Characters – the first Albanian Missionaries of Peace

(Impressions from the book “Personalities – Missionaries of Peace” of the author Paulin Rranzi)

The book “Personalities – Missionaries of Peace of the author Paulin Rranzi surprised me very much. It was really amazing the way that how this young author compare characters from different fields of life and make them speak the same international language: Language of Peace.
Once finished reading the book you could not stay without saying: Yes, these are the Albanian model of warriors of peace! These are the first Albanian missionaries for peace, the author Paulin Rranzi himself, who resemble the best models of warriors of peace worldwide. These are also the first characters of Albanian contemporary literature dedicated to the world peace.
This reasoning gives the right to come to the conclusion that finally even in Albanian modern literature blew the wind of Peace messages sender. The epoch of Skanderbeg, our national hero, who the old and new west literature reflect in many works as a great warrior, savior of European civilization, savior of human Peace, is being regenerated. Who are these lucky personalities that were transformed into first Albanian characters dedicated to Peace? I will not exaggerate if I say that, if not all, the majority of them are my acquaintance or friends. Let me start with the president Ibrahim Rugova. Once he was one of the best writers of Kosovo, my contemporary and colleague. He leaded The League of Writers and Artists of Kosovo and meanwhile I was chairman of The League of Writers and Artists of Albania.
Rugova was a prominent activist in the politics of Kosovo. Even I didn’t remain back in Albanian politics. But more than politics, what united me and Rugova was the literary creativity, ideals to serve humanity as warriors of pen. Be understood that Rugova worked a lot as a politician till he transformed in the symbol of Peace for Kosovo and the Balkans, the same as Gandhi for India. It is a great honor for the young author Paulin Rranzi, who has treated the figure of Rugova under the viewpoint of the missionary of peace.
Pjetër Arbnori, Mandela of the Balkans, as the author qualifies him, was one of the most prominent men that Albanian nation has brought out in XX century. In the early ‘90th he was deputy of Democratic Party, whereas I was deputy of Social Party. He was dissident writer that came from the prison of former communist dictatorship, whereas I was a writer that seemed to have served communism. As to say, we were political opponents; however we became friends, especially during the years 92-96, when he was chairman of the Assembly of Albania. In that period a part of democrats behaved roughly with former communists, the same as the communists of the years 45 behaved with former rich people, representatives of the reversed former classes.
On the contrary, Pjetër Arbnori behaved friendly with me, treated me as an opponent of political beliefs not as an enemy, as some others tried to act. An example: I remember that the publisher Shefki Hysa, our mutual friend, asked me to do a foreword for the book of new talent and I did it. The book was published with my foreword and was welcomed by the readers. It was also reflected in media and television. Then, TVSH worked as the only television in Albania. A young journalist in one of TV shows treated the values of the book, adhering my evaluations for the author in the foreword that accompanied the edition. For this action the journalist was fired from work with the motivation as a propagandistic of a figure that belonged former communist regime.
Poor journalist complained to the publisher Shefki Hysa and he, indignant rightly, discussed the problem with his friend Pjetër Arbnori, chairman of Assembly, institution from which depended RTSH. Pjetër Arbnori, after listening to his friend Shefki Hysa, said that Dritëro Agolli with his values as a writer, despite left beliefs as human, was a national wealth that didn’t deserve to be infringed, on the contrary should be protected and evaluated. He immediately called the director of TVSH and ordered to bring back to work the journalist, and even to do a special emission for the figure of the writer Dritëro Agolli. And so happened.
This was Pjetër Arbnori, a figure that with his work fed social peace, didn’t undermine it as did some fanatics representatives of Democratic Party that urged class hatred.
It is known that I belonged to communism, however I wasn’t a blind fanatic of communist regime, I was part of its utopia, part of that beautiful dream, of those ideals that communists had to transform the world in a social paradise where would predominate peace and human equality that was never realized in practice. Communist ideals were misused by the communist dictators and in the name of those ideals was raped intelligence and political opponents, was exerted genocide against a part of humanity. I was a writer, I didn’t belong repressive clans of former dictatorship. My creativity is censored from the communist censorship, maybe a little bit, but is censored the same as the dissident literature of Pjetër Arbnori, Bilal Xhaferri and many other writers, although I was also chairman of the League of Writers and Artists of Albania. I was Dritëro Agolli, I was myself, I was part of the world of creators that in soul and in actions are opponents of all powers. Based on my ideals as a writer, despite the directives of the former communist regime, I have helped and encouraged talents like the writer Namik Mane, former political persecuted, the writer Shefki Hysa (without mentioning some others), who are two of the most characteristic characters of the book “Personalities – Missionaries of Peace” of the author Paulin Rranzi.
The figure of my friend Shefki Hysa unites all the characters in this book. He is the founder of all this Odysseus that Paulin describes, is not only missionary, but head missionary of this mission shaped in the form of a publication in the service of Peace. I really estimate his figure, as he estimates me. Dritëro Agolli has served Peace with his pen. And if one day the author decided to publish a second volume of this publication, I have the belief that my personality would be included in the book as a message sender of Peace. Ask my precious storyteller Shefki Hysa for this and I am sure he will prove my hypothesis. He will prove it that as a talented writer belong to divine race of creators and like all divine knows very well the character of his friends. I am one of his declared friends. I am Dritëro Agolli. I am myself. I could have been part of Democratic Party, as many former communists. I didn’t. I accepted to remain socialist, part of better people that tend from left beliefs. The same as progressive leftists of the entire world who aspire social peace. I never betrayed my beliefs and ideals, I never went after a power for any personal benefit, on the contrary I put in the service of my nation, as the best Albanian democrats that turned the sight toward European civilization.
So am I, Dritëro Agolli, missionary of peace, that’s why I attentively read the book “Personalities – Missionaries of Peace”, that’s why I enthusiastically wrote these rows for its rare values. I am Dritëro Agolli, a missionary of peace still undeclared. Do not forget. Respect the warriors of peace for their sacrifices in the service of worldwide future paradise.

Dritëro Agolli
Writer