Find Your Roots (FYR) - Albanian Language and Culture Summer Program

FYR2020 FIND YOUR ROOTS Albanian Language and Culture Summer Program AUGUST 1 - AUGUST 14 2020

Why we called it “Find Your Roots”? – to get to know the country you originate from, learn its language and promote national identity. The summer course on Albanian Language and Culture is a set of practice-oriented workshops provided to Albania-originated young U.S citizens and residents, and other interested young individuals all over the world   by our Foundation, located in central Tirana so that they can practice and promote the Albanian culture in a dynamic social environment. Participants who attend a 14 days program will be awarded with Certificate of Participation of the FYR Summer Course on Albanian Language and Culture Program. The M&M Ivanaj Foundations of New York and Tirana are planning to host in Albania, during the 2020 summer, a two week - Albanian Language and Culture Summer Program for young Albanians living in the US. The program includes intensive training in the proper use of Albanian language coupled with cultural activities and planned visits throughout Albania. Page 1

FYR-Summer Camp Activities The summer camp will be held from August 1st to August 14th, 2020 The program will include the following:   -         Indoor Activities -         Study tours -         Visit to historical areas of Albania -         Albanian Language lessons -        Entertainment Requirements for the participant − 18 ~ 25 years old − Good health conditions − An Interest in learning about Albanian Culture − An Interest in learning Albanian Language − Highly motivated − Willingness to help when required /if there are activities.with our volunteers. − Good interpersonal and communication skills. Page 2

Summer Camp Information 1.Length of Program is 14 days. 2. Meals will be comprised of mainly Albanian traditional food. 3. Accommodations: 2 students will stay in one hotel room, based on gender. 4. Participants must stay for the entire duration of the program except for health complications or other unexpected conditions. MMIFI will issue a certificate printed to those who will complete the whole program. 5. Participants are encouraged to submit a reflection journal at the end of the program. MMIFI will reward a DVD containing collection of the activities to those who submit their journal . Program Fees The participant will be charged and must pay the Program Fee of $1700, which, for the duration of the program, will include: 3 Meals a Day Albanian Language Course Accommodations in 4 or 5 stars Hotels in different cities Planned activities Travel insurance (in Albania)  Group transportation in Albania Local guide full time The participant is responsible to pay the following expenses: 1. Round-trip air fare from U.S.A. to Albania. 2.Any other personal expenses. Page 3

Timeline 1. Application from April 15th through May 15, 2020 2. Candidates Skype interview from May 19th through June 1 st, 2020 3. Passport and booking ticket to be completed during June & July 2020 4. Arrivals to Albania August 1 st, 2020 7. Camp begins August 2 nd, 2020 8. Return date to the US on August 14th, 2020 Page 4

Application   Application Period is from April 15th to May 15th, 2020. Please submit the application package through email. Application forms can be obtained online at the FYR/2020 Albanian Language and Culture Summer Program Camp website : www.ivanaj-foundations.org/summercamp Page 5

ITINERARY PARTICIPANTS ARRIVALS Day 1 - August 1st 10:00- 6:00 pm - Accommodation at the Hotel in Tirana 7:30-9:30 pm    - Welcome Dinner Getting to know  the Ivanaj Foudations When you arrive, you will visit the Ivanaj Foundations headquarters in the heart of Tirana, recently built with modern facilities and equipment. Intentionally designed to emphasize Albanian history and values, our offices become the perfect place to learn about some great Albanian patriots, the Ivanaj brothers, and our work to preserve Albanian culture and traditions in the new generation of Albanians. Moreover, you will meet our team of friendly young people who will welcome you and become your best friends for the upcoming two weeks and maybe longer. Page 6

Day 2 - August 2nd 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the Hotel 9:45- 1:00 pm – Studying Albanian Language in the Library of The Ivanaj Foundation in Tirana 1:00-3:00 pm - Lunch time After 3:00 pm - ·        National Museum of History (30- 45 min tour) ·        Pedonale, National Gallery of Arts (35-45 min tour), ·        Autocephalous Church, Scanderbeg square, newbazaar.\" Free time 8:00 pm - Dinner Page 7

