The 8th National Archival Conference/Bido: Help for archivists from Albanian territories to function as a

2024-06-09 14:41:00, Aktualitet CNA

For the eighth year in a row, the General Directorate of Archives (DPA) in cooperation with the State Agency of Archives of Kosovo (ASHAK) and the Institute of Spiritual and Cultural Heritage of Albanians in Skopje (ITSHKSH), conduct the proceedings of the VIIIth Nationwide Conference of Archives.

Elbasan was the next stop for the annual edition of this conference, which brought together experts, archivists and archive researchers of national archival networks, to discuss issues, study methodology, digitization, improvement of content infrastructure, innovation, and vision. of archive work in today's reality.

In his opening speech, the General Director of Archives, Ardit Bido, said that through this conference, the exchange of ideas and the sharing of archival results at the national level is possible.

"8 years ago we created this important institution that unites archivists from Albania, from Kosovo, from North Macedonia, from Montenegro, from all Albanian territories to exchange ideas, to share our work, to reach the field of archival we function as 'one'. Because in archival the language is important.

We respect state and political borders, we act well on them, but when it comes to culture, cultural heritage, history, education, archival, we cannot be divided. We store, manage, process and serve the documentation of the same nation. The geographical scope of our annual gatherings has reached all the ends that we have been able to.

This year is the 80th anniversary of the massacre of the Albanians of Chameria and the Anti-Fascist National Liberation War and the liberation of the homeland. It is the 115th anniversary of the Congress of Elbasan. All these together are what we will address in this conference, where separate tables will discuss the science of archival, related to these important moments", said Bido.

Following his speech, Bido emphasized that every edition of this conference is crowned with the publication of the magazine "Arkivat Shqiptare", unique in its kind in Albanian lands.

"For all Albanians who study archival science, there is no second scientific medium. It is not by chance that we also develop this important publication together.

This science is cultivated by few people. If we did not unite we would not have quality. Secondly, because this science cannot be of Albania, of Kosovo, of the Albanians in North Macedonia, in Montenegro, in the valley of Presheva, in the diaspora, because it is a science related not only to a specific issue, but with language, national history and traditions that are inseparable", concluded Bido.

In his speech, Bislimi praised the conference as an opportunity to promote research and scientific work in archives.

"This conference has become an annual and joint work agenda of our institutions and deserves all the institutional support because it creates an opportunity for the presentation and promotion of scientific research work in archives and through them, just as it also serves us as a presentation platform of the tireless work of our archivists. The annual organization of the National Archival Conference is a meaningful and visionary projection", said Bislimi.

Meanwhile, Asani said that thanks to this conference, archival assets are identified that deserve to be exposed even more widely.

"8 years ago, a very important stage began that politics did not do. Since 8 years ago, these three institutions of Tirana, Pristina and Skopje gathered. Even Skopje will create its own archive, with the help of the archives of Albania and Kosovo. We must be prepared to show these values ??and archival assets that Albanians have to the whole world", said Asani.

The descendants of two families with a major contribution to the national issue, Petro Luarasi, Suela and Rozi Dako, also participated in the proceedings of this conference. They presented the identity card of the People's Republic of Albania to activist Sevasti Qiriazi. This document, which reveals Sevastia's Orthodox religious affiliation, will add to her rich holdings at the DPA.

The aim of this periodical conference, which has recorded a record number of applications this year, is to cultivate the field of archival science as a special science, appropriated from history or other related sciences.

In the focus of the communiqués are the issues that cover archives, responsibility, access to data, protection of personal data, regional cooperation in the field of archives, archival cultural heritage, illegal traffic of documentary heritage, ethics and archives, archival training, as well as tourism and promotion of archives.

This annual cooperation is crowned with the publication of the magazine "Arkivat Shqiptare", which includes the works prepared by the publishers. The joint magazine, which is the only one in the field of archives throughout the Albanian lands, has an early origin in the continuous publications of the counterpart institutions during the last 59 years.

Previous editions of this conference were held in Tirana, Pristina, Skopje, Saranda, Tuz, Boletin and Manastir./ CNA