– Five questions, five answers – – How do you understand the revitalization of life and the revolutionization of the youth organization? The views expressed at the meeting show that our youth are free to speak their minds as they feel. But after the 9th Plenum of the Party’s CC, this democratic spirit is also being expressed in the youth organization’s own activities. By also deciding on the most important matters, connected with determining who should be sent for higher studies, as well as with appointing where university graduates should work, the youth organization is gaining stature. Its life has become livelier, and through debates it is coming to a boil. It is increasingly moving away from formalism. The unrestrained and frank views of young people are being heard more. After Comrade Ramiz Alia’s warm conversation with a group of school and university students from the capital, the newspaper’s editorial office put several questions to young people in the districts of Tirana, Shkodër, Gjirokastër and Dibër. Here are their answers:

In the struggle against restrictive practices, there were cases when administrative thinking—and, why not, even bureaucratic thinking—held sway. Specifically, I once asked for the opportunity to study literature, but they offered me physics. I did not go; I repeated my request for the subject I wanted, and in the end it was granted. But I lost a year. From the meeting between the students and school pupils of the capital and Comrade Ramiz Alia, we learned and were inspired to speak responsibly about everything that concerns each person’s future. We young people know one another better than anyone else. We know everyone’s aspirations and wishes, passions and abilities. In this way we made room for subjective opinions, and, in some cases, even for favoritism. This democratic spirit makes our lives more beautiful and purer, and the youth organization stronger. ARDIAN MARKU student at the «Luigj Gurakuqi» Higher Pedagogical Institute, Shkodër

– What are your thoughts on free time and how best to organize it? – This is an area where the vitality of young people can be felt more strongly. Just recently we organized a physics and electronics competition. Combined with other activities, an artistic program and interesting questions, it awakened young people’s enthusiasm. The next day many came and told us: “This is the kind of activity we like; will you organize more like this?” I say that the time when a girl’s family prevented her from going to school in the evening has passed, but so has the time when young people were marched in a line to watch a match or a film, or made to sit in class and read a book or a newspaper. Every young person has their own individuality, but that does not mean they do not want their school to have its own orchestra, or that the sports field should remain empty for want of a few footballs, or that we should not organize more excursions for want of a little funding, which we can secure from our own production base. The truth is that we have enthusiastic teachers, such as Niko Ceno and Fitnete Kiço, who help us a lot to organize our free time. But the school administration has its hands tied by some outdated administrative rules. You have seen for yourselves how beautifully we have arranged the area around the school. We have ping-pong and chess rooms and so on, but the point is that we need more such facilities, because there are 800 students who want to enjoy themselves after lessons too. MIMOZA CENKOLLARI secretary of the Youth Committee of the Tirana Technological Secondary School

– When you entered the first year of the electronics program, I suppose you were also afraid, since it is a difficult field. Now you are in your final year. Are you “afraid” of production? – Fear is always good when it means committing yourself to the unknown. I am now taking my final exams. So far my average is 9.8. I ask myself: could I have learned more? I do not mean getting more tens; I mean that I now realize the world of science is endless. The more peaks you conquer, the more unknowns emerge. In this sense, I view production with reservations and a certain feeling of fear. I would like to work somewhere in a scientific institution. Why do I say this? Because from our second year at the faculty, our lecturers—who are themselves talented young people—have involved us in joint scientific work. If you had attended the informatics scientific session organized by the students these days, you might have thought that a sports event was taking place. There was so much participation and enthusiasm. It is impossible to imagine students here without scientific work. The positive thing is that production sets our scientific topics for us—or we “set” them for production. Many production specialists come up the stairs of our faculty, which has five departments: mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, metallurgy, textiles and our department, just as we go to factories and combines. Is there room for more? Of course. Technology is moving forward. But what sense does it make for us to lack calculators, some computers and photocopiers, while the textbooks are printed and passed around from hand to hand, and development makes them “outdated”? Comrade Ramiz’s conversation is a real kindness to young people, and especially to us, who will soon be entering the school of life. SILVANA PERGJLIKA student at the Faculty of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering

