The European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Totalitarian Regimes, August 23rd, 2018 brings to the memorial museum (internment camp no. 6) in Tepelena, a whole set of commemorative activities of a scientific, exhibitor, and ceremonial character.
The executives of this activity: The Authority for Information on Former State Security Documents, institutions and active civic associations, with the support of UNDP in Albania, the Government of Italy and the United States Embassy organize “Museum Day / Memorial, Tepelena”.
Part of this remembrance day is the “N’dritë” (In the light) project, a collaboration between AIDSSH, Harabel and MEMO, it was curated by Harabel and includes the following projects:
“Sikur Mama” (Like Mama), conducted by MEMO, accompanies the guests with a truck (for 2 kilometers) to the entrance of the camp where a song is sang by Mariza Ikonomi, a song inspired by the testimony of a survivor, Klora Merlika;
“Shtrati-dhomë” (Bed-room), facilitated by MEMO, recalls the wooden structure resembling the one where an entire family lived and slept with in the camp. (Based on evidence);
“I përkasim njëri-tjetrit” (We belong to each other), also by MEMO, is an initiative of a group of independent intellectuals and artists, which takes shape in “N’dritë” (In the light) through a video of socio-artistic character, which recounts in first person narrative survivor stories in Tepelena by representatives of different ages, strata and professions.
“Edhe muret kane veshë” (Even walls have ears) by Alketa Xhafa Mripa, is the multi-dimensional program that summarizes the testimonies of Tepelena survivors in the AIDSSH verbal testimony archive, which was reflected in the very same place it started, the walls of the Tepelena camp. The full project is the result of cooperation between the Authority and partners with artist Alketa Xhafa Mripa and Kristale Ivezaj Rama, who worked on creating an interactive platform for “Even walls have ears”, by gathering evidence of convicted survivors during the communist period and evidence of the support that the citizens of Tepelena have shown to the former victims.
“6-year-olds whose dwelling was a coop” and “11-year-olds who could not play because they had to work” forced by ” the system hyenas who were never satisfied”… These are just particles of the bitter testimonies of the survivors for whom life was a “forbidden apple”…
Still, even in those conditions, there have been moments of joy as a means of protection against the suffering. For this reason, at the end of the day and at the end of the activities, music groups “3 Musketierët” and “Asgjë Sikur Dielli” spread the severity of memories in time, bringing light and hope against darkness and pain as a form of superiority of life over death and any other life killing ways.