PLANNING AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROJECT IN Women, Peace & Security (WPS) and Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE): Community Mapping Assessment of the Municipality of

JUNE 2019 This publication was produced for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was PREPARED FOR THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, USAID CONTRACT NUMBER AID-182-C-12-00001, ALBANIA PLANNING AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROJECT (PLGP)

TETRA TECH ARD CONTACT: ADRIENNE RAPHAEL SENIOR TECHNICAL ADVISOR/MANAGER [email protected]

TETRA TECH ARD HOME OFFICE ADDRESS: TETRA TECH ARD 159 BANK STREET, SUITE 300 BURLINGTON, VT 05401 TEL: 802 495-0282, FAX 802 658-4247 WWW.TETRATECH.COM/INTDEV PLANNING AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROJECT IN ALBANIA WOMEN, PEACE & SECURITY (WPS) AND PREVENTING VIOLENT EXTREMISM (PVE): Community Mapping Assessment of the Municipality of Librazhd

DISCLAIMER This report is made possible by the support of the American People through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this report are the sole responsibility of Tetra Tech and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ii INTRODUCTION 1 GENERAL PROFILE 3 COMMUNITY PROFILE 5 ECONOMIC PROFILE 9 EDUCATION 13 HEALTH 14 MUNICIPAL PROFILE 16 LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFILE 20 RELIGIOUS PROFILE 22 SUMMARY OF FACTORS AFFECTING VIOLENT EXTREMISM 25

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Community Mapping Assessment (hereafter referred to as ‘the assessment’) aims to understand opportunities, challenges, and power dynamics related to Women, Peace & Security (WPS) and Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) themes in the municipality of Librazhd1. In addition to analyses on the social and economic resources available (or lack thereof), this assessment focuses on gender needs/strengths, women’s access to services, and risks affecting women in the community. The assessment also identifies and explores the key factors affecting radicalization, recruitment, and violent extremism in Librazhd including the enabling environment, pull and push factors together with the socioeconomic, political, and cultural drivers based on USAID’s Guide to the Drivers of Violent Extremism.2

The assessment aims to better understand the local context, build relationships and credibility with local actors, and help to calibrate and adjust Planning and Local Government Project (PLGP’s) proposed Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) and Women, Peace & Security (WPS) activities while leveraging our expertise and on-the-ground knowledge of local governance in Albania. PLGP’s local-level activities have distinct but complementary goals: reduce the likelihood of women becoming participants in, or vulnerable to, VE activity; and increase women’s contributions to making communities more resilient to the VE risk. We focus on understanding the challenges and priorities of citizens, municipal officials, police, and other stakeholders in Librazhd.

This assessment was conducted over a six-month period between January - June 2019 and utilizes a variety of tools and methodologies including desk research, face-to-face interviews, meetings, and focus groups organized at the central and local levels. PLGP interviewers and facilitators prompted respondents to discuss the same issues: community, civil society organizations (CSOs), local authorities, local institutions, including religious and police relations and interactions, and known factors that drive radicalization, recruitment, and violent extremism like relative deprivation3, disenfranchisement, crime, violence, and religious opportunism.

1 Municipality of Librazhd was selected by the National CVE Coordinator and USAID based on knowledge gathered of the violent extremism problem in Albania by law enforcement, think tanks, journalists, and the donor community. 2 USAID Guide to the Drivers of Violent Extremism, February 2009. 3 Relative deprivation emphasizes the individual experience of discontent when being deprived of something to which one believes oneself to be entitled. (Source: Wikipedia). Relative depravation and frustrated expectations are powerful drivers towards VE activity (Source: USAID Development Assistance and Counter-Extremism: A Guide to Programming, http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf docs/PNADT987.pdf).

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD ii INTRODUCTION

USAID’s ‘Planning and Local Governance Project’ in Albania worked at both the national policy level and at the local level since 2012 to promote decentralized governance, territorial administrative reform, and to disseminate and institutionalize practical and effective methods and techniques for municipal management. PLGP is designed to contribute to USAID/Albania’s Development Objective #1 (DO#1), Strengthened Rule of Law and Improved Governance, as elaborated in the Albania Country Development Cooperation Strategy: 2011–2015. DO#1 supports the strengthening of democratic institutions in Albania by improving the judiciary and governance of health care, deepening the decentralization process, and rooting out corruption, with the goal of advancing democracy in the country while meeting key criteria for Albania’s accession to the European Union.

On November 2018, the Project was extended to focus on Women, Peace, & Security (WPS) activities which fall under our current Component 3: Strengthen civic engagement to prevent violent extremism. Our Women, Peace, & Security (WPS) activities at the local-levels aim to reduce the likelihood of women becoming participants in, or vulnerable to, VE activity; and increase women’s contributions to making communities more resilient to the VE risk.

