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COSV Albania in cooperation with the Agency for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets and with the support of the EU Delegation in Albania, organized the first activity of the “Our Land” project, near Administrative Unit no. 14 in Tirana, which aims to revitalize confiscated agricultural lands.
“Our Land” is a project funded by the European Union with the aim of supporting social entrepreneurship through the reuse of confiscated lands and promoting social agriculture in the municipalities of Tirana and Durrës.
The project is implemented by COSV as the leading partner, in partnership with Albanian state institutions, especially the Ministry of Internal Affairs, through the Agency for the Administration of Seized and Confiscated Assets (AAPSK).
Although in recent years the reuse of confiscated properties has begun, this is the first time in Albania that work is being done with agricultural lands to convert them into social enterprises.
Razvan Ghitescu, Program Manager for Agriculture and Rural Development, at the Delegation of the European Union in Albania, appreciated the importance of the project as a way to increase the involvement of young people in the community and their exposure to new socio-economic opportunities.
Furthermore, Ghitescu highlighted the symbolic value that this project represents.
“This is a very symbolic project. It represents a beginning and – if successful – a model to be followed throughout the country! A bad land eventually makes a tree die. Similarly, organized crime ruins society, suppresses, and creates poverty for the majority. A tree can only bear fruit if its roots are in good soil. For our society, that good soil consists of good education and moral values rooted in our children. A gardener takes care of his trees and does not let the weeds get tangled and suffocate them. The gardener of society is the justice system and the rule of law,” he said.
“The European Union stands by the Albanian people in sending a strong message that organized crime will not be tolerated and illegal activities will not be profitable for those involved in it,” he said.
Ghitescu concluded his speech by expressing confidence in the role that our society and state play in creating positive models.
“We have faith in the Albanian people, starting from the residents of Yzberish, to the civil society and the government of this country to continue teaching children that honesty and hard work are worth respecting. That honest people cannot be intimidated by wrongdoers. That the state will always protect the innocent and prosecute those who break the law,” he emphasized.
The “Our Land” project aims to address national priorities for the social reuse of confiscated assets as an effective solution for empowering non-profit organizations combined with strengthening relevant Albanian agencies and local government units.
The total value of the project is approximately 400,000 euros, of which, the EU co-finances 380,000 euros./ (26 July)