[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 146 (Monday, October 29, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       BALKANS YOUTH LINK PROJECT

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 29, 2001

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in 
recognizing the remarkable accomplishments of a budding organization 
dedicated to the empowerment and unity of youth throughout the Balkan 
region.
  The Balkans Youth Link has emerged from the devastation of war to 
create a positive future for young people in that region. This San 
Francisco-based nonprofit organization, which was founded by a 
constituent of mine, Frederica Bunge, provides support to youth leaders 
of the Balkans who are working to develop a truly free society. These 
strive for openness and understanding in a place where ethnic conflict 
has long challenged hopes for peace.
  Since its inception in late 1999, Balkans Youth Link has accomplished 
many important projects worthy of our attention. When the conflict in 
Kosovo ended, two trauma recovery missions sent teams to rural and 
urban areas in order to create self-support groups, helping teachers 
recover from their own trauma and enabling them to give their students 
a renewed interest in learning.
  Last summer, Youth Link 2000, the first international public debate 
camp, which was conceived and directed by Enrion Veliaj, successfully 
trained a diverse group of young people from Kosovo in the techniques 
of public debate. There the participants gained a broad understanding 
of the importance of free speech, diversity of ideas, and respect for 
human rights.
  Also during the summer of 2000, a love of music and a desire for 
peace united in New York City a group of Serb, Croat, and Muslim youth 
from Bosnia. Balkans Youth Link Voices spent a month together, 
rehearsing, performing, and sharing their vision for a peaceful 
society. The choral group gave a number of excellent performances, 
including one at the closing luncheon of the State of the World Forum, 
where they received a standing ovation for their world premier 
performance of One Song, Many Voices, by Marcus Williams, written for 
Nelson Mandela's 2001 initiative on diversity.
  Mr. Speaker, the latest endeavor of Balkans Youth Link is an 
international Youth Link Leadership Institute held in Kosovo in August 
of this year. The project provided community leaders and students with 
an opportunity for an exchange of ideas on the crucial issues of 
conflict resolution, advocacy, negotiation, and leadership in a variety 
of contexts. The leadership institute was designed to create socially 
conscious citizens and to motivate them toward leadership and activism.
  The hard work and dedication of the director and staff of Youth Link 
Leadership Institute deserves our commendation. Project Director Erion 
Veliaj and coordinators Kujesa Bejtullahu and Sagita Muco have been 
actively involved for several years in humanitarian relief and 
democracy building activities. In addition to directing Youth Link 
2000, Mr. Veliaj led an election mobilization campaign under the 
auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, 
(OSCE) in preparation for the first local elections in Kosovo. In 
addition he has headed several other major leadership and open society 
projects involving Balkan youth in other parts of the globe.
  Mr. Speaker, some of our colleagues may recall that Ms. Behtullahu 
had been called the Anne Frank of Kosovo for her ``From the War Zone'' 
e-mail correspondence with a California high school student, using the 
pen name ``Adona.'' Each of these leaders has witnessed the atrocity 
and anguish of war in the Balkans, and they hope to rebuild their 
communities by educating future generations about the impact of social 
activism and democratic politics. Balkans Youth Link coordinators and 
volunteers, along with their founding Board Members, Frederica Bunge, 
strive to inspire a sense of self-worth and a realization of individual 
power and value in society. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join 
me in honoring the persistent crusade for tolerance and understanding 
which is stressed by Balkans Youth Link. It is an invaluable 
contribution to a peaceful future for the Balkans.




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