– What do you think about debate in the youth organization, and how can it be made more lively? – Do we really have things to discuss in our educational activities? We asked ourselves that question that evening too, as we followed Comrade Ramiz Alia’s warm conversation with school pupils and students from the capital. The truth is, we have a great deal to discuss. We talked about this with other young people too. How can we avoid general discussions that hold no interest? What do we think? For example, we are eager to learn about the latest developments in science, engineering and technology. At school we learn about machines. Some things we are taught are unnecessary, while others are outdated. The unnecessary material should be removed; whatever needs to be retained should be justified. We talk about steam engines from the last century, but get little information about the latest products. We could discuss every subject this way. There are painters, foundry workers and great artists whom we know little about. Television does its part, but it is not enough. We also discuss events at home and abroad. Often discussions follow a set pattern: what is new this week about domestic events, about foreign events. Why not debate the questions that arise? We thought over all these things after that conversation, where it seemed to us that we had taken part too. And we have come up with a practical idea to free our discussions somewhat from formalism. We are discussing putting a box in each classroom where every student can drop questions that come to mind during the week. The questions can be about school or culture, our country or the world. Suggestions can be added too. Let us discuss the questions themselves whenever we can. Or let us invite a specialist to answer particular questions. They can give us answers; we can ask questions, debate and be convinced. That way, arguments and information—not general phrases—will stick in our minds. That way, we will gain more culture. And culture, as Comrade Ramiz says, is emancipation, logic and creative ability. ELVANE DESHATI ETLEVE STAFA students at the general secondary school, Peshkopi

Impressions You always find people surrounded by people when they are buying artistic items. Life is full of joys, and an artistic work is often present among the gifts given by relatives, friends, comrades and work collectives on such occasions. But when admiring and appreciating the qualities of an artwork, one’s thoughts and words inevitably turn to its creators. There are hundreds of creators working at the artistic enterprise in Vlora. Almost all of them are women and girls. The first to begin operating was the artistic ceramics workshop. In the room where the products are packed, perhaps more than anywhere else, amid the beautiful variety of different items, you can admire the work of this collective, carried out with creative passion, patience and feeling. It produces items for export and for the domestic market. From clay come numerous beautiful creations that are functional too. Everything is distinctive: the models, colors, motifs, simple and traditional designs, and the compositions. Here is one of the newest and most beautiful terracotta pieces, a fragment from the Zvernec Monastery. A beautiful creation that combines landscape and composition. Taken as a whole, the production... ...people and in the service of a great cause, the struggle for national independence and social liberation. The aim of our women and sisters has always been to raise the national flag. And among the first authors, there were surely several women and girls from the people. The reason this kind of art is so popular, as Vitori Moca, the workshop supervisor, says, is that it is loved by every young worker who comes to the workshop. The embroidery, however difficult, is done with ease. You can see, in progress or completed, a blouse with beautiful motifs, expressing the creative, artistic spirit of its makers. Most of it is produced for export. But there is also a problem: the quality of the raw material, which I believe is called “maja,” supplied by the textile combine in Berat, is not very good. Last year, specifically, 40 percent of the quantities arrived defective and unusable. “You go from one workshop to another and everywhere you see work that is more beautiful than the last.” The works created through the artistic passion of this outstanding collective remain indelibly in your memory. VANGJEL STEFA

The collective of the sewing production workshop at NPA - Shkodër has pledged and is working to complete its first-quarter plan 5 days ahead of schedule. (Photo: A. Bodinaku) The collective of the sewing production workshop at NPA - Shkodër has pledged and is working to complete its first-quarter plan 5 days ahead of schedule. (Photo: A. Bodinaku)

– What was said at the meeting made a deep impression on me too, as if I had been a participant. The Party’s great trust in young people filled us with a sense of responsibility to speak out more forcefully. We are now holding widespread discussions about our education system. Improving the school system is a factor that will directly help us accumulate more knowledge. We discuss with our comrades that revitalizing the structure should go hand in hand with enriching educational activities and developing them. Experience can be enriched by delivering problem-based lectures, by written work and discussions, by debates in seminars, and by expanding students’ scientific activity, both during lessons and in extracurricular activities, especially at various scientific sessions. A broader culture is also a path toward democratizing and improving teacher-student relations. A broader horizon is also emancipation. When you have that, relations at school naturally become more democratic and natural, not forced. There is no reason why a lecturer should find it difficult to take part in students’ free time. Enriching knowledge and culture means enriching life. This is true for both sides, but it is more essential for us young people, whom the Party esteems as students and patriots. GEZIM BASHA student at I.L.P. «Eqrem Çabej», Gjirokastër