Good to know about Tirana Tirana is the country's largest metropolitan area and the centre of the county which, with a  population  of 883.996 as of  2019, makes for 31% of Albania's population. It has a very old history, dating back to the Palaeolithic era, some 10,000 to 30,000 years ago. The oldest settlements are found close to Mount Dajti and Pëllumbas Cave, while Tirana and its suburbs are filled with Illyrian toponyms. The Illyrians called the settlement Tërana. But the city itself is relatively new, about 400 years old, founded in 1614 by Sulejman Pashe Bargjini a feudal lord from this region. Its geographic location, between mountains and sea, in the very heart of Albania, has made this city very attractive to the Albanians, encouraging them to move here. Page 8

Day 3 - August 3rd 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the hotel in Tirana 9:45-1:00 pm – Studying Albanian Language in the Library of The Ivanaj Foundation in Tirana 1:00-1:30 pm - Trip to Kruja City (37 km, 30 min from Tirana) 1:30 pm - Traditional Lunch in Kruja City 2:3o-5:00 pm - Visiting Ethnographic museum (30-40 min tour) Visiting Kruja castle (45 min tour) Visiting Old bazaar 8:00 pm - Dinner in Kruja and then back to Tirana Page 9

Good to know about Kruja Rich in history and tradition, Kruja is home of the patriots and the epicenter of Albania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire. It was in Kruja that Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg, Albania’s greatest national hero, defended the country from the invasion of the Ottomans. The National Museum dedicated to the hero is housed in the famous Kruja Castle and shows both the legendary hero’s history and the traditional way of life of the city’s population. The city’s famous bazaar serves as a bridge between this glorious past and the present, offering a rich array of traditional products made from local artisans. Home to one of the spiritual centers of the country, that of Sarisalltik, Kruja is a crucial destination for every local and visitor! Page 10

Day 4 - August 4th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the hotel 9:45-1:00 pm – Studying Albanian Language in the Library of The Ivanaj Foundation in Tirana 1:00-2:00pm - Lunch in Tirana 2:30-3:15 pm - Bunk ‘art 1 3:30-5:00pm - Dajti mountain (cable car) 5:00 pm - Trip to Durres - (50 mins, 45 km away from Tirana) Accommodation in Hotel Adriatic Durres 8:30 pm - Dinner Page 11

BUNK'ART AND COMMUNISM IN ALBANIA After the inaguration, in June 1978 by the dictator Enver Hoxha, opened to the public the anti-nuclear bunker built by the communist government. A 5 story palace underground, with 106 rooms and an assembly hall, now has turned into a historical and art center called \"BUNK'ART\". The passageways, the areas provided for the meetings of the General Staff of the Army in case of war, the rooms where was thought would sleep the communist dictator Enver Hoxha and the former Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu in case of a nuclear attack, the gigantic hall dedicated to the meetings of the political Bureau which contains also an Albanian tipical Buffe are transformed into a video museum exhibition and into art. Starting from April 2016, BUNK'ART is now made permanent, turning into a unique attraction site for tourists in the region, showing the albanian life during the 45 years of communism. Page 12

Day 5 - August 5th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the hotel 9:45-1:00 pm – Studying Albanian Language in Hotel Adriatic Conference Room 1:00-2:00pm - Lunch 2:00 pm  - Entertainment and beach sports 8:30 pm - Dinner Page 13

Some Information about Durres Durrës  is the second largest city of  Albania  located in the central Albanian coast, about 33  km (21  mi) west of the capital Tirana. It is one of the most ancient and economically significant cities of Albania. Durresi was founded in the 7th century BC by Greek colonists  from  Corinth  and  Corcyra  under the name  Epidamnos, it has been continuously inhabited for 2,700 years and is one of the oldest cities in Albania. The  amphitheater of Durres  is  one  of the oldest  regions  of the Balkan and which was erected in the second century. This amphitheater  shows  signs  of  early Christian culture with crypts and Christian mosaics of rare origin.  Page 14

