The people of this region are the same as those who have inherited honesty, hospitality, and loyalty from their ancestors. But in its villages you do not see the face of vitality and life; people have shrunk back, and many families have taken the road of emigration. I have often gone to Mokra, this large region with villages stretching from the upper Shkumbin in the north to Devoll and Tomoricë in the south and southeast, and I have returned there many times. It could hardly be otherwise for a son of this land, where I spent my childhood and youth, and which for many reasons continues to occupy an important part of my inner world. Some of the roads are completely destroyed, some have been half repaired, while entire villages have lost contact with the center. The same mountains remain, the same forests, the same cold waters, but it seems vitality has gone away. The boys and girls are missing, the men are abroad as migrant workers, and the elderly women bear the daily burden. Wherever you go you hear the same refrain: the land no longer sustains, livestock is declining, production cannot be sold, the road is difficult, the school is being kept going with great effort, while hope is fading. In many houses you find only old people. The doors are open, but the yards are silent. In Vërri, in Proptisht, in Velçan, in Trebinjë and elsewhere, people speak painfully about today. They do not complain about work; they complain about the lack of the state, about insecurity, about the collapse of the cooperatives without anything else having been put in their place. The young want to leave; the old remember calmer times. In conversations, the names of villages, fields and meadows, old mills, vineyards and gardens are mentioned, but also empty warehouses, health centers without medicine, schools with few pupils. The word "survival" comes up often. Even when they welcome you with bread, cheese and buttermilk, they cannot hide their sadness. I have met wise men and hardworking women, young people who want school and work, teachers who keep the classrooms alive, and doctors who go from village to village. But their energy collides with the lack of resources, with broken roads, with the depopulation of the region. Mokra has harsh beauty. It has beech forests, cold springs, hills and plateaus, small fields worked with effort. But beneath this appearance lives a great sorrow: departure. Entire families have set out toward the city, toward Elbasan, Korçë, Tirana, or abroad. Many houses are sustained by old-age pensions or by an occasional remittance. This region does not ask for charity. It asks for roads, markets, work, credit for the peasant, supported schooling, nearby healthcare. It asks not to remain only a memory in the conversations of those who have left. On the way back, the sight of the mountains remains as beautiful as ever, but the soul remains heavy. Because one understands that in Mokra it is not nature that is dying out, but the traces of life are slowly fading away. ILIANA N. VANA

Analyzing the economic situation, the social environment and political developments in Albania, representatives of the Socialist International Youth (IUSY) and the Social Democratic Youth of Denmark said that the difficult economic situation, especially the massive unemployment, together with the lack of prospects, is creating a strained social and political atmosphere in the country. If the same pace and the same way of governing continue, it will not be difficult to foresee social tensions. This was made known after the meetings the delegation held with leaders of the Socialist Party, with deputies, with trade union representatives and with various youth organizations. The members of the delegation praised the role of the opposition in a democratic society and showed interest in developments within the Socialist Party, its positions and the alternatives it presents. According to them, a democratic climate requires respect for the opposition, a free press and functioning institutions. They expressed concern about the emigration of Albanian youth and about the inability of young people to access education, employment and participation in public life. The talks emphasized the importance of international cooperation among youth organizations. It was pointed out that the Danish experience can serve as a useful example for organizing young people, for civic education and for strengthening their ties with democratic institutions. Spokesman of PRESH

Traffickers in Italy and elsewhere According to BBC [?] Traffickers in Italy and elsewhere [?] — According to BBC — A notice from the Greek agencies says that hundreds of Albanians who arrived illegally are being held in harsh conditions and exploited by intermediaries and various owners. The source mentions cases of them being used for menial work, with symbolic pay and without any protection. According to the agencies, the detained Albanians have been taken to reception camps and temporary centers, while many others continue to hide in border areas and on the outskirts of cities. According to the same source, there are cases in which Albanian migrants have been used by trafficking networks to be taken to other countries, mainly Italy, in exchange for large sums of money. In many cases they were deceived and left to their fate. (To be continued on page 4)

After last week's program by journalist Agim Xhafka, called "Këndi i fjalës", and the other propaganda programs, people are asking a simple question: can the language of insult and slander against a political opponent be considered normal? This vulgarization of the political stage and the screens, this outburst of insults against the opposition, this use of public media as a party weapon, serves neither society nor democracy. Instead of debate, labels are offered; instead of argument, insults; instead of responsibility, arrogance. This is not the first time that media close to power has addressed the Socialist Party and its leaders in coarse language. But this time the limit has been crossed. When slander becomes a method, it shows not strength, but moral and political weakness. The people know very well who works and who talks, who promises and who deceives. Unemployment, poverty, high prices, the lack of prospects and the mass departure of people from the country are not hidden by insults. Anyone who uses power to smear the opponent shows that he has no arguments. And when this spirit is tolerated and encouraged at the top of the state, responsibility becomes even greater. (To be continued on page 4)

Concern over the flooded markets [?], as in the case of viturë and ciallit [?]. All countries that have experienced an economic and social crisis have seen trade as one of the most flexible branches of the economy. In our country it is facing a disorderly situation, where the lack of domestic production, smuggling, lack of control and the decline in purchasing power are turning this field into a dried-up oasis. Sellers complain about taxes, lack of stability, unfair competition and a shortage of domestic goods. Buyers complain about high prices, poor quality and lack of income. In this closed circle, trade moves, but does not develop. In the markets you see stalls full of imported goods, while domestic production is being pushed back more and more. This brings not only economic dependence, but also a blow to the farmer, the craftsman and the weak local industry. There are cases where the greatest profits are taken by intermediaries, speculators and hidden supply networks. In the absence of a clear economic policy, trade becomes a refuge for improvisation rather than an engine of development. Many citizens see opening a small shop as a means of survival, not as an enterprise with a future. This makes the market relations themselves unstable, where a door opens today and closes tomorrow. In this situation, the question is posed directly: will there be room for fair trade and domestic production, or will everything remain in the hands of a speculative economy? WRITTEN BY VJERA

The protest of the National Committee of Veterans of the veterans where they reinforce [?] Soon the veterans of the National Liberation Anti-Fascist War (LANÇ), as well as their organization, will also be face to face with the government and with the way they are being treated. In their response they say that the promises of respect and care have not been kept, while the status of the veteran is being disregarded. The veterans oppose attempts to use their figure for propaganda purposes and say that the sacrifice of war cannot be used to cover up today's failures. They are asking for dignified treatment, revised pensions, healthcare and institutional respect. They also raise concern about the distortion of history and the silence regarding their concrete problems. According to them, no one has the right to speak in the name of the veterans without listening to them. The veterans' organization is calling for dialogue and real solutions, not empty ceremonies and speeches. (To be continued on page 3)

[?] In the [partially unreadable text] of the city and the local market, more and more phenomena of abuse, robbery and insecurity appear every day. Citizens are asking whether the police is managing to cope with its duties or is remaining hostage to the lack of means and to disorganization. [?] in many cases reports are not followed up, while the perpetrators of theft remain undiscovered. This has created a feeling of fear and mistrust. (To be continued on page 4)

The life of the people says other things; the government and the president say something else The mass meetings between the leaders of the Socialist Party and its deputies with the people express their dissatisfaction with the current government and their support for the Socialist Party's alternative and positions.