The campaign, part of the “Messages from Religious and Community Leaders in Albania” project, brought together representatives of Albanian institutions, the European Union, religious communities and Hedayah. It was funded by the EU’s Strengthening Resilience to Violent Extremism (STRIVE II) programme.

Lejdi Dervishi, director of Albania’s Coordination Centre against Violent Extremism, said preventing violent extremism was not only a security issue but also involved social cohesion, education, trust and communities’ ability to resist hatred, exclusion and violence.

“Albania has a precious asset: its tradition of interfaith coexistence and harmony. But this asset must be preserved and passed on to the younger generation,” Dervishi said.

She said the campaign sought to use strategic communication to promote messages of peace, respect, tolerance and coexistence, particularly through religious and community leaders.

Haxhi Dede Edmond Brahimaj, head of the Interreligious Council of Albania and World Leader of the Bektashi Order, welcomed the initiative and called for continued cooperation among all stakeholders.

“The first enemy of humanity is ignorance, the second is poverty and the third is selfishness,” Brahimaj said.

Representatives of Albania’s Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical communities also delivered messages promoting peace, harmony and interfaith coexistence.

The campaign, implemented by Hedayah, the Coordination Centre against Violent Extremism and the Interreligious Council of Albania, ran for six weeks and included four main audiovisual products addressing online and offline bullying, interfaith coexistence, the role of religious leaders in preventing violent extremism, and faith-based narratives through a podcast.

Organisers said the campaign reached about 560,000 people nationwide through social media, television, online media, outdoor advertising and awareness activities in schools.

Awareness activities were held in 16 schools, reaching more than 5,200 students, with about 3,000 leaflets and 100 posters distributed. Six online media outlets generated an additional audience of around 20,000 readers.

EU Regional Adviser for Counter-Terrorism and Prevention of Violent Extremism Eddy Greif stressed the need for rapid responses to content that could promote radicalisation, particularly on social media.

“Through social media, messages move quickly. This means we have very little time to protect young people from radicalisation, find such content, remove it and identify those responsible,” Greif said, calling for stronger strategic communication and awareness campaigns.

Dervishi said the initiative was only a first step and called for sustained engagement with young people through schools, civil society, religious communities and public institutions.

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The event brought together representatives of Albania’s main religious communities in prayers and blessings for peace, understanding and prosperity for Albanians worldwide.

Prime Minister Edi Rama also attended the event.

Among those offering prayers and reflections were imam Rifat Halili, head of the Albanian Islamic Center in New York and New Jersey; Edmond Brahimaj, the World Leader of the Bektashi Order; Bishop Nikodhim Preston of the Albanian Archdiocese in Boston; Kastriot Idrizi from Brussels; and Erjon Sylari.

Halili, the main speaker, highlighted the importance of preserving and strengthening interfaith harmony as a defining Albanian value, particularly within diaspora communities.

In a calm and inclusive atmosphere, participants delivered messages of peace, unity and hope, culminating in a symbolic blessing of the national flag. The ceremony underscored Albania’s long-standing tradition of religious coexistence and tolerance.

The “Brotherhood Morning” event took place as part of the session titled “The Heritage of the Sacred”, which in the Albanian context refers to the spiritual and material legacy linked to faith, martyrdom and places of worship that have shaped national identity.

Organisers said the gathering formed an important moment of interfaith dialogue and mutual respect, emphasising spiritual heritage as a foundation for the country’s future and calling for greater unity and shared purpose.

The fourth Diaspora Summit continues under the motto “Through roots we rise”, bringing together representatives of the Albanian diaspora from around the world. The programme continues with further sessions throughout the day.

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At a ceremony marking 35 years of religious freedom, the city’s mufti, Muhamed Sytari, and Catholic Archbishop of Shkodër, Giovanni Peragine, urged Parliament to consider the country’s social foundations before approving a new gender-equality law.

In a joint statement, they opposed the bill, calling for clarification of terms such as “gender” and stressing the importance of maintaining the male/female binary.

“We emphasise the importance of the traditional family based on two biological sexes. Political class must reflect accordingly,” Sytari said, adding that religious communities would not allow the majority base to be taken for cynical interests.

Peragine said that while Albania pursues European integration, this must not mean losing “our traditions of the value of the family and respect for man and woman equally”.

The draft law “On Gender Equality” aims to align Albanian legislation with European Union human-rights standards and ensure equal treatment of women and men. But it has encountered push-back not only from political parties and civil-society activists, but now strongly from key religious groups.

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