Vlora, Albania – At the invitation of the Albanian Institute of Sociology, UPF-Albania was one of 17 organizers of the International Scientific Conference held in Vlora, Albania on November 10 and 11, 2023. The theme of the conference was "Social Capital and Public Sphere in Contemporary Society."
The conference brought together representatives from 22 countries, with 154 papers from 245 authors, co-authors and contributors. The opening plenary and working sessions of the conference took place at the University Ismail Qemali Vlora.
Key themes included the importance of the family in raising peaceful citizens; the role of education for social cohesion; the perspective of religion in social interactions; and the role of mediation in conflicts, among many others.
At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, which was attended by over 250 professors, researchers, academic staff and students, UPF presented seven professors with Ambassador for Peace awards, for their contributions in the academic field.
There followed a special session organized by UPF and the Balkan Sociological Forum on “Peace, the Balkan Context.” The session was moderated by the chairwoman of IAAP Albania, Dr. Saemira Pino, and several students participated along with the professors. The papers presented by professors covered diverse aspects of peace, including:
1. "The Study of War & Peace,” by Dr. Lek Sokoli and Dr. Elda Kutrolli
2. “Social Capital and Peace,” by Dr. Brunilda Zenelaga
3. “Family - the First Institution of Peace,” by Mr. Gani Rroshi
4. “Peace and Religion,” by Dr. Irena Nikaj
5. “Education and Peace,” by Dr. Besim Gollopeni
6. “Spirituality and Peace,” by Dr. Ernestina Gergji Halili
7. “The Search for Peace in Apocalyptic Times: New and Old Puzzles in the World and the Balkans,”
by Dr. Ali Pajaziti
The breadth and depth of the topics and the diversity of participants assured a lively and engaging event. Many participants praised the interesting presentations, stimulating debates and in-depth discussions that took place during this very meaningful conference.