Activities under our P/CVE and WPS Component are meant to bolster the positive effects of PLGP’s other components with an explicit focus on increasing awareness of and resilience to the drivers of radicalization in Albania, as analyzed and presented in 2015’s “Albanian National Strategy-Countering Violent Extremism” (hereafter referred to as ‘the Strategy’). Activities are designed to prevent violent extremism (PVE) focused at the local level, where the Government of Albania is shifting its strategy to reflect the prevention needs. In late 2018, a National Action Plan for Women, Peace and Security was finalized in Albania. PLGP’s experience in preventing and addressing drivers of violent extremism (VE) in our partner municipalities will support this action plan and the CVE Coordination Center in three major areas of assistance: community resiliency, women’s empowerment, and youth engagement.

PLGP supports the GoA’s National Coordinator on Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) in implementing the National Strategy-Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) promoting civic participation and empowering civil society to build community resilience. We work collaboratively with the Center and focus our efforts in the municipalities of Bulqiza, Cerrik, Diber, Kamza, Librazhd, and - selected by the National CVE Coordinator and USAID based on knowledge gathered by law enforcement, think tanks, journalists, and the donor community. In close cooperation with the Office of National CVE Coordinator, the PLGP will support the implementation of the Strategy and National Action Plan for WPS, with activities focused at the local level. PLGP will help advance the Strategy and WPS Action Plan by piloting activities, learning from outcomes, and documenting lessons learned at the local level.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 1 PLGP applied a variety of tools and methodologies to complete this assessment using both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection. Included methodologies are: desk research, interviews, meetings, and focus groups organized at the central and local levels. The data collection methods are listed as follows:

● Review and analysis of international and Albanian legal frameworks on WPS and P/CVE and available literature of the field. ● Review and analyses of national and local documents and strategies, including the Librazhd General Local Territorial Plan (2016-2030), Territorial Development Strategy (2016-2030), Librazhd Municipality Social Plan, Librazhd Mapping Assessment for Local Governance 2016 (prepared by STAR2), World Vision Action Plan 2018, municipal annual and mid-term budget, INSTAT statistics, data from Regional Employment Office and municipal tax department. ● Fifty face-to-face interviews with a total of 34 (14 women) local and national stakeholders. The respondents were mainly based in Librazhd. Additional interviews were conducted in (CSOs working in Librazhd and the Regional Employment Office) and (representatives of the Albanian Muslim Community). Participants in the face to face interviews represent a broad spectrum of community actors such as the Mayor and municipal staff, religious leaders, local and national CSOs, local and regional police, local businesses, regional deconcentrated agencies (education and health) and Peace Corps Volunteers. ● Six Community Based Scorecard focus groups with 141 participants (62 women) from the administrative units of , Orenjë, Lunik, Dragostunjë, Qendër (Dorëz) and Librazhd city. The participants in the focus groups were representatives from civic society organizations, marginalized groups, active citizens, farmers, youth, heads of villages, etc. The document is organized into eight profiles: general profile, community profile, economic profile, education profile, health profile, municipal profile, law enforcement profile, religious profile, and a summary of factors affecting VE.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 2 GENERAL PROFILE

The Municipality of Librazhd (hereafter referred to as simply “Librazhd” unless otherwise stated) is bordered on the north by the Municipality of Bulqiza, on the east by the Republic of , on the south by the Municipality of , and on the west by the Municipalities of Elbasan and Tirana. The national road (Tirana-Korca) and international corridor/transit route E852 (Tirana-Macedonia) run through Librazhd, Entering road to Librazhd providing both ease of access and mobility for its citizens. Located in the east of Albania in the valley, there are villages throughout the Municipality along both sides of the Shkumbin River. The main city also shares its name: Librazhd. The two main areas in the Municipality of Librazhd, Çermenika and Hotolisht-Polis, each feature diverse culture, tradition, clothing, and art. Librazhd also has a rich hydrographic network: The Shkumbin River forms the main portion of the network, with a considerable number of streams and reservoirs equaling a total capacity of 230,000 m³ water

Following the Territorial Administrative Reform (TAR) of 2015, the newly established Municipality of Librazhd consisted of seven administrative units: Qendër, Hotolisht, Lunik, Polis, Stëblevë, Orenjë, and Librazhd, and a surface of 793 km2. It also contains fifty-two villages. The Municipality is part of the Elbasani region and, according to the General Local Territorial Plan (GLTP) approved in 2017, is part of Elbasan’s Functional Economic Zone. After the TAR the Municipality has seen a great increase in size, both in population and territory. According to the 2011 Census, the actual Municipality of Librazhd had a population of 31,892 inhabitants (the population of Librazhd was 7,000 inhabitants). According to the Civil Registry, the Municipality currently contains 43,709 inhabitants divided into 13,705 families, out of which 22,561 (51.6 percent) are men, 21,147 (48.4 percent) are women, and 12,313 (28.1 percent) are youths (boys and girls) under 20 years old4. The maximum growth of the population in the town (based on Civil Registry Office data) occurred from 1990-1995 with an increase of 4.1 percent. During 1997-1998 the population decreased by -0.331 percent, continued decreasing in 2000 (-3.255 percent) and again saw a slight decrease in 2003. The dynamic of population movement is varied in Librazhd; however, boys and girls consistently leave after high school, causing a decrease in population. Population movements in Librazhd are most closely related to the limited employment opportunities and external factors, including poor education and insufficient infrastructure and health services.

