Historians in Kosovo are making efforts to create a corpus of several volumes for the new history of Kosovo. They think that this publication will also help the affirmation of Kosovo's citizenship. The VOA reporter was at the Library of Congress in Washington, where he interviewed two of the project's participants.
New York-based researcher Lumi Hadri Devine and University of Pristina history professor Ibrahim Gashi came to the Library of Congress to consult potential literature sources for the new three-year project.
This is the biggest project of the Institute of History in Pristina and has received the financial support of the government. It aims to summarize the history of Kosovo in four volumes. The starting point will be antiquity, but the emphasis will be on the period after 1913, until the declaration of independence.
Dr. Ibrahim Gashi: In fact, the Ministry of Education and all institutions considered this project important, so they gave it support, given that Kosovo, as an independent state, should probably have a history written like all states have. which summarizes the main developments that have taken place. This edition will also be translated into English.
Voice of America: What is the state of historical studies in Kosovo?
Dr. Ibrahim Gashi: In general, they are not in a good condition due to the lack of funds for scientific research. It is probably one of the first projects that seriously supports historical researchers and others to gather information about this edition and do something right. We hope to write a more objective history, based on the most advanced methodology, that is, with a liberal spirit and without any influence, either from politics and developments in the past, or from current politics. So, it is a question of a study, to be genuine scientific, based only on first-hand sources, which can be archival sources, research in libraries such as the case of the Library of Congress, to summarize all those sources primaries that have so far been little or not at all used in the writings that have been made about the history of Kosovo and the region.
Lumi Hadri-Devine, the daughter of the well-known history professor, Ali Hadri, has undertaken to take care of the part of the Albanian-American lobby in the new project. Asked why this lobbying will be part of the project, she said:
Lumi Hadri-Devine: I have been engaged by the Institute of History as a scientific researcher for the 20th century, with a special focus on the end of the 20th century, and on the role of the Albanian-American lobby, but also on the role of the Atlantic Battalion in the liberation war for Kosovo. We will also research the documents of the Congress, the Library of Congress and the National Archives in Maryland. The contribution and role of the diaspora and the Albanian-American lobby is undeniable and is so voluminous that not these four volumes but hundreds are not enough. However, this lobby should be written about, because their effect on the policy-making of the American administration has been very great since the beginning, when with the help of Senator Bob Dole, the Old President Bush put the red lines, then to the bombing by President Bill Clinton until the coordinated declaration of independence with the USA.
Voice of America: What is the state of lobbying in favor of Kosovo in the USA today?
Hadri-Devine River: I was hoping you wouldn't ask me that question. Because today only the shadow of what was left remains. Maybe because now we don't have so many hot topics and also because I think we are not a fully consolidated state.
Voice of America: Maybe from the opinion that Kosovo is already an independent state and does not need lobbying?
Lumi Hadri-Devine: Lobbying is a different type of influence than what our ambassadors can do and it can be very effective. But the Albanian-American National Council is no more. It has been a very effective group. I see former Congressman DioGuardi is trying to stay locked up. I don't know of anyone else doing anything. To be honest, at least that's what I read in our community media.
Voice of America: Professor Gashi, it must be difficult to create studies that are acceptable in foreign academic circles, because of the nationalistic tones that scholars in the Balkans usually use. Do you see this as a problem?
Dr. Ibrahim Gashi: It is not easy, but we have thought that this edition will be a little different because much importance will be given to the methodology and the sources that will be used. So, not every source will serve to write this story. Secondly, we thought that the historians, who will be a large number, over 50, from all Albanian regions, will do their work until the scientific review phase comes. This review is intended to be made by historians who do not necessarily come from the Albanian world. Since the edition will be translated into English, it is thought that for each field the scientific review will be done by one of the well-known European or world historians dealing with that field of study. Fortunately, we have many publications made by foreign scholars that stand up to historiographical criticism and are supported by sources. That's why we thought of using these well-known historians. Because the idea is to make something believable for an international audience of readers. Because in the end it is thought that this publication will also help the affirmation of Kosovo's citizenship.
