The sources consulted by the Research Directorate provided a range of opinions as to how reconciliation groups begin working on a case (Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation 24 Oct. 2004; Research associate 13 Oct. 2004; Professor 26 Oct. 2004; Post-doctoral fellow 28 Oct. 2004). According to the Chairman of the Tirana-based Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation, an organization founded in 1990 which aims to "establish a common and long-term strategy for the prevention of blood feud, reconciliation, cohabitation, equal gender and integration of Albanians in the community of the civilized nations" (Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation n.d.), close relatives normally make an initial attempt to resolve inter-family disputes that do not involve homicide, turning to mediators or village leaders if their attempt is unsuccessful (ibid. 24 Oct. 2004). However, mediators are informed immediately in cases where an individual has been killed (ibid.). In such instances, the mediators would hold preliminary, undocumented meetings with the parties to the conflict in an attempt to calm the situation (ibid.). One of the families would subsequently submit a formal request for mediation to the Chairman's organization, which would then monitor the conflict in cooperation with the police and local authorities and provide advice to the threatened family (ibid.).

Three academics consulted by the Research Directorate were in agreement that contact by family members was a means by which a reconciliation group would become involved in the mediation of a blood feud (Professor 26 Oct. 2004; Post-doctoral fellow 28 Oct. 2004; Research associate 13 Oct. 2004). A research associate at Colgate University's Department of Sociology and Anthropology who is also an honorary research fellow at the University of Bradford's Department of Peace Studies' Research Unit in South East European Studies added that family members would likely approach a reconciliation group in person or, more likely, through an intermediary, and it is doubtful that anything would be set in writing because of the lack of formal education of most blood feud participants (ibid.). A professor and Chairman of the Department of History at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IU-PUFW) who specializes in Albanian studies described two other means by which reconciliation groups might become involved in a case (26 Oct. 2004). On the one hand, group representatives may hold a public meeting in a region known to be affected by blood feuds where they would describe their role and services (Professor 26 Oct. 2004). On the other, they may themselves approach a member of a feuding family whom they deem trustworthy in order to ask whether they can assist in the resolution of the conflict (ibid.). However, the professor noted that regardless of the way in which work on a case is initiated, the process is generally secretive and unlikely to involve the completion of an application form (ibid.).

While indicating that mediation is a complex process that varies from case to case, the Chairman of the Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation stated that his group maintains a high degree of confidentiality in carrying out its work (24 Oct. 2004). Furthermore, he claimed that his group only keeps a record of the most important developments in a case, although individuals who approach the organization for assistance are requested to provide their personal identity document, a "certificate of the threatened family members, the description of the conflict situation and also other optional documents" (Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation 24 Oct. 2004).

The three academics were of the opinion that record-keeping practices would vary from group to group (Professor 26 Oct. 2004; Post-doctoral fellow 28 Oct. 2004; Research associate 13 Oct. 2004), with the Colgate University research associate claiming that there are no rules in force governing reconciliation groups' documentation of cases (ibid.). Similarly, the IU-PUFW professor of history stated that while some reconciliation groups do keep extensive records, which are generally kept confidential, there are no standards of practice and each group acts independently with its own procedures (26 Oct. 2004). However, he added that among the documentation that such groups would likely keep on file would be information regarding the blood feud's origins, victims and current status, the names of the principals on both sides, and an evaluation of the parties' receptiveness to mediation efforts (Professor 26 Oct. 2004).

The Chairman of the Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation provided the following description of the steps taken by mediators to resolve a blood feud: first,

[t]he missionaries have meetings with the families and they listen to the claims of both pairs. After this they contact persons who have great influence on each family. Than together with the persons of great influence, they go to the families, and continuously try to convince them to solve the conflict by legal [means]. If the family, whose member has been killed, does not accept the reconciliation and they insist in taking revenge, than the missionaries recommend to the killer's family to leave its village or city and go another city or state. Because the moving off of the killer's family soothes the hatred of the damaged family. All these meetings and efforts are confidential and they are not published (24 Oct. 2004).

The Chairman also stated that reconciliation efforts never stop, and in some cases continue for years, despite the fact the offended family may have taken revenge in the meantime (Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation 24 Oct. 2004).

In the view of the IU-PUFW history professor, reconciliation groups' mediation efforts tend to follow a similar pattern, in which the organization first approaches a family member whom they trust, and then works with this individual in attempting to convince male family members to agree to a reconciliation (26 Oct. 2004). According to the professor, unanimous agreement among male family members is generally needed in order to end a blood feud (Professor 26 Oct. 2004). Once this is achieved, the final stage involves the signing of a document in which the parties formally agree to a reconciliation (ibid.).

