Robert C. Wood Professor Discusses Art, Communism, and Democracy in Albania

By Ed Hayward

Edi Rama, who went from art professor to mayor of Tirana, Albania, during the nation's turbulent transition from communism to democracy, brought to UMass Boston his experiences using art and the environment to foster peace and prosperity to his Baltic homeland. As this year's Robert C. Wood Visiting Professor in Public and Urban Affairs, Rami gave a public lecture at the university on February 25 in the Chancellor's Conference Room.

Rama has earned international attention for his development programs as well as for his use of modern cinema to introduce democratic concepts through Tirana's movie theaters, where he replaced the communist documentaries that used to fill their screens with international productions.

In 2002, Rama received the United Nations Development Program's Poverty Eradication Award for his work to address environmental damage in his nation as well as introduce the concepts of free enterprise. Described by the UN as a "media savvy Renaissance man," Rama was recognized for his Clean and Green project, which was designed to restore the polluted Lana River in Tirana.

The program produced tens of thousands of square miles of parklands in the city and resulted in the planting of nearly 1,800 trees. In addition to raising environmental awareness, the project produced jobs for local workers.

Rama was a founding member of the Movement for Democracy, which played a decisive role in the overthrow of Albania's communist regime in 1990. But in 1997, he was severely beaten by pipe-wielding assailants during a politically motivated attack that forced him to retreat to Paris to recuperate.

When he returned to Albania for his father's funeral in 1998, he was tapped by Prime Minister Fatos Naro to serve as minister of Culture, Youth and Sports. In October 2000, he ran as an independent for the mayoralty of Tirana and rode the support of the Socialist Party to a victory with 54 percent of the votes.
Though he has called politics "boring compared to being an artist," Rama has chosen to patiently work for change in his country, a task he has likened to rebuilding an old house. It is "much more difficult to renew an old house than to build a new one, especially if the old house is built in the wrong way," he has said.

Image: Mayor Edi Rama is this year's Robert C. Wood Visiting Professor at the McCormack Institute. (Photo by Harry Brett)

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