Oculus News has frequently expressed similar concerns regarding the operational methods of Vatra, making them quite evident on numerous occasions. In this context, we are republishing an opinion by Agustin Mitakaj.
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| In an opinion piece, Agustin Mitakaj raises concerns over transparency, accountability, and the exclusion of the Manhattan Branch within Vatra, arguing that the historic institution is drifting away from its democratic spirit. |
Opinion – Agustin Mitakaj
Once upon a time, Vatra was the temple of free thought for Albanians in America. It was the institution where debate, democracy, and respect for its members formed the foundation of its existence.
Today, as a member of Vatra (vatran) and as the author of this writing, I have the impression that an entirely different reality is being created.
A Vatra where, in my opinion, exclusions are replacing dialogue. Where questions are often perceived as a nuisance. Where criticism is treated as opposition, and where certain decisions have raised numerous concerns among members.
For this reason, I use the metaphor of a “cooperative.” Not because I believe Vatra is literally one, but because I fear it is drifting away from the democratic spirit upon which it was founded.
One of the issues that has struck me the most is the fact that the Manhattan Branch—a branch with a recognized history and activity—does not appear in the new composition of the governing bodies. For me and for many vatranë, this raises questions that deserve answers.
Likewise, important questions continue to be raised:
• Where is the complete membership list?
• Where is the financial report?
• Has an independent audit been conducted?
• How were the mandates and the right to vote verified?
If these questions have been answered, those answers should be made easily accessible to every member. If not, transparency remains a legitimate demand.
In a democracy, questions are not an attack.
Transparency is not a threat.
Accountability is not a weakness.
History has taught us that institutions are not weakened by criticism, but by its absence. They are not weakened by questions, but by silence.
This is my personal opinion, as a vatran who believes that Vatra must remain the institution of all Albanian-Americans and not be perceived as the property of a group or an individual.
In the end, history will judge each of us—not by our social media posts, but by the institutional legacy we leave to the generations to come.