4 Source: National General Civil Registry Office

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 3 Although the archeological traces of Via Ignatia in this area show very early civilization (II Century BC), Librazhd is a relatively new town established in 1960 by special decree of the (then) Presidium of National Assembly of the People’s Republic of Albania. Before the 1990s, Librazhd was part of the , which included the area of Prrenjas and surrounding villages. The railway passed throughout the district and served to transport people and goods (mainly minerals). It once connected Librazhd with Tirana and Pogradec but is now mostly non-functional. The Librazhd district was a well-developed industrial area, due to the presence of the mining (nickel and iron) and railway sectors. During that time mining was the main sector of local development and represented around 34% of the national general industrial production. In addition to the mining sector, the food-processing and wood- processing industries were also well-developed. The collapse of the Communist regime had significant effects on the economy of Librazhd. The transition from a collective socialist economy to a capitalist one resulted in the shutdown of state-owned factories, which comprised the backbone of economic development in Albania at that time. The resulting high levels of unemployment from such shutdowns significantly regressed the economic development of Librazhd.

Despite these setbacks, Librazhd remains ripe for potential development due to its rich natural resources (including hydropower, although some hydropower plants licensed by the Ministry of Environment have been strongly opposed by the local communities). The territories of Librazhd are full of unique natural attractions, such as -Jabllanica National Park. When

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 4 combined with the variety of agricultural resources, these factors give the region potential for exponential growth in the agriculture, livestock, agritourism, and adventure tourism sectors.

COMMUNITY PROFILE

VIEW OF LIBRAZHD CITY ACROSS SHKUMBINI RIVER The general perception of Librazhd is that it is a quiet and safe place to live with people who know each other well. This perception was expressed both by local individuals who were interviewed and by the local police and the Head of Myftinia. The population is mostly homogenous, and the majority live in the rural areas. There is a small Egyptian community living in Librazhd, but there is no Roma community reported (official data is lacking for this population). According to the Egyptian organization “Equality and Integration” there are 1,000 Egyptians individuals (250 Egyptian families) currently living in Librazhd.

The demographic make-up of Librazhd has undergone changes over the years, due to internal migration and immigration. This situation continues to have dynamic effects even today. While many people move from rural areas to the town, many former emigrants are returning, and their re-integration continues to present a challenge. According to municipal data, the number of returned emigrant families (mainly from Greece) is 177, out of which three have women heads of household. The Municipality was assisted during 2017-2018 by a Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) project in assisting the returned emigrants. Services which the Municipality continues to provide through one dedicated staff member include information on social services and economic aid, civil registry procedures, health registration, school registration of children, and job-seeker referral to the employment office.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 5 Librazhd itself is a poor town, with problems resulting from low household income, unemployment, and an overall lack of opportunities. The situation is even more problematic in the rural areas. From the semi-structured interviews, one of the concerning issues identified in the rural areas is the recent increase in the number of early marriages among girls. Women and youth, especially in the rural areas, lack information and education. One potential intervention to support them would be by instituting programs on economic inclusion and increasing levels of education. According to local police, a recent increase has been noted in the presence of little boys and girls begging in the main street. The Municipality’s Child Protection Unit specialist stated that these children are not from Librazhd but brought in from other places on certain days. The Municipality does not provide any specific child protection services regarding this category of children. According to the participants in the Community Based Scorecards (CBS) focus group meetings and the administrator of Myftinia, the recent increase in the number of youths taking drugs is also disturbing; however, local police do not have any official data to substantiate this claim.

PALACE OF CULTURE IN THE CITY CENTER

As enumerated by World Vision and Municipality data, categories of children in Librazhd considered as vulnerable include: children living in extreme poverty (26 percent); children with disabilities (4.4 percent); children from the Egyptian community (0.03 percent); children with health problems (0.04 percent); and school drop-outs (0.08 percent). The most vulnerable

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 6 children are the ones with disabilities, those that have experienced violence, who lack functional literacy, or live in extreme poverty. Community members who participated in the Community Based Scorecards focus groups stated that the roots of vulnerability to poverty and VE in general are high levels of unemployment, lack of functional literacy, domestic and cyber violence, and conflicts over disputed land rights (in rural areas families have not completed the process of land property registration).

Community interaction and social and cultural life in Librazhd are generally poor. There is no movie theatre or any other form of community entertainment. With support in the amount of 48 million ALL from the Italian Albanian Development Cooperation Program (IADSA) funds, which are part of the Debt for Development Swap Agreement funds, the Municipality has recently reconstructed the existing Palace of Culture (renamed the “Aula Cultural Center”). This Center is the only functional cultural facility in the entire Municipality. The Aula Cultural Center has a capacity of 200 people and could also serve as a youth center, a structure which is currently missing in the Municipality. If utilized as such, it would provide recreational opportunities to many girls and boys who currently have no gathering space outside of local bars.