A broad culture has been given a place in improving relations between teachers and students. A broad horizon is important for young people, whom the Party esteems as students and patriots. Student at I.L.P. «Eqrem Çabej», Gjirokastër. Knowledge—the wealth of life

At the invitation of Bojko Dimitrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria, Reis Mallile, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, departed yesterday for an official and friendly visit to Sofia. Yesterday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Reis Mallile arrived in Sofia, where he was received by Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bojko Dimitrov, and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also there to welcome him were Albania’s ambassador in Sofia, Bashkim Rrasa, and Bulgaria’s ambassador in Tirana, Hristo Kakiç. On this occasion, Minister of Foreign Affairs Reis Mallile made a statement to the press. After expressing his pleasure at the invitation and the welcome extended to him by Foreign Minister Dimitrov, he emphasized: “We come to Bulgaria with a deep sense of friendship and respect that the Albanian people feel for the Bulgarian people, for this country with its distinguished traditions in the history of the Balkans. Our two peoples have traditionally been closely connected with one another.” As a result of the goodwill ... (Continued on page 4)

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the death of the patriot and democrat, distinguished statesman, scholar, poet, translator and historian Fan S Noli, the Albanian League of Writers and Artists held a commemorative meeting yesterday morning in the hall of its institution in Tirana. Writers, poets and artists, researchers, publishing and printing workers, journalists, lecturers and students from the Faculty of Philology of the «Enver Hoxha» University of Tirana, young men and women, etc., took part. Also present were the chairman of the League of Writers and Artists, Dritëro Agolli; the head of the education and culture sector at the Party’s Central Committee, Spiro Dede; and other comrades. In his opening remarks, the secretary of the League of Writers and Artists, Nasi Lera, noted, among other things, that today marks 25 years since the death of Fan S. Noli, patriot and democrat, scholar of universal stature, powerful and innovative translator, a translator of great scope and force. Then Prof. Sterjo Spasse, speaking about Fan S Noli, a distinguished figure of Albanian patriotism and democracy, said, among other things, that he had entered Albanian history as an outstanding revolutionary patriot and democrat. Writer Nasho Jorgaqi, conductor Eno Koco and others then spoke. (According to ATSH)

Valuable production left in stock This is what is happening at the food-processing enterprise in Peshkopi. The line for producing apple concentrate, a rare product, cost more than 3 million lekë. After many different and unresolved obstacles, during 1988 the enterprise’s workforce produced 40 tons of apple concentrate. Last year, production increased by 40 tons. The plan, which was for 120 tons, was not fulfilled because the raw material, apples, was lacking. It is just as well it was not fulfilled, because the production from both years has remained in stock in the warehouse. Under the contract, agro-export should have collected the production last December. “Four months have gone by and we still have not received any answer from anyone, although we have sent letters and telegrams several times,” a specialist from the processing enterprise told the newspaper. Worker Sokol Vylesha said this together with Fatmir Dauti, adding: “The concentrate has a production date and a technical shelf-life limit; if that is exceeded, thousands of lekë worth of damage will result.” To produce the concentrate, 4,200 quintals of good-quality apples were used, as much as the two districts had planned to supply directly. Meanwhile, the new production season is approaching. The plan is to produce 132 tons of concentrate. How much will actually be produced? No one at the enterprise knows. First, the concentrate has not been collected, and production has continued all the same. Second, a new line has also been built, but it lacks three important components: the capacity unit, the dosing machine and the pressing filter. Commitments were made to provide them, but they have remained on paper. Because the dosing machine is missing, 920 tons of apples for concentrate must be drained on the scales and handled by hand, without the required measurements. Meanwhile, planning has been reduced considerably. Likewise, not a gram can be produced without the new filters. Perhaps this is also why sales are answering that the product is outside the technical specifications. The delivery of this investment, which is not a small one, is being delayed over three small but important components. FRANO CAKA