Commune wins award for interfaith cooperation

TIRANA, Sept. 29 – The commune of Malbardh in the La硤istrict, northern Albania, has been awarded the ACT Now! Champion Award for its interfaith cooperation and volunteer initiative to construct an inclusive place of worship. The award was presented this week by U.S. embassy Charg顄’Affaires Henry Jardine as part of the ACT Now, an initiative launched in June 2012 by the U.S. Embassy to strengthen democratic principles, encourage advocacy and citizen outreach efforts by civil society organizations.
Due to the village’s only historical place of worship, a 600-year-old Catholic church falling into ruin, the town’s majority Muslim believers along with their Catholic neighbours decided to build a new church for the community. Although Catholic Archbishop Rrok Mirdita at first was hesitant to finance a new church for a town with such few Catholic believers, Malbardh먳 community members convinced him to fund the project by offering to provide their own labor and some materials free of charge. Now, on the sacred site of these ruins the citizens of Malbardh롨ave dedicated a new church to Saint Michael, but which they insist is considered sacred by the towns’ Muslims and Christians alike. The villagers have expressed hope that they will find a way to build the town’s first mosque as their next project. This small town is the perfect example of Albania’s continued model of religious tolerance, says the U.S embassy.