The Municipality has also recently reconstructed the professional football field with an amount of 35 million ALL, provided by the Regional Development Fund (RDF). This addition is anticipated to revitalize the social climate in the town. The sports club “Sopoti” currently competes in Albania's Second Division, the 3rd tier of Albanian football. The stadium has a capacity of 3,000 spectators and has been the club's home since its completion in 1964. In the town, there are two small non-professional sports fields as well but none in the administrative units. All the funds related to sports go to the sport club “Sopoti” (this information on spending was provided by the Municipality of Librazhd).

Additionally, the Municipality is currently building a recreational park in the town with RDF support to provide a public space for children and families to socialize and spend time outdoors.

There are 13 local civil society organizations (CSOs), but only a few of them are active. The most active CSO, MADPAC, has been operating for more than 15 years in the field of social services. There is no youth organization in the town and no Youth Board. The Municipality has requested support from the Project to establish and formalize a Youth Board, comprised of youth from the town and the administrative units. There is only one women’s organization currently active in Librazhd called “Gruaja Ndryshe”. Due to the lack of funds this organization’s work in the community has been limited. The Egyptian organization “Equity and Integration,” headed by Mr. Rexhep Shaka (the person in charge of the social services in the Municipality), has implemented various projects aimed at registering children for school. The Egyptian community of Librazhd suffers similar issues as it does elsewhere in the country,

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 7 including marginalization, lack of opportunities for employment, and social exclusion. Four Egyptian children are reported to not attend any elementary school.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 8 ECONOMIC PROFILE

The local economy of the Municipality is mainly service-based in the town and shifts to agriculture and livestock in the rural areas. In all sectors of the economy, the prevalence of micro-enterprises is noticeable, reflecting a limited impact on economic growth and employment. The biggest employers in the town come from the garment, leather, and shoes industries, in addition to an auto parts production company (wheels and gears). Products from these companies are mainly exported to . Forest utilization has also been a traditional and profitable activity for some businesses in the area with the production of timber and non- timber woodworking. In recent years beekeeping has also developed significantly with an increase in the number of local beekeepers (see below).

About 58.3 percent of inhabitants are employed or self-employed. The Municipality provides social aid to 3,200 families (23 percent of the total number of families), from which 205 have women heads of household (6.5 percent of the total number of families receiving social aid). The unemployment rate is perceived to be high, but official data is lacking. The only data available is the number of individuals registered during 2018 at the Regional Employment Office in Elbasan looking for a job – a total of 786: 414 of which are women (53 percent), 323 women heads of household (41 percent), and 539 individuals under the age of 50 (66 percent).

The high percentage of individuals with primary education (50 percent), compared to the ones with a university degree (0.6 percent), explains the high share of women employed as low-skilled labor in factories and illuminates the difficulties companies face in identifying higher-skilled professionals. This data reflects only the number of the registered jobseekers and not the real

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 9 unemployment rate in Librazhd. The current mismatch between labor market supply and demand is also illustrated by the low number of graduates from vocational education (43 people or 0.52 percent). The Center for Vocational Education is in the neighboring city of Elbasan and serves the entire region. The underlying reasons for low attendance by citizens from Librazhd are mainly a lack of financial means for things like associated transportation costs and lack of information on the existence of the center and courses available. Source: Regional Labor Office in Elbasan, 2018.

There are 1,095 registered businesses in the Municipality of Librazhd. 132 businesses (12.2 percent of the total) are owned by women and are quite varied to include coffee bars and restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacies, dental clinics, hair salons, tailoring shops, bakeries, notary services, laboratories, bookshops, and currency exchange shops. Women-owned businesses are mainly micro-enterprises. 122 of these businesses have less than 10 employees and only 10 of them employ 10-49 people (Source: Municipality of Librazhd, 2019).

The biggest local businesses in Librazhd include two leather/shoes and garment factories, five timber and non-timber wood-processing plants (32 employees), one water bottling company, one -processing company (36 employees), one auto parts factory, and the “Librazhdi Winery” (10 employees including 6 women). A poultry farm is currently being built in Librazhd, which will provide additional employment opportunities for local people. According to the interviews with the General Secretary of the Municipality, several Italian and Greek investors have expressed interest in building up the agritourism and the hospitality sectors. This has not

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 10 resulted in concrete projects, due to legislative constraints related to protected areas, which requires permission to proceed from the national government (Line Ministries).

The biggest employer of women in the town of Librazhd is the garment industry, which employs around 95 women out of 126 employed in total. Many women from the area were hired in the fish factory located in Elbasan, around a half hour away from Librazhd. Through interviews with various stakeholders we learned that a recently established factory producing auto parts (wheels and gears) is looking for labor. However, the owners are facing problems in hiring people, due to lack of qualified staff. One concern that was shared in the interviews was the perceived trend of individuals receiving economic aid to opt to remain unemployed (and receive benefits) instead of going out to work. Possible reasons for such behavior may be the below-minimum wages offered as well as other remittances, which still play a role in and contribute to Albanian families’ income.