However, in correspondence dated 28 October 2004, a post-doctoral fellow at Phillips University who has undertaken field research in Albania stated that

reconciliation is not finished with the signature of all the parties concerned (if there is any written document!). Usually in Albania you have reconciliation ceremonies at the end of the mediation process. The mediation process is more or less staged in front of the village. The mediation is made public and at the end all parties involved, local politicians, journalists, even foreigners sit together, drink coffee and make good wishes for the future. Central is here, that all parties are visibly sitting together. Even if everybody knows how to read and write, north Albania is still a very "oral" community.

The post-doctoral fellow also indicated that, in practice, reconciliation groups "very often" work in cooperation with prominent local mediators, who in turn either act as a representative of the group with which they are affiliated or on their own account when asked by a local family to intervene in a feud (Post-doctoral fellow 28 Oct. 2004). With regard to the documentation of reconciliation efforts, he stated that reconciliation groups generally do not keep detailed records of their activities and, in the case of mediators who are not based in cities like Shkodra, he had never heard of any who document their reconciliation efforts (ibid.). The Colgate University research associate similarly indicated that the groups are unlikely to document the steps they have taken in attempting to reconcile feuding families (13 Oct. 2004).

Both the Colgate University research associate and the IU-PUFW professor of history were of the opinion that reconciliation groups would likely never completely abandon their efforts, but rather re-visit cases on an intermittent basis to assess whether circumstances have become more favourable to the possibility of reconciliation (Research associate 13 Oct. 2004; Professor 26 Oct. 2004). The history professor also indicated that there is competition, for example in the area of funding, among the various reconciliation groups, and accordingly they generally endeavour to cast the best possible light on their capabilities (ibid.).

The Chairman of the Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation stated that attestation letters include a short description of the blood feud-affected family and the recommendations made by the Committee to those under threat (24 Oct. 2004).

None of the academic sources could provide a description of the information that would normally be included in an attestation letter, with the Colgate University research associate indicating that practices differ from case to case and among different mediators (13 Oct. 2004). Furthermore, both she and the IU-PUFW professor of history were of the view that such letters could be purchased (Research associate 13 Oct. 2004; Professor 26 Oct. 2004). The professor also claimed that he is aware of a few cases in which reconciliation groups complained of false attestation letters being circulated (ibid.). He cited the National Reconciliation Committee as an organization that had voiced such complaints (ibid.).

According to the Chairman of the Nationwide Reconciliation Committee, the law on mediation, whose purpose is to legalize the "activity of missionaries," has not had any impact on reconciliation groups' mediation efforts, which are "generally done on the basis of ... tradition" (24 Oct. 2004). The IU-PUFW professor of history indicated that the law on mediation has not been fully implemented, with the government reluctant to become involved in the issue of blood feuds, for reasons like the fact than it would necessitate putting state employees, including members of the judiciary and police, at risk of violence by those who are party to such feuds (26 Oct. 2004).

The professor also indicated that while there have been some prosecutions of individuals for blood feud-related crimes, perpetrators tend to be punished lightly, either on account of corruption or fear of reprisals by court officials (Professor 26 Oct. 2004). The Colgate University research associate similarly indicated that there have been some prosecutions, although "usually the family owed blood does not consider this ... just punishment and will still demand blood" (13 Oct. 2004).

None of the oral sources consulted by the Research Directorate was able to provide statistics on the perpetration or punishment of blood feud-related crimes, with the Phillips University post-doctoral fellow explaining that reliable data on the incidence of such crimes are not available (28 Oct. 2004). On the one hand, this is due to reconciliation groups' practice of inflating the number of blood feuds in order to justify their continued involvement in this area (Post-doctoral fellow 28 Oct. 2004). On the other hand, it is often difficult to establish in practice whether a killing is blood feud-related or the result of some other motive (ibid.). However, according to the IU-PUFW history professor, there are indications that the incidence of blood feuds is currently on the rise in Albania, following a decline observed in past years (26 Oct. 2004). He attributed this increase to the current government's focus on other issues, such as people smuggling, and its failure to bring about significant improvements to the operation of the police and courts (Professor 26 Oct. 2004).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Committee of Nationwide Reconciliation, Tirana. 24 October 2004. Correspondence from the Chairman.

_____. n.d. "About Us." http://www.pajtimi.com/index.php?faqe=rrethneshang [Accessed 2 Nov. 2004]

Post-doctoral fellow, Institut fur Vergleichende Kulturforschung, Phillips University, Marburg. 28 October 2004. Correspondence.

Professor and departmental Chairman, Department of History, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IU-PUFW). 26 October 2004. Telephone interview.

Research associate, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Colgate University, Hamilton, New York. 13 October 2004. Correspondence.

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral sources: Unsuccessful attempts to contact three oral sources. The Open Society Foundation Soros, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Albania and Caritas Italiana Albania did not provide information within the time constaints of the Response.