Day 6 - August 6th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the hotel 9:45-1:00 pm – Studying Albanian Language in Hotel Adriatic Conference Room 1:00-2:00pm - Lunch in Durres 2:00 pm - Visit Berat (1hr 30 min, 97 km away from Durres) 8:00pm - Traditional Dinner in Berat 9:00 - 10:20pm - Return to Hotel Adriatic Durres Page 15

Berat, City of a Thousand Windows Berat is a city on the Osum River, in central Albania. It's known for its white Ottoman houses. On a hilltop, Berat Castle is a huge compound now inhabited by townspeople. Within its walls are Byzantine churches, the Red Mosque and the Onufri National Museum, with Christian icons. East is the Ethnographic Museum, in an 18th-century house, displaying traditional crafts and part of a reconstructed medieval bazaar. The sight of the white facades and their many windows has earned Berat the nicknames  ‘City of a Thousand Windows’ and ‘The White City’. The inhabitants have early traditions for the cultivation and the refinement of the olives and Berat is well known for the centuries-old olive groves. Page 16

Day 7 - August 7th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the hotel 9:45-1:00 pm – Studying Albanian Language in Hotel Adriatic Conference Room 1:00-2:00pm - Lunch in Durres 2:00 pm - Trip to Shkodra (1hr 30 min, 100 km from Durres) Visit Shkodra 8:00 pm - Traditional Dinner Accomodation in Hotel Rozafa - Shkoder Page 17

Some information about Shkodra Shkodra,  is one of the oldest cities in the country, founded in the 4th century B.C. as the center of the Labeat tribe of Illyrians known with the name Scodra. Shkodra is very rich in cultural heritage , the city itself as well as the people bear pride in the large number of artists, musicians, painters, photographers, poets, and writers born here. Shkodra’s main tourist attraction is Rozafa Castle. Rising majestically upon a rocky hill west of the city, the outcroppings and battlements paint a blazing picture against the setting sun. It is surrounded by the waters of three rivers; the Drini, Buna, and Kiri. Much like the town it protected, the castle has Illyrian origins. Page 18

Day 8- Saturday August 8th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the Hotel Rozafa 9:45-1:00 pm – Visit Shkoder 1:00-2:00pm - lunch in Shiroke 4:00 pm - Return to Tirana Balance of day Free Accomodation in Hotel in Tirana 8;30 pm Dinner in Tirana Page 19

Visiting Shkodra Shkodra is one of the most important cities of Albania and is also known to be the center of Albanian Catholicism, Culture and Harmony between different religions. You can visit the renewed  Marubi National Museum of Photography  famous for its big and rare collection of photos of Albanian history  or just take a tour at  Pedonalja  so called  Kole Idromeno street  that is the  old center of Shkodra,  very mediterranean taste passing through mosques and churches. The  lake of Shkodra  is also suggested to visit, to baid, or to eat some of the best dishes of  Albanian cuisine  like  Krap ne tave  typical for this region .The  Theatre Migjeni  represent also a chance to see and admire concerts or performances depending by the season. Art House of well known contemporary artist Adrian Paci is house for all the events, conferences and exhibitions related to the contemporary art world . Page 20

Day 9- Sunday August 9th 7:00-8:30 am - Breakfast in the hotel in Tirana 9:00-1:00 pm – Trip to Korca, approx. 230 km from Tirana,3.5 hrs. 1:00-2:00pm - Traditional lunch in Korca Visit Korca Go to Poceria (Pottery) Accomodation at the Hotel Pazari in Korca Page 21

The City of Serenades Korça is the city where the largest carnival in Albania is organized, taking place before Orthodox Easter. Korça is one of the largest and most important cultural and economic centers of Albania, located in the southeastern part of the country.The city is known for its typical quarters, composed of low houses and villas, which are paved with cobblestone. The city of Korça has a range of museums such as the Education Museum (located in the building where the first Albanian school opened in 1887), the renewed  National Museum of Medieval Art  (to visit absolutely), the  Prehistoric Museum,  the House-Museum of the famous landscape painter, Vangjush Mio, the  Museum of the Oriental Art “Bratko”, Gjon Mili Photography Museum etc. While Visiting Korca, we will visit the Traditional Pottery, while you will be making and taking home your own creation. Page 22