Agriculture has a very high importance in the Municipality’s economy (13,500 ha agriculture land). Approximately 62 percent of the population are employed in agriculture (gender disaggregated data is not available). Farms are primarily family-run. Data on the number and size of farms in the Municipality is also lacking. Farms in Albania are generally small, due to the Law 7501, which has created many issues and resulted in land fragmentation and land property disputes among farmers. As to forest utilization, the Municipality administers 33,084 ha of forested land, and the remaining range is a protected area (National Park), managed by the Albanian Government.

BILLBOARD IN THE CITY CENTER PROMOTING THE NATIONAL PARK OF SHEBENIK-JABLLANICE

As a result of the TAR, the Municipality took over the forestry administration and inherited five

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 11 contracts for the utilization of parts of the forest for a ten-year period. In this sector, there are also five timber and non-timber woodworking companies, with two of them producing heating pellets for export. The two timber production companies employ around 50 people each on a seasonal basis, including some women. There are seven local forestry associations in Librazhd, and women represent 30 percent of their overall membership.

120 beekeepers also contribute to the economic profile in Librazhd (30 percent are women). There is an active Beekeepers’ Association, which is supported by the UNDP/RELOAD Project. This project has strengthened capacities of 27 beekeepers, including seven youth (five girls, two boys). Since 2017, the Municipality has organized the Honey Festival featuring the participation of 173 beekeepers from Librazhd and Prrenjas. The Festival aims to increase visibility of this sector, promote their products, and provide opportunities to beekeepers for better sales.

LIVESTOCK FARM IN RURAL AREAS OF LIBRAZHD

Supported by World Vision, a Community Business Council (CBC) also operates in Librazhd. The CBC is comprised 23 members (17 men and six women), and its main goal is the facilitation of local business in rural areas. CBC members have played an active role in solving business problems by enhancing relationships among businesses and with the local administration as a necessary element for economic development. They have also assumed leadership roles and utilized their years of collective experience to overcome obstacles to growth by cooperating with the local government, local associations, and successful businesses.

Through their business facilitation project, World Vision has managed to build capacities of 20 small business owners (10 women) and provided commodities/equipment to 30 family-run businesses, such as technological equipment for wine production and beekeeping equipment

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 12 with functional and suitable honey frames for fighting bee diseases. In addition, the project has delivered various vocational training courses to 32 youth (13 girls and 19 boys). Course curricula include cooking, plumbing, electrical skills, mechanical skills, welding, and hotel/hospitality services. The vocational courses were conducted in Elbasan, due to a lack of required training facilities in Librazhd. World Vision has also supported start-up businesses with seed money in the amount of $2,000 (total support).

EDUCATION

RECENTLY RECONSTRUCTED “RRAHMAN COTA” HIGH SCHOOL IN HOTOLISHT

The Municipality of Librazhd has 52 (only one in town) primary schools utilized by 3799 pupils and six (two in town) secondary schools frequented by 994 pupils. There are seven kindergartens in total (two in Librazhd, four in Qender, and one in Hotoloshit) for children ages 3-6 years. The other four administrative units (Lunik, Polis, Stebleve, and Orenje) do not have a kindergarten. There are 194 children attending these kindergartens, served by 71 teachers (all women). There is only one nursery in the town of Librazhd, which is frequented by 85 infants, and which does not fulfill community needs. All nursery staff are women as well (23 teachers and support staff).

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 13 Table. Education Institutions in Librazhd. (Source: Municipality of Librazhd, 2018)

Kindergartens Elementary schools Secondary schools Number Admini- Number Number of of children Number Number of strative Number of Number kinder- in the of elementary Units of pupils secondary of pupils gartens kinder- teachers schools schools gartens Librazhd 2 115 23 2 1214 1 585 Qender 4 66 19 11 838 1 74 Hotolisht 1 13 12 10 579 1 94 Lunik - - 3 8 262 1 74 Polis - - 9 9 368 1 82 Stebleve - - 1 3 125 - - Orenje - - 4 9 413 1 85 Total 7 194 71 52 3,799 6 994

HEALTH

Currently, the health care services in the entire Librazhd Municipality are covered by one hospital, one clinic, nine health centers, 177 doctors and nurses, and 43 ambulances. Data collected for this report does not contain information on the functional condition of these centers and ambulances. The number of family doctors is 35, including 14 women (40 percent).

