Post by ILIRI I MADH on Mar 14, 2008 0:31:33 GMT -5
We are talking about the Albanian people in America (with some facts)!
First is
Ekrem Bardha from Michigan, with origins from Kolonja, he is a legend of owning McDonalds restaurants, he owned the newspaper "Illyria", he is also the leader of the Balli Kombetar (National Front) in Michigan. He is the first and only Albanian to have met 7 presidents of the U.S. for the Albanian issues. He was the first since the 1960s to put the Albanian issue in the Congress with his close friend William Broomfield (Congressman from Michigan in the 60's). They introduced many issues in the congress against the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha, and Ekrem's brother was killed by Enver's regime. Ekrem has met the following presidents: John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush about the albanian issue. He has given a large amount of money also.
Second is
Joseph Dioguardi is an American accountant and politician of Arbëreshë descent from New York. He previously served in the House of Representatives representing the 20th congressional district of New York from 1985 to 1989.
DioGuardi is an advocate for the Kosovan Albanians. After leaving Congress in 1989, he has made fifteen trips to the region. As president of the Albanian American Civic League, he and Congressman Tom Lantos made the first official trip to Albania in fifty years, and he helped open the doors to democracy in this former Communist dictatorship. In August 1990, DioGuardi persuaded Bob Dole and six other U.S. Senators to visit the two million Albanians in Kosovo. In September 1996, he returned to Albania with Congressman Benjamin Gilman, chairman of the Committee on International Relations, to meet with President Sali Berisha to discuss Albanian national security and minority rights for the ethnic Greeks in southern Albania. In June 1997, DioGuardi led a delegation to monitor the national elections in Albania and in August 1998 he traveled to northern Albania to assess the humanitarian crisis emanating from the war in Kosovo, at the request of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. In March 2007, he traveled with his wife, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, to The Hague in support of Ramush Haradinaj as his war crimes trial began at the International Criminal Court.
DioGuardi is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including investiture as a Knight of Malta in 1979, the International Humanitarian Award in 1986, the Outstanding CPA in Government Award from the New York State Society of CPAs in 1986, the Torch of Liberty Award from the New York State Conservative Party in 1987, the Outstanding Public Service Award from the Westchester County Republican Committee in 1987, the Westchester Irish Committee's Dedication to Peace and Justice Award in 1988, the Paul Harris Fellow Award of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in 1988, and the Annual Achievement Award of the Association of Government Accountants (Boston Chapter) in 1992.
other names that should be included please do so...
honorable mentions
Baba Rexheb
Vehbi Ismaili
Dom Prek Ndrevasha
Marash Nucullaj
Gjovalin Gega
Gjok Martini
First is
Ekrem Bardha from Michigan, with origins from Kolonja, he is a legend of owning McDonalds restaurants, he owned the newspaper "Illyria", he is also the leader of the Balli Kombetar (National Front) in Michigan. He is the first and only Albanian to have met 7 presidents of the U.S. for the Albanian issues. He was the first since the 1960s to put the Albanian issue in the Congress with his close friend William Broomfield (Congressman from Michigan in the 60's). They introduced many issues in the congress against the Albanian dictator Enver Hoxha, and Ekrem's brother was killed by Enver's regime. Ekrem has met the following presidents: John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush about the albanian issue. He has given a large amount of money also.
Second is
Joseph Dioguardi is an American accountant and politician of Arbëreshë descent from New York. He previously served in the House of Representatives representing the 20th congressional district of New York from 1985 to 1989.
DioGuardi is an advocate for the Kosovan Albanians. After leaving Congress in 1989, he has made fifteen trips to the region. As president of the Albanian American Civic League, he and Congressman Tom Lantos made the first official trip to Albania in fifty years, and he helped open the doors to democracy in this former Communist dictatorship. In August 1990, DioGuardi persuaded Bob Dole and six other U.S. Senators to visit the two million Albanians in Kosovo. In September 1996, he returned to Albania with Congressman Benjamin Gilman, chairman of the Committee on International Relations, to meet with President Sali Berisha to discuss Albanian national security and minority rights for the ethnic Greeks in southern Albania. In June 1997, DioGuardi led a delegation to monitor the national elections in Albania and in August 1998 he traveled to northern Albania to assess the humanitarian crisis emanating from the war in Kosovo, at the request of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher. In March 2007, he traveled with his wife, Shirley Cloyes DioGuardi, to The Hague in support of Ramush Haradinaj as his war crimes trial began at the International Criminal Court.
DioGuardi is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including investiture as a Knight of Malta in 1979, the International Humanitarian Award in 1986, the Outstanding CPA in Government Award from the New York State Society of CPAs in 1986, the Torch of Liberty Award from the New York State Conservative Party in 1987, the Outstanding Public Service Award from the Westchester County Republican Committee in 1987, the Westchester Irish Committee's Dedication to Peace and Justice Award in 1988, the Paul Harris Fellow Award of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International in 1988, and the Annual Achievement Award of the Association of Government Accountants (Boston Chapter) in 1992.
other names that should be included please do so...
honorable mentions
Baba Rexheb
Vehbi Ismaili
Dom Prek Ndrevasha
Marash Nucullaj
Gjovalin Gega
Gjok Martini