Day 10- Monday, August 10th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in Korce 9:45-1:00 am – Trip to Gjirokaster approx. 200 km away from Korca (4 hrs., beautiful mountain path) 1:00-2:00pm - Traditional lunch in Gjirokaster Visit Gjirokaster 8;30 pm - Traditional Dinner in Gjirokaster Accomodation at the Hotel Kalemi in Gjirokaster Page 23

Ottoman-era heritage Defined by its castle, roads paved with chunky limestone and shale, imposing slate-roofed houses and views out to the Drina Valley, Gjirokastra is a magical hillside town described beautifully by Albania's most famous author, Ismail Kadare (b 1936), in \"Chronicle in Stone\". There has been a settlement here for 2500 years, though these days it's the 600 'monumental' Ottoman-era houses in town that attract visitors. For Albanians, the town is also synonymous with former dictator Enver Hoxha, who was born here and ensured the town was relatively well preserved under his rule, though he is not memorialised in any way here today. Page 24

Day 11- Tuesday, August 11th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the Hotel in Gjirokaster 9:45-11:00 am – Trip to Sarande, approx. 1 h 10 min (55.6 km) 1:00-2:00pm - lunch in Sarande Visit Butrint 8;30 pm Dinner in Kalaja Lekures Sarande Accomodation at the Hotel in Sarande Page 25

Sunny City Saranda is one of most charming towns  of the Albanian Riviera , and during the summer months it seems like half Tirana relocates here to enjoy the busy beach and busier nightlife along its crowd-filled seaside promenade. The town beaches are nothing special a apart for Pllaka  beach passing the small port, but Saranda is a great base for exploring the beaches around such as  Pulebardhat, Pasqyrat, Manastiri  ect., or going to Ksamil beaches. Located 15 km from Saranta, inhabited since prehistoric times, Butrint has been the site of a Greek colony, a Roman city and a bishopric. Following a period of prosperity under Byzantine administration, then a brief occupation by the Venetians, the city was abandoned in the late Middle Ages after marshes formed in the area. The present archaeological site is a repository of ruins representing each period in the city’s development. Page 26

Day 12- Wednesday, August 12th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the Hotel in Saranda 9:45-10:00 am – Trip to Ksamil Accomodation at the Hotel in Ksamil Beach day in Ksamil Page 27

KSAMIL – ALBANIA’S HIDDEN GEM This hidden gem is located on the Albanian Riviera, and it sure is one of the best beach destinations in Europe.What to expect? Once in Ksamil, you can enjoy Paradise beaches offering white sand and crystal clear water with a Mediterranean  climate year round. Page 28

Day 13- Wednesday, August 13th 8:00-9:30 am - Breakfast in the Hotel in Ksamil 10:00 am - Return to Tirana through Llogara 1:00pm - Lunch in Llogara, Bar Restaurant ‘Keshtjella’ 8:00 Pm - Farewell Dinner in Tirana Delivering of Certificates Page 29

LLOGARA PASS Driving along the coastal road from Orikum to Dhermi you will pass through the famous  Llogara Pass, a spectacular winding road, rising up to 1,027m and overlooking the Ionian coast of the  Albanian Riviera. This is the highest point on the main coastal road between Vlore and Sarande. Day 14- Wednesday, August 14th DEPARTURES DAY Page 30

M&M Ivanaj Foundations of New York and Tirana M&M Ivanaj Foundations of New York and Tirana has been delivering educational activities and training courses in Albania since its inception in 1996 and the educational activities focused on youth empowerment, inclusive education and preservation of national cultural values are traditionally considered the  “core” activity of the Institute. The nature of the training is “on young people, for young people and by the young people”. All young people, collectively, benefit from greater knowledge on their roots, increasing awareness on national end European identity values. www.ivanaj-foundations.org Address: Rr. Perlat Rexhepi, Nd. 19, H. 9, Tirana, Albania Tel.: +355 4 450 2680 Email: [email protected]