HEALTH CENTER IN DRAGOSTUNJE The number of family doctors meets the national population-per-doctor-ratio criteria (one doctor per 2,600 inhabitants). However, from the semi-structured interviews, we learned that in the remote areas, doctors are not present every day. Overall, this does not guarantee adequate services to citizens, especially those in the administrative units.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 14 Table. Health Care Service in Librazhd (source: Social Plan of Librazhd 2018)

Number of Number Number of Administrative Number of Number of hospitals of clinics doctors & ambulances Units health centers nurses Librazhd 1 1 1 - 92 Qender - 1 - 17 30 Polis - 1 - 5 8 Lunik - 1 - 4 11 Hotolisht - 1 - 6 10 Stebleve - 1 - 4 6 Orenje - 3 - 7 20 Total 1 9 1 43 177

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 15 MUNICIPAL PROFILE

The Municipality of Librazhd has 395 dedicated employees, 177 (44.9 percent) of whom are women and 218 (55.1 percent) are men. The municipal structure is comprised of six departments, nine sectors, one agency, and six integrated administrative units operating in the rural areas. The majority, or roughly 86 percent of municipal departments and sectors, are run by men, and only 14 percent by women. The municipal staff is overall perceived as quite cooperative and made up of relatively qualified individuals. The Municipal Council is composed of 21 members (7 women and 14 men). The Council has 17 representatives from the Left Coalition and four from the Right Coalition. There is no Alliance of Women Councilors, a cross-party structure established in many other Albanian municipalities.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 16

LIBRAZHD TOWN HALL

The Municipality conducts participatory budgeting annually, as required by the Law on Local Self Governance but has not implemented any gender-responsive budgeting process. The total budget for 2019 is 579 million ALL, with only 40 million ALL (6.9 percent) allocated to support social services, including culture and art. PLGP is implementing the Community Based Scorecard process for the first time ever in Librazhd, and aims to strengthen the voice of women and men citizens, by promoting their participation in local decision-making, and improving dialogue and interaction at the local level. The Municipality currently offers very few services and lacks the essential infrastructure to provide timely and quality social services. While services related to child protection and domestic violence are a responsibility of local government, and protocols for both services exist at the national and local level, there is neither a Gender Equality Employee nor a Domestic Violence Specialist in the Municipality. These functions are currently covered by the Child Protection Specialist. Many administrative units do not have adequate facilities and/or qualified staff for handling cases of domestic violence and child abuse. There is no shelter for victims of gender-based violence, and cases from Librazhd are referred to a local women’s organization in Elbasan. The number of active CSOs working in this area is limited, and there is no structure in the Municipality that coordinates their efforts.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 17 According to the Local Social Plan approved at the end of 2018 (the first social plan ever), the number of beneficiaries of social services offered by the Municipality and its local partners number at 2,000 individuals (estimated to be 4.57 percent of the population) and consist primarily of children, women, and the elderly. Supported by the Red Cross of Albania, the Municipality provides daily services (coffee and activities) to 40 elderly people. Financed by the Kuwait Foundation (45,000 Euro) in 2018, the Municipality opened a daily center that once offered lunches to 50 people in need. This center is no longer providing services due to lack of funds (the Municipality did not budget this expenditure in its operation for 2019). The Kuwait Foundation also supported the reconstruction of a school and a health center and is currently constructing a sports field. The Municipality runs a Community Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities which is open daily and serves 94 children with disabilities (32 girls and 62 boys). Services offered in this Center include physiotherapy, speech therapy, and psycho-social care.

In 2017, the Municipality developed and approved the General Local Territorial Plan (GLTP), thereby laying out a medium-term plan for territorial and economic development over the subsequent 15 years. The recently approved Local Social Plan, which provides an overview on the current social situation in the area, lacks a cost estimation, making actual implementation difficult. In 2018, with support from OSCE, the Municipality established the Local Safety Council (LSC) comprised of local key stakeholders. From the time of its establishment, the Librazhd LSC has convened twice and developed a local action plan, in support of the Municipality’s efforts to address local problems and concerns.

The Municipality organizes several local celebrations and festivals each year, including the Honey Festival, Duble Dance Festival, Flowers Festival (Stebleve), Park Day (Shebenik- Jabllanice), Potato Festival (Stebleve), and other local celebrations throughout the administrative units. These celebrations include aspects such as cultural-traditional expos, the promotion of mountain tourism, traditional cooking demonstrations, culinary tastings, the presentation of agricultural products, and handicraft sales. These activities serve to build community spirit, raise awareness of improved natural resource management strategies, and promote traditional products of the area. The celebrations are visited by locals (men, women, and youth) and visitors. In particular, the annual Honey Festival has become a tradition looked forward to by locals and visitors alike.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 18

LOCAL CELEBRATION

There are several donors operating in the Municipality of Librazhd. STAR2, Municipalities for Europe (EU funds), and Strong Municipalities (Swiss Development Cooperation Center) provide technical assistance to the Municipality. UNDP/RELOAD supports capacity-building of CSOs and facilitates their cooperation with the Municipality. UNICEF has supported several social projects related to children. To date the most active actor and contributor in Librazhd is World Vision Albania (part of World Vision International), which has been operating in the area for many years. World Vision activities are spread across the administrative units of Qender, Hotolisht, Qukes, and in the town of Librazhd. Their assistance focuses on child protection and well-being, youth empowerment, and business facilitation programs. “Youth Impact Club” is a program that trains and integrates local girls and boys and aims to help them become active citizens. There are four Impact Groups in the whole Municipality of Librazhd. Part of World Vision’s work is also the “Celebrating Families” activity, which gathers local women monthly to socialize together and build a spirit of community. World Vision has expressed their willingness to collaborate with PLGP in activities related to youth, women, and economic empowerment moving forward.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 19 LAW ENFORCEMENT PROFILE

