International Humanitarian Assistance announces the start up of its culture exchange activities for the summer of 2004. Young students from all around Europe will visit Albania and via versa.

Young people may have already been affected and want to get involved. You know that today’s youth leaders may be tomorrow’s policy-makers. If you are active in your community while you are young, it may increase your potential for leadership and efficacy later in life.

Young people offer us lots lots of ideas, creativity, energy, skills and a familiarity with cultural diversity. Their involvement today may set the stage for tomorrow’s policies. Your experience may encourage other youth to join you in pursuing solutions that will prevent future conflicts and ensure a safer world.

International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA) wants to help people from other countries. Learning about and discussing issues such as the challenges posed by globalization and social development represent the first step towards effective solutions. We are concerned that some people don’t seem to care about the harmful way other people treat our environment. Global problems of all kinds have escalated to the point that corrective actions need to come from all parts of society. Every young person, every individual must become involved in developing new practices.

Young people are the world’s future parents, future teachers, future leaders. They make up a large proportion of the world’s population. Young people like to travel and to discover other countries. Learning about other cultures—especially by living, working or studying abroad—will help them gain valuable knowledge. This experience will make it possible that they connect and communicate effectively with other people in different environments and societies.

You believe that political and social development, economic prosperity and environmental protection are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Each individual can make a difference so that our well-being and quality of life will improve globally. Our international exchanges and education programs will encourage and enable young Albanians not only to learn new skills and trainings and get involved with the culture and lifestyle of young people in other European countries, but also to help them broaden their exposure to foreign cultures.

In the course of their careers, these foreign contacts will likely develop a wide range of relations and connections within Europe.