koka

nr. 68 / 23 nëntor 2004

alukit

 

The prohibition of Genetically Modified grain isn’t sufficient to protect the flora and fauna. 60 million of hectares are planted all over the world.

GM grains are cultivated in over 16 countries of the world. Only in 2002 were planted about 60 million of hectares with dozens of GM grains. In Great Britain, the decision to approve or disapprove the GM cultures is still depending on the results of the four years experimental cultivation in 280 fields with three kinds of GM grains.

   Though the facts these experiments are presented as a test of the affect GM grains have in relation to the environment, the main test indeed is their resistance against weed. The studies are focused on the effect of herbicides on the flora and fauna in fields, either weed on insects.

 

The plants resistant to herbicides are not GM

The use of herbicides in Great Britain has started before the GM grains. It is possible in the future that the prohibition of GM grains might send farmers to use non GM grains, but grafted to resist herbicides. At the first sight, this might look like something positive to those who are against the technology of GM grains, nevertheless these grafts might cause unintentionally the spreading of herbicides.

   Their effect in the European flora and fauna might be more negative than the GM grains resistant to weed, for many of the grafts use herbicides that are stronger than the GM grains. Consider the fact that like with GM grains, the resistance to herbicides can be spread in other grains and plants.

 

Desired qualities

These grains, however, might not be “treated” as rigorously as the GM grains, for they’re not genetically changed. The only obstacle to them in the Great Britain they have to get over is the tests that might confirm they are really new species. The GM grains might be prohibited based on the international trade laws, for they might be considered dangerous to the health of people and environment, but this might not be available for the common grains resistant to herbicides. Brian Johnson, counselor on GM technology in the English Nature safeguard association says the decoding of the genome of plants has facilitated the work of grafters on creating not GM plants, yet with the desired characteristics. Nonetheless, neither of these grains was put on trade in the Great Britain, except for the corn, which is by nature resistant to the atrazine herbicide. A commercial company tried to get the license to trade such grains, but the application was refused to them on 1998 because of law production efficiency during the tests. The work to find a solution of the problems of GM grains and no GM grains continues. Leaving aside the technology of graft, which might give the same results without any transgenic intervention, would be an indiscreet action. The existing rules and laws on these issues are not politically based, but scientifically. It seems like not GM plants might lay aside the argument against the GM plants.

 

Quick disintegration

The glisofate is considered as one of the most useful herbicides for the fact that it is quickly disintegrated. Many of the other herbicides do not have this faculty. In Australia, for example, some grains are grafted so that they might be resistant to a wide specter of herbicides. “TT canola” is one of these grains that tolerate the triazine herbicides, atrazine included, an herbicide that is suspected to cause the poisoning of frogs and the contamination of rivers.

   The first species of “TT canola” were created by scientists at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Canola was grafted with a kind of neighbour, Brassica rapa, which is resistant to triazins. Another kind of grain became resistant to the family of imidazoline trying the alternations through chemical ways until getting the production of the kind resistant to the abovementioned herbicide.

   These kinds of resistant grain were approved without the troubles that usually follow GM grains. There was objection that imidazolins and atrazin are more harmful to the environment than herbicides like glifozat. But Rick Roush, who worked for five years in the Gene’s Technology Administration Office, now pedagogue at the California University in Davis, says that these two canolas are more problematic than those GM because their herbicides have longevity. Atrazine is more problematic because it spreads quickly in the water and has considerable longevity, says Chris Preston, scientific employee at the University of Adelaide.

 

Growing use

Imidazoline is an herbicide with a long life, so that it makes impossible the growth of grains for the coming season. Australians, who are against GM grains, have ignored the fact that most of the used canola tolerates herbicides and other problems coming out by the use of other herbicides.

   The use of atrazine in Great Britain rose from 34,000 kg in 1992 in 130,000 kg in 2002, this because more naturally resistant grain and corn is planted. Atrazine was one of the “most standard cures” through which the GM grain resistant to glifozat was tested in the farms of Great Britain.

   Criticizers say that corn resistant to glifozat has advantage when compared to atrazine, but this comparison is meaningless when EU has prohibited it by law. Great Britain, however, applied for an exception as far as corn is concerned.

   The law of EU means that TT Canola cannot be cultivated in Europe. But the Clearfield Company will soon make possible the planting in Turkey of the sunflower resistant to imidazoline, as well as the cultivation of similar plants in some states of East and South Europe. BASF, the company producing radix for the Clearfield Company made possible the growth of imidazoline resistant grain in Australia.

