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For many young people growing up in the diaspora, the question is not whether they are Albanian. The question is often what being Albanian means when your everyday life unfolds somewhere else. You may grow up speaking one language at school and another at home. You celebrate national holidays in one country while hearing stories […]

For many participants, applying to OriginAL is exciting. But before the excitement comes a long list of questions. Some wonder if they will fit in. Others worry that their Albanian is not good enough. Many have never visited Kosovo or Albania before, while others wonder if everyone else already knows each other. If any of

On June 10, the Albanian-American community came together in New York City for a special evening in support of OriginAL and Albanian diaspora youth. Hosted by Fadil Berisha, Avni Mustafaj, and Mark Kosmo, the event brought together supporters, alumni, and friends of the program for a night filled with stories, gratitude, and shared commitment to

For many young people in the diaspora, the idea of home carries more than one meaning. It can be the country where they were born or raised, the language they speak with their family, the food that reminds them of childhood, or the stories they heard growing up about Kosova and Albania. Through OriginAL, diaspora

Thirty young Albanians from across the diaspora arrived in Prishtina to begin their OriginAL journey as part of Cohort 9, the first cohort of 2026. What started with introductions at RIT Kosovo (A.U.K.) quickly grew into a meaningful experience filled with learning, reflection, friendship, and a stronger sense of belonging. From the first day, participants

Thirty young members of the Albanian diaspora arrived in Prishtina to begin their OriginAL journey as part of Cohort 9, the first cohort of 2026. What started with introductions at RIT Kosovo (A.U.K.) quickly evolved into a meaningful experience filled with learning, reflection, and the formation of new friendships. Throughout their first week in Kosovo,

In just a few days, a new group of young Albanians from across the diaspora will arrive for the June 2026 OriginAL cohort. For participants, the experience often begins when they step off the plane. For the OriginAL team, however, the journey begins months earlier. Every cohort is the result of countless conversations, planning sessions,

In November 2025, participants of OriginAL Cohort 8 traveled to Manastir, to visit the Museum of the Albanian Alphabet, widely known as the Shtepia e Alfabetit. For many participants, this was an encounter with one of the moments that helped shape Albanian identity across regions, religions, and generations… Inside this building, history feels close. The

Every story that changes lives begins with people who choose to believe in something before the rest of the world can fully see it. OriginAL is one of those stories. What started as an idea in 2022, to reconnect young Albanians from the diaspora with their roots, identity, and homeland, has grown into a movement

June 10, 2026 Hosted by Fadil Berisha There are moments in life when something awakens inside you… A feeling you cannot fully explain… A voice calling you back to your roots, your story, your people. OriginAL was born from that feeling. What began in 2022 as a simple idea has now become a movement that