference according to her did harm the truth before and during the transition. Moreover, she addressed the problems of losing this truth as the witnesses were dying without telling their stories, as well as the absence of any remorse interviews by those who committed the crimes.

Following this session, the conference continued with a book presentation by Dr. Gelanda Shkurtaj, lecturer in the Department of Law at EPOKA University. The book is titled “Tradition, a Brief History of Bloodfeud in Albanian Kanun” and gives a new perspective on the phenomenon of blood feud. Dr. Shkurtaj in her presentation explained the content and main points of her work. She began by giving information on the definition of Kanun as an ancient code, its origins and different variations that have existed. Then, she elaborated on the main points of Kanun as related to the blood feud where she pointed out the moral aspect behind this act and the steps needed to be carried out to finalize it. More importantly, Dr. Shkurtaj talked about the position that the Albanian government has taken towards Kanun through the years. She explained that during the Ottoman Empire, the rules of Kanun were highly influential and allowed to be followed by the people, while during the communist period its influence and practice decreased greatly. However, according to her, nowadays while Kanun, and specifically blood feud, are again influential and the state has opened war against them. In her elaboration she also emphasized that it must be taken in consideration that Kanun originally was a means of stopping feuds between people and preventing future conflicts in a time when state did not exist. Additionally, she mentioned that values of truth, hospitality and honor presented in one of the most well-known Kanun are indeed Albanian values.

After the presentation of Dr. Gelanda Shkurtaj, the conference continued with two last sessions, as a PhD workshop. This Workshop gave the opportunity to PhD candidates from the Department of Political Science and International Relations at EPOKA University and Department of Peace and Conflict Resolution at Flensburg University to present their PhD proposals and findings so far. Several candidates gave their presentations on topics with a focus on Truth, Transitional Justice & Reconciliation all over the world. Additionally, they were able to engage in a brief discussion with the Doctors and researchers in the audience in regards to their proposals.

We would like to thank Prof. Dr. Ralf Wuestenberg - Director of European Wasatia Graduate School for Peace and Conflict Resolution Dr. Tobias Rüttershoff- Director of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Albania, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lisen Bashkurti, Ms. Flutura Acka, Mr. Simon Mirakaj, Mr. Bekim Blakaj, Ms. Admirina Peci, Dr. Gelanda Shkurtaj, the PhD candidates, and all the participants for their time and contribution!