   Te use of herbicides in Great Britain is increasing, no matter the lack of herbicide resistant grains, or GM grains. The use of glifozat quadruplicated within ten years. The farmers are compensated to reduce overproduction leaving the land unplanted once in some years. Glifozat is however used to prevent the growth of weed in the fields.

   “The advanced technology exists, but unfortunately the means used to rule the use of technology in farms are missing”, says Johnson, counselor over GM technology in the English Nature safeguard association.

Fatos Kopliku

Molecular Biologist, scientific employee in the Molecular Systematic Laboratory, Nature History Museum, London

 

Dreams cut in half

The bitter Albanian spring of 1997 has cut in half a lot of dreams. After some years when the generations who experienced the frightening event, will give farewell to this world, it will look like a dangerous or even unrealizable screenplay. What happened in the Albanian land carries along pain and horror when you remember it, especially for those who experienced in every single moment those dangerous events in Albania. Albania, without a leadership, with every leading structure going in degradation was running toward the total inexistence of the state.

   The generating cells of the new democratic government were breathless because of the thunderclap of the communist gangs. There was no room to talk about plans and ideas of building democracy, but about the violence reigning on the streets and every aspect of the Albanian life.

   The young student from Malësi e Madhe, who had just entered the new doors of life, with great dreams to become an honored name by the generations, as a teacher and educator, Hanë Dreshaj, with her red hair, was forced, out of her dreams and desires, to leave everything she thought would serve the future of the country and keep herself safe to live, yet not free.

   In the beginning of the ’90, Hanë Dreshaj was a student in the secondary school, and likewise thousands of Albanian students, was flying with the wings of the dreams of democracy. She was an activist of the ADP and along with her friends founded the Youth Forum of the Albanian Democratic Party. Even though menaced several times by agents of the security of the state, she doesn’t give up the way she started.

    Years go by and she enters the structures of the ADP. Her friends do never forget her contribution in democratic meetings and manifestations. When speaking with the friends of Hana, they don’t forget to tell the numerous incidents they faced by the extremist communists and segments of the secret police.

   Hanë Dreshaj, was the model of a good friend, a person who studied and was persistent in realizing her goals. She did never give up when she began something. She had the ability to convince people about the democratic truth, the human right, - say those who studied and worked with her, all those who knew Hana during those years of a deep social and political movement.

   The year 1997, cut her dreams in half, just like many other young workers and activists of the Albanian democracy. Hanë Dreshaj was forced to leave her work as a teacher, for which she worked so hard and sacrificed many nights and days to become someone in life. Although jobless, she didn’t give up the democratic movement and her help to the ADP in the country where she lived. She took part in electoral campaigns supporting the democrat candidates. Again she was a target of those who had usurped the power with violence and blood. She didn’t give up her democratic attitude and support to the ADP, even after the macabre violence used on her until the last moments she stayed in her country.

   Her parents haven’t seen her since the last year when she left Albania. Though they miss her, they feel better as their daughter is no more in danger. When a group from our journal went to meet them, they welcomed us and were willing to talk about her.

   We love her, and we miss her so much that any time the door opens, we hope it’s her, - says her mom. It is better however that she is where she is, for here she would have her life in serious danger.

   Her father is silent and thoughtful. Perhaps for the destiny of her daughter, or his inability to help her to be free in her country, or, perhaps… who knows how much does a parent think of his daughter, now far from him. She is far away, very far.

   God is great and merciful on us - says again her mom - and might give us the chance to see my daughter free and embrace her. She left very soon. Those were the circumstances. She couldn’t stay here anymore. It became very dangerous for her and us too. May god bless her way and her friends, who are forced to leave their country and parents.

   You can’t help but reminding the red hair teacher, when you go by the school she taught. She, who loved so much her pupils, now is far away, from them, from her friends, from her dream that now is cut in half.

Alban Predeleci

 

The former persecuted of dictatorship, persecuted even today

It cannot be different as Albania is the most unsafe country in Europe. The story will repeat. Persecuted during the dictatorship of Hoxha, persecuted even today.

