Personal stories beyond the Diaspora Summit

2026-04-15 10:05:00, Opinione Ermelinda Meksi

Watching the Diaspora Summit on TV, I can't help but return to a personal experience that speaks louder than any speech.

My son, who has been in Austria for 12 years, has always maintained the desire to return and contribute to Albania. Graduated in International Business Management, while pursuing his master's studies, he works in an international company in the field of cybersecurity. He has also passionately pursued fields such as IT and AI, becoming certified on international platforms.

Last year, after learning about the cyberattacks that had occurred in Albania, he proposed that his company, which operates in many countries, expand to our country. The experts' analysis showed that several Albanian institutions were seriously exposed to cyber risk.

With a desire to contribute, he wrote to the relevant institutions, explaining with professionalism what the company offered to reduce this risk.

He received no response.

He told me about how he had written to several Albanian institutions a few days later, with a disappointment clearly visible in his eyes. He felt embarrassed by the lack of ethics of our institutions in front of the company's executives, who were aware of the communication and expected a minimal reaction.

He asked me for help, if only to get an official answer, whatever that might be.

But even my attempt, asking for help from two colleagues, resulted in no success in getting a response. I am mentioning by name only one of the institutions that my son contacted via official email: AKSHI; I am maintaining ethics for the others.

When the AKSHI scandal broke, it became clear that the silence had not been a coincidence.

When we later learned about the large investment figures, the reason for the lack of response became even more clear.
How can projects double from 2 to 4 million? How can a serious company operate in a system where bribery becomes part of the game?

And in the end, the painful conclusion is reached: "It's better not to get an answer than to be involved in that reality."

But this is not an isolated case. Many young people today, despite their desire to contribute, face a lack of listening, a lack of meritocracy, and a system that, more than ability, favors clientelistic connections.

As I listened to the Diaspora Summit, I naturally wanted answers on: What concrete results have the summits brought so far? How many bridges of cooperation have actually been built and how many professionals have been meaningfully involved?

The Albanian diaspora has contributed over the years not only through remittances or investments, but also through the knowledge, experience, and standards it has built abroad. Perhaps the time has come for the focus to shift more precisely to the contribution of human capital.

Because the greatest value that the diaspora can bring is not only financial, but it is the knowledge, professionalism, and work culture that can really help in the development of the country.

The desire to contribute exists and is sincere. What is required is a more open, accountable, and merit-based approach so that these energies and capacities do not remain unused.

Only in this way can the summits turn into trust and a concrete contribution to the country; otherwise, they risk remaining a mere facade.

PS I am not sharing this personal story because it surprised me what happened to my son, or to individualize a case, but to reflect on a reality that many young people experience, not only in the diaspora. I believe that only by giving voice to these stories, decision-makers can better understand where policymaking needs to improve. /CNA