Mendi Kabashi, the daughter of the great Albanian actor Mirush Kabashi, is running for a seat on the Mississauga City Council in Ontario, Canada. In an interview for the show "This Week" on News24, with journalist Nisida Tufa, Kabashi recounted her journey from Albania to Canada, her community engagement and the reason that led her to enter local politics. Kabashi is running for the October 26 elections, in a local race that includes a community of about 65 residents. She said that the campaign is being conducted mainly on the ground, door to door, meeting residents and listening to their problems.
"Local politics is not ideology, it is service," Kabashi said, emphasizing that she sees the decision to run as a mission beyond personal ambition. Mendi Kabashi's journey has gone through several important stages. At the age of 17, she began her studies at the Military Academy in Modena, and later worked as a legal advisor at the Ministry of Defense. Today, she lives and works in Toronto, where she is engaged in community management.
For him, local politics is a way to bring the voice of citizens closer to institutions. "I want to make people's lives better, by utilizing all the potential that this neighborhood or this municipal unit has. I think I have the qualifications and preparation to do my best, but above all the will, honesty and dedication," Kabashi declared.
She said that an important part of the campaign is direct contact with residents. According to her, hundreds of citizens have agreed to publicly support her campaign, placing promotional materials for the candidacy in their homes. “Many people tell me: 'With these qualifications you have, you should have run for mayor, not for municipal councilor.' I often joke and tell them: next time,” she confessed. Kabashi also sees her candidacy as an opportunity for greater representation of Albanians in the civic and political life of Canada.
She also appreciated the support of the community and the structures with which she has been engaged during this period.
Asked by journalist Tufa about the protests in Albania and political developments in the country, Mendi Kabashi said that she does not see herself currently engaged in Albanian politics, but clearly expressed her support for citizens' right to protest.
INTERVIEW
Nisida Tufa: Mendi Kabashi, daughter of the great Mirush Kabashi from Tirana to Modena and now in the race for Misaga in Canada. Mendi is running in Misaga Ontario for the municipal council on October 26. Local race with about 65.000 residents where she is already knocking door to door in the campaign to talk and be closer. I am pleased to have her live now in an online connection of course unable to have her in the studio. Greetings Mendi.
Mendi Kabashi: Hello Nisida. Thank you very much for the invitation. I believe my father would be proud of me. I, in his footsteps, want to continue his legacy by leaving a good name, by being at the service of the citizens of the community where I live and to serve them with dignity, humility and devotion day by day, touching people's lives to leave a good taste in these, not only a good memory, not just one for a title or for a chair, I don't do this for anything. I do it for a purpose much greater than myself.
Nisida Tufa: From the Military Academy in Modena at the age of 17 to legal advisor at the Ministry of Defense and now community manager in Toronto. What was this journey like leading up to the decision to enter politics and this commitment as we are in the campaign now?
Mendi Kabashi: I have often said that local politics is not ideology, it is service and with this slogan that has been ringing in my ears throughout my journey, I have entered and started this adventure in a way that certainly takes me out of my comfort zone and takes time away from everything, especially my family. However, I consider it, as I said, a goal much greater than myself and I do it with the greatest dedication and love. I want to touch the lives of these people by making them better, by utilizing all the potential that this neighborhood or this municipal unit has and I think that I have all the qualifications and preparation to do the best, but above all the will and honesty and dedication to do the best. In fact, every day I knock on doors and starting from houses to residents who live in buildings, in entrances, I can say that the thing that fills me with great joy is that hundreds of residents have agreed to be part of my campaign, that is, these campaign signs with my photo, with the information on webmy website. I mean, these are called lins and as you know, the vote is secret in a way, but many people do not feel comfortable sharing it. Meanwhile, these people trust me so much that they agree to keep my slogan or my image, my face with all the campaign information in front of their house with pride for a month and this certainly fills me with a lot of joy, but also with a lot of responsibility when I hear many comments like; "with these qualifications you have, you should have run for mayor, not for municipal councilor". I also often joke and say; next time!
And many others who tell me every day: "We need someone like you" and it seems to be genuine, meaning what they are saying are people who truly want and have the desire to see change, as well as a new spirit and a dedicated and energetic person.
My father raised us, taught us how to give, but he didn't teach us how to ask. As a family, we have a very difficult time asking, reaching out. But in this case, I am running for a goal that is much bigger than me, because this is not Mendika Bashi's race, this is a race for greater representation of Albanians in the civic and political life of Canada, and I call on every Albanian who is close to me, not only in Misaga, but also in endless districts, Albanians who cannot vote, to join and walk with me on this journey, because the only thing that is mine that day is the name on the paper, on the ballot paper, and my birthday, which coincides with election day on October 26. Meanwhile, the rest, the victory will be ours. I do not consider this a race that I am winning alone. So I want to take this opportunity to thank EPAK where I am also the president of the Musisaka branch recently declared as the Albanian Canadian Political Comiri, the boys with whom I started this journey have been with me and will be with me every step of the way. The first thing I would do after the elections are over is to take the plane and come to Albania to meet my little Mirush because I haven't seen my son for a few months and I want to thank my mom for the great help she has given me. Getting into something like this certainly takes sacrifices from family life. This will be the first thing. To say thank you to my family for this great help they have given me. But above all, to hug my children and that is the goal to leave a good name like my father did. We are proud of the name we bear. I want to continue that journey with dignity and dedication and in service to the community.
Nisida Tufa: What is your opinion about the protest in Albania?
Mendi Kabashi: I've been asked this question several times, and to be honest, it's something I haven't considered in terms of engaging in Albanian politics because I think both sides are not ready for each other.
As for the protest, I am completely in support of the voice of the citizens, especially because of the fact that I have embarked on this journey to bring the voice of Albanian citizens here or wherever they come from, whatever their faith or background, that is, closer to the municipality. This is my main goal. That is, every representative in local politics or wherever it may be should be a representative of the voice of the citizens. Today, Albanian citizens are raising their voices because they do not want to lose them and I think that this mission should continue until the voice resounds loudly and the intentions and will of the citizens are carried to the end.
