History

After the revolution in Central and Eastern Europe in the annus mirabilis of 1990 Albania shifted towards a new stage of its social and political development. The challenge of the new developments brought in Albania the re-organization of its political, social and economical systems. Despite the achievements, however, this transition process proved to be uneasy and the Albanian society faced difficult situations which brought human rights violations. One of the fundamental human rights, the right to make efficient use of legal structures and institutions, remained often unimplemented. The economic changes have produced a situation where the vast majority of people are unable to afford the cost associated with taking legal proceedings.

The process of legal and institutional reform in Albania has virtually set aside the obligations for state-supported legal aid for people with limited economical means. The practical implementation of human rights guarantees thus remains, to a large extent, dependent on social status and material wealth.

Based on these challenges, Albanian Foundation "Conflict Resolution & Reconciliation of Disputes" (AFCR) was founded in December 1995 with the initiative of a group of experts in the fields of justice, sociology and culture. AFCR is a non-governmental, nonprofit and non-religious organization open for cooperation with other foundations and organizations. AFCR is a professional organization, pursuing capacity building for the peaceful resolution of conflicts through mediation and for democratic changes in the region of Albania.

The mission of AFCR is to offer its assistance in the democratization of the Albanian society through resolving and reconciling the conflicts and disputes that may arise between individuals or social groups. The main objectives are to strengthen the mediation process by increasing the number of conflicts and disputes to be solved through the mediation alternative, and to promote the culture of peace, tolerance and understanding.

The institute of mediation is made known in the Albanian society for its positive values and the achievements compared to other approaches to conflict and dispute resolution in society. However, further attention and investment is needed to consolidate what has been achieved up to date and further steps should be undertake to strengthen and institutionalize the mediation activity.