   Kejdis David Lika, born on March 29, 1980, partook with his father in political anticommunist protests of January 14, 1990, June 16, 1990, December 13, 1990, April 2, 1991, where he faced violence. As a young man grown up with anticommunist ideas, while his forerunners were mistreated during the communist regime of Enver Hoxha, his family was deprived of its property and rights. He was active, along with his father in every peaceful protest against violence and injustice used by the new communists. Kejdis Lika is a member of the anticommunist political association “13 Dhjetori 1990”. Based on documents we have in the archive of our journal, this guy gave a great contribution in safeguarding the institutions against the communist rebellion during the troubles of 1997, when Fatos Nano and the communist gangs broke up the storehouses and took the weapons stored in there. The young Albanian, Lika, on September 14, 1998 was in the great protest during the funeral of the deputy Azem Hajdari, murdered in Tirana by the communists. There he faced violence fro about three hours and was warned that he and his family will face violence again by the communists who have also killed many young people like him, what we have published in our journal with courage.

   Based on official documents of the Association of the Political Persecuted of Shkodra, led by Caf Jonuzi, Kejdis Lika is the nephew of Ali Lika. His Uncle, Ali Lika, was imprisoned and suffered in the prisons of dictatorship from 1955 until 1959, four years. Kejdis Lika was included in the letter “D” of the letter “B” (point 3) of the status of the political persecuted of Albania, based on the Law Nr. 7748, of July 29, 1993, approved by the Albanian Parliament. Kejdis Lika and his family have helped the democratic processes, as it was natural, especially during the elections.

   The return on power of the new dictatorship, through the communist amed revolution, marked the restart of persecution for the democratic element and the persecuted people by dictatorship. Menaces, physical and psychological violence, imprisonment and physical elimination was back as a practice of the political police of the regime installed after 1997. In these circumstances, likewise hundreds others, Kejdis Lika had to leave Albania, in order to save his life and avoid every kind of danger.

Sokol Pepushaj

 

The Albanian democrats of ’90 are unsafe in Albania

His name is Paulin Bregu, born on August 29, 1966. Everybody knows him and remember his name as one of the initiators of the democratic processes in Albania, which had their beginning in the anticommunist Shkodra. In the first open protest of January 14, 1990, when the bust of the wild dictator in Shkodra, Stalin, was pulled down, he was one of the active participants. In Shkodra had begun the demolition of the busts of dictatorship, and on December 13, 1990 was demolished the bust of the dictator Enver Hoxha, and again Paulin was at the head of this courageous act. On April 2, 1991, when the citizens of Shkodra were asking for the free vote and the frail democracy, Paulin was again at the head of those protest that cost Shkodra and Albania 4 dead and over 80 wounded. Paulin was beaten with barbarity by structures of the dictatorship that was at its last breath. He was naturally involved in the anticommunist Association  13 Dhjetori 1990”, while he is a member of the first party in opposition in Albania, the Democratic Party, since 10 years ago. The return on power of the new communists through the bloody revolution of 1997 found Paulin defending democracy and its pure ideal. At that time, extremists placed explosive menacing his life seriously. Paulin Bregu was again mistreated during the funeral of Azem Hajdari, executed by the clique on power. Paulin didn’t give up even though his life and family was menaced since the return of the new communists in 1997. During the local elections of October 12, 2003, he was member of the Elections Commission for the Municipality Rrethina. Those elections were manipulated with every mean damaging the Democratic Party and the opposition in general, as it was recognized by the entire world. Pressure and open threats became unbearable for him and his family after that time. In order to save the life of his children and his wife, as well as his youth, Paulin had to leave Albania with his family.

Albert Vataj

 

Berat: Why did the teacher Merushe Veliaj leave Albania?

Democrats are forced to leave Albania, because of their lives unsafe. One of them is the teacher Merushe Veliaj, born on November 4, 1963 in Berat. With the change of the system of the communist regime, she became a member of the DP and participated in all the protests. During that time she could study, previously deprived of. In 1997 she was a teacher in Terpan. On February 15, 1998, while going from Otllak to Bogdan with a “Fiat” vehicle along with Ferdinant Kalemi, they met member of the gang of Altin Dardha. She asks the police to help her. On July 17, 1998 her house was shot and his father was wounded in his leg. Ferdinant had the same problems. In June 1999, four armed people come in her quarter asking of her house. In these circumstances she was forced to leave Berat and live hidden in the house of her sister in Tirana. In April 2001, she received a threatening letter where it was written that every movement she made was controlled. On October 16, 2002, three people with guns went to her sister’s house and as they didn’t find her there, they broke everything they found saying that the next time they would place explosive in their house. All this happened because she had asked the police to help her. Police was collaborating with this gang, which is supposed to have killed 300 people and forced 3000 to leave this town. In these conditions she was forced to emigrate, for the police doesn’t protect her.

Zef Nika