The local police of Librazhd are part of the regional police structure based in Elbasan and have 37 staff, four of which - or roughly 10 percent - are women. The Head of the Police Commissariat of Librazhd officially stated that, “Librazhd is a small and safe town. People know each other, and the town has no serious security problems.” The law and order situation in the Municipality can be described as positive overall with only one reported murder in 2018. According to the local police, the abuse of alcohol among male adults and the presence of street children are the main local problems. Unemployment and the previously noted alcohol abuse are also two of the main factors which fuel the incidence of domestic violence.

Police statistics reveal that during 2018, there was an increase in the reported number of domestic violence cases. This is thought to be correlated to an increased awareness of this issue, as well as an improved trust in the police. According to police data in 2018: 40 (25 in the town and 15 in the administrative units) protection orders for cases of domestic violence were issued and executed (covering 33 women and seven men). During January 2019, there were three additional cases referred. The number of violated women is estimated to be higher, but stigma and lack of courage to denounce those responsible results in under-reporting. As support and advice cannot be given in these situations, non-reporting has the potential to iterate silently enduring victims. The Coordinated Referral Mechanism for Domestic Violence (DV) and Child Protection was established in Librazhd in 2016 and convenes once every three months. The Referral Mechanism for DV (standalone) will be established this year by the Swedish Albanian Community Policing Project through an Elbasan-based organization.

Although there are no reports on drug consumption and distribution at schools, local police acknowledge the existence of the phenomenon. For 2019, local police priority and plans are to work for the improved safety of girls and boys. This will be done through increased cooperation with schools and parents' committees. The recently created position of the School Security Officer in combination with school psychologists is expected to positively influence the prevention of the use of marijuana in schools.

Land property disputes are another specific local problem in Librazhd and many cases where these conflicts have generated criminal offenses. Based on statistics during 2018, the Police handled a total of 507 land property-related conflicts. Another priority of the local police is the prevention of property crimes. Last year saw an increase in this type of crime (42 cases reported) which targeted houses and stores. Road safety is also an issue, as the main road is a

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 20 national and international transit route. During 2018, 21 accidents occurred in Librazhd, and four citizens lost their lives.

Related to P/CVE, the Director of Regional Police said they don’t have data on foreign fighters who joined the fights in Syria/Iraq or data on the number of returnees. There is an office within the Regional Police Directorate dealing with extremism/terrorism matters, but the information they possess is kept confidential. Police are aware of the important role of partnerships and the involvement of women, girls, and boys to maintain peace and security and improve the quality of life of citizens. Local police appear to embrace the community policing philosophy. A Community Policing Officer operates in each of the administrative units and addresses local problems in cooperation with the local government. However, Community Policing Officers acknowledge the need for better communication and coordination with the Municipality, CSOs, and religious communities. Librazhd police have actively participated in the meetings of the Local Security Council and consider it both beneficial and complimentary to their work with the community.

POLICE STATION

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 21 RELIGIOUS PROFILE

The population of Librazhd is mostly Muslim, but timely official data is lacking for specific percentages. According to the 2011 Census, the population of Elbasani Qark (Librazhd is part of it) was 64 percent Muslim. From the interview with Ylli Daka, the Administrator of the Myftinia of Librazhd, we learned that there are 45 mosques (one in the town and five of which are not functional/requiring reconstruction) in Librazhd and Prrenjas. There are 200 Orthodox families in Librazhd city and Stebleve, and two Orthodox churches (one in Librazhd and one in Stebleve). There are also small Bahai and Evangelist communities within Librazhd. From the semi-structured interviews, we learned that there is also the church of the “Resurrection of Christ”, frequented by a small community. The Myftinia is collaborating with two charity organizations, which provide financial support to families in need, distribute food, assist in the reconstruction of houses, support the hospital, and finance the building of new mosques. From the interviews we ascertained that the Muslim Community in Librazhd helps approximately 300 families.

The number of veiled women has gone down in recent years. There are only two observed/communicated cases of young veiled girls in the town. There has been an illegal mosque in Dragostunje, which is now in the process of becoming registered with the religious authorities. The girls and boys from this village did not go to school in the past, but they are now beginning to do so.

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INAUGURATION OF THE NEW MOSQUE IN DRAGOSTUNJE

From the interviews, there is a “Sulejmania” foundation located in the town, which is not well- perceived by the community. Their practices are generally closed to outsiders and no one knows what happens within the confines of these operations (they also operate a dormitory for young boys). World Vision and MEDPAC has advised mothers/beneficiaries from their projects not to send their children to this institution; however, many people do due to the difficult economic situation they face. When asked in interviews about the foundation’s funding source, respondents were unable to provide information.

