One of the most influential organizations in the Albanian culture, "Vatra" has celebrated several days ago its 104 anniversary. From more than a century, "Vatra" has an important role to keep alive the national spirit in the US since its founding on April 28, 1912.
The archival records of Vatra are a voice of memory and its role in the development of various political forces in Albania. On April 28, 2016, on the occasion of the 104th anniversary, Vatra House in New York marked this national event, which is welcomed by the current chairman Dr. John Buçaj.
At the event were representatives from Kosovo as Vicar General of the Diocese of Kosovo, Don Lush Gjergji, researcher, known as the biographer of Mother Teresa, and Professor Nusret Plana, former freedom fighter, journalist, publicist, author of six books.Later Don Lush Gjergji, in the framework of the Year of Mother Teresa, announced by Kosovo and Albania on September 4 - the day of the Consecration of Mother Teresa, presented a documentary on the Association Mother Teresa, which was the only entity that since the first day answered to the needs of the community, even under the rule of Serbia over Kosovo. By 1990, the civil society in Kosovo, explained Don Lush Gjergji, one of the main founders of this organization that did not existed, was Mother Teresa Association, which has turned a new page in the history of Kosovo by engagging volunteer networks in the implementation of activities." To this he added that from 1990 to 1998 SHHNT has acted as a parallel institution to Serbian rule in Kosovo, as a "Minister of Social Welfare", at that time, providing humanitarian assistance, as a Minister of Health , creating a chain of 96 mobile clinics and maternity and as a Minister of education, supporting education and educational system and providing basic conditions". After the documentary, Professor Nusret Plana, presented the book "Serbian Terror over Albanians in 1844 - 1999", which unfolds through photography the "Golgotha" and all of unprecedented violence and Serbian terror against Kosovo Albanians. A book full of pain, but there is also the notion of our national pride, published in 12 languages and promoted in three continents, and published in 50 countries, including Washington (USA) and Melbourne Australia.