Together for the Manastir Library

The Alphabet Congress held in the city of Manastir, from November 14 to 22, 1908, is known for the standardization of the alphabet of the Albanian language. Lost among the lands that were left outside the Republic, the city is losing its very significant identity for Albanians everywhere and the Albanian language. Albanian schools are on the verge of total closure, and every day fewer and fewer Albanians poorly identify themselves in relation to their language.

After the loss, burning, theft and destruction of material heritage since 1913, ethnographic oblivion and that part of the unwritten culture, such as art crafting or embroideries, the Albanian language seems to be also in danger of disappearing. Letters such as ë and ç are disappearing, while the new generations write less and less in Albanian.

The initiative of the Albanian student, Ermira Selimi, born and raised in Skopje, to build the first library of the Albanian language in Bitola, on the 115th anniversary of the Congress, should be perceived as a call beyond the donation for a few books.

Many are the Albanians that are already contributing one, two or even a row of books, to establish this Albanian library. It is the first of this kind of an endeavor that is ongoing and probably one the greatest effort undertaken by an Albanian individual within the country since the earthquake of November 26, 2019.

We, at the Ivanaj Foundations’ Headquarters in Tirana, are also involved in more than one way, but wish to invite all of our friends in the Diaspora to contribute by donating financially toward this Manastir Library project which includes its physical establishment (in premises already reserved) in the Manastir of North Macedonia in March.

We are seeking $50,000 of collected funds that will go toward the reconstruction of the environment of the Manastir Museum where this Library will be located.