The 2015 IDM-conducted study identified Librazhd as one of the ten hot-spots for violent extremism (VE) in Albania; however, the situation has changed in recent years. In IDM’s 2018 successor study “Violent Extremism in Albania”, Librazhd scored in only one out of four VE drivers, i.e. the Political Drivers (tendencies for religious or non-religious radical actions). The study states that a high number of respondents in Librazhd were in favor of the statement “people have the right to take the law into their hands when their rights and freedoms are denied by state institutions”. Given the challenges of the Rule of Law and weak democratic governance in Albania, VE ideologies may materialize but not necessarily be religiously- influenced. Librazhd was one of the areas with a significant percentage of respondents who

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 23 show problematic attitudes and a tendency to support both religious and non-religious VE narratives.

To address issues related to an increase in VE-tendencies, the Coordination Center for CVE and other donors implemented two P/CVE projects in Librazhd in 2018. Through EU funds, Terre des Hommes implemented the project “School Community Centers and Youth Response in Preventing Violent Extremism” aimed at creating a sustainable pattern of cooperation among community actors in school to prevent VE. Also, the Albanian Helsinki Committee (EU funds) implemented the project “Promoting Religious Tolerance within Religious Communities through Positive Models and Media.” Results from these projects are not yet reported.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 24 SUMMARY OF FACTORS AFFECTING VIOLENT EXTREMISM

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FACTORS Poorly governed areas The extended use of alcohol among male adults, drug consumption and distribution at schools, the presence of street children, the unsolved land property disputes, the increased level of the crimes against property and the shortcomings on enforcing road traffic rules, are some of the enabling factors which might lead to radicalization and VE. Pro-active religious There are indicators of the existence of the individuals, promoting the agenda to agendas impose the political version of on the local population, weakening traditional and moderate religious structure and practices PULL FACTORS Existence of radical There is an Islamic foundation (Sulejmania) located in the town which operates in institutions or venues isolation and is not well-perceived by the community. Social networks and The religious dynamics can be developed informally (in small groups of group dynamics neighbors/friends/relatives), especially in the village of Dragostunje where the mosque is currently under the process of legalization by AMC. This mosque has been the source of religious radicalization of a couple of individuals (no official data available) who joined the fights in Syria/Iraq. Provision of services High levels of poverty, lack of security, lack of justice, and social exclusion may be (responding to unmet exploited by VE groups to attract community support. expectations and needs) PUSH FACTORS Socioeconomic Drivers: Only 22% of the total population of Librazhd lives in the city. Lack of proper Social exclusion and infrastructure and adequate services in long distance administrative units is an marginality indicator of isolation and social exclusion of people living in the remote areas. Almost 24% of the population depends on social aid, showing that 1/4th of the population are living in poverty. Even though official data shows that the unemployment rate is 19%, the perception among the people interviewed is that unemployment in Librazhd is much higher, especially in the rural areas. In the cities, the target groups that mostly lack job opportunities are women and youth. Socioeconomic Drivers: There is a perceived peaceful coexistence in Librazhd. There is a small Egyptian Societal discrimination community in Librazhd, which according to the interviews suffers marginalization, lack of opportunities for employment and social exclusion (four Egyptian children are reported to not attend any elementary school). From the semi-structured interviews, one of the concerning issues identified in the rural areas is the recent increase in the number of early marriages among girls. Women and youth, especially in the rural areas, lack information and education. World Vision reports show that the most vulnerable children are the ones with disabilities, those that have experienced violence, who lack functional literacy, or live in extreme poverty. Political Drivers: Denial As elsewhere in the country, there is a highly polarized situation even in Librazhd, of political rights and civil which sometimes prevails local development. While the Municipality organizes some liberties participatory processes, the public is not actively involved in the decision-making processes. The municipality has no physical space to present strategic documents to its citizens and the municipal council room is not very suitable for accommodating citizens during open meetings as required by Law on Local Self-Governance. Political Drivers: Endemic There is civic disengagement and political apathy. There is an overall perception that corruption and impunity corruption is present even in Librazhd and some local businesses are being for well-connected elites advantaged compared to others. Cultural Drivers: Islam Some of the people interviewed got defensive when the religious radicalization topic under siege was approached.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 25 PUSH FACTORS Cultural Drivers: The general perception is that the current socio-political situation might be an Broader cultural threats indirect threat to the wellbeing, values and cohesion of community as a whole and individual integrity.

ALBANIA PLGP - COMMUNITY MAPPING ASSESSMENT OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF LIBRAZHD 26 U.S. Agency for International Development PLANNING AND LOCAL GOVERNANCE PROJECT IN ALBANIA

RR. DERVISH HIMA 3 KULLAT PRAPA STAD. QEMAL STAFA KULLA 1, APT. 91, KATI 10 TIRANA, ALBANIA

www.plgp.al facebook.com/Albania.USAID

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