WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.480 I have a question for you. If you had to sit 00:00:03.480 --> 00:00:06.839 down right now and write a list of the most honorable 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:09.220 people in your country, not the richest, not 00:00:09.220 --> 00:00:11.800 the most famous, but the most honorable, who 00:00:11.800 --> 00:00:16.460 makes the cut? Wow. That is a surprisingly difficult 00:00:16.460 --> 00:00:18.940 question. You immediately run into the problem 00:00:18.940 --> 00:00:21.160 of definition. Right. Because are we talking 00:00:21.160 --> 00:00:23.359 about bravery? Are we talking about charity? 00:00:23.500 --> 00:00:26.820 Or is it something stiffer? i don't know moral 00:00:26.820 --> 00:00:29.879 rectitude exactly and then once you figure out 00:00:29.879 --> 00:00:31.960 the criteria you have to actually pick the winners 00:00:31.960 --> 00:00:35.060 is it the soldier is it the poet the nurse or 00:00:35.060 --> 00:00:37.200 and just stay with me here is it the high school 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:39.460 down the street or the public library yeah or 00:00:39.460 --> 00:00:42.100 the football team the entire team it sounds like 00:00:42.100 --> 00:00:43.859 a hypothetical dinner party game but this is 00:00:43.859 --> 00:00:47.340 actually a matter of state law it is Today, we 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:50.039 are doing a deep dive into a really fascinating 00:00:50.039 --> 00:00:53.020 topic based on a comprehensive Wikipedia article. 00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:55.899 We're looking at the honor of the nation decoration. 00:00:56.520 --> 00:01:00.859 Right. The decorata in Derry I combat in Albanian. 00:01:00.899 --> 00:01:03.380 Yes. The honor of the nation. And this isn't 00:01:03.380 --> 00:01:05.819 just some participation trophy. The source is 00:01:05.819 --> 00:01:08.640 very clear that this is the highest civil decoration 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:11.239 the Republic of Albania can bestow. And what 00:01:11.239 --> 00:01:13.640 I love about this deep dive is that by analyzing 00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:17.890 who gets this medal. And what gets this medal? 00:01:18.069 --> 00:01:20.450 We get a really clear picture of how a country 00:01:20.450 --> 00:01:23.269 defines itself. We have the legal history, the 00:01:23.269 --> 00:01:26.390 exact criteria, and a very eclectic list of recipients. 00:01:26.730 --> 00:01:28.810 Our mission today is to basically unpack that 00:01:28.810 --> 00:01:31.370 list. We want to understand the specific rules 00:01:31.370 --> 00:01:33.090 of honor, according to the Albanian government, 00:01:33.290 --> 00:01:35.409 and then see how those rules play out in reality. 00:01:35.510 --> 00:01:38.469 Because, spoiler alert, Jim Belushi is involved. 00:01:38.650 --> 00:01:41.010 He is indeed. But before we get to Hollywood, 00:01:41.129 --> 00:01:42.269 we should probably start with the paperwork. 00:01:43.129 --> 00:01:44.870 The source material outlines the origin of the 00:01:44.870 --> 00:01:48.099 award, which centers on law number 8113. Passed 00:01:48.099 --> 00:01:51.359 on March 28th, 1996. That date is crucial. Context 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:54.099 is everything here. In 1996, Albania is only 00:01:54.099 --> 00:01:56.340 a few years out from the collapse of a very strict, 00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:59.060 very isolated communist regime. The country is 00:01:59.060 --> 00:02:01.200 trying to figure out what it is in this new era. 00:02:01.459 --> 00:02:04.439 So the old medals, the hero of socialist labor 00:02:04.439 --> 00:02:07.500 types, those are gone. Exactly. They need new 00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:10.699 symbols for a new democratic era. And so this 00:02:10.699 --> 00:02:13.620 law, which instituted the award, is basically 00:02:13.620 --> 00:02:16.240 a rebranding exercise for the nation's values. 00:02:16.840 --> 00:02:19.139 Though it didn't stay static, right? The source 00:02:19.139 --> 00:02:21.340 mentions it was amended later by Law No. 112 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:24.580 in 2013, which updated the whole system of decorations, 00:02:25.039 --> 00:02:28.340 honorific titles, and medals. Yes, but the core 00:02:28.340 --> 00:02:31.099 hierarchy remained. At the very top of the civil 00:02:31.099 --> 00:02:33.879 pyramid sits the honor of the nation. Visually 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:36.460 and legally, it is a state decoration awarded 00:02:36.460 --> 00:02:39.599 specifically by the president of Albania. It's 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:41.520 the state looking you in the eye and saying, 00:02:41.599 --> 00:02:44.180 you represent the best of us. Okay, so how do 00:02:44.180 --> 00:02:46.780 I get one? The law lays out specific criteria. 00:02:47.139 --> 00:02:49.620 It's defined as a token of gratitude and recognition, 00:02:49.840 --> 00:02:52.020 but it's not enough to just be generally good. 00:02:52.199 --> 00:02:54.520 No, the text mentions two very specific metrics. 00:02:54.680 --> 00:02:56.879 You need acts and you need a good name. Acts 00:02:56.879 --> 00:02:58.699 is the easy part, I think. That's your resume. 00:02:58.840 --> 00:03:00.659 Did you win the championship? Did you read the 00:03:00.659 --> 00:03:02.680 great novel? Did you negotiate the peace treaty? 00:03:02.900 --> 00:03:05.199 Yeah, those are tangible things you can point 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:08.969 to. But good name? That feels incredibly subjective. 00:03:09.270 --> 00:03:10.770 It sounds like something my grandmother would 00:03:10.770 --> 00:03:12.550 worry about. You know, oh, you're ruining your 00:03:12.550 --> 00:03:14.870 good name. It does feel a bit old fashioned, 00:03:14.949 --> 00:03:18.349 but legally it's fascinating. It implies that 00:03:18.349 --> 00:03:21.110 honor is not just about output. It's about character. 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:23.740 You could be the most talented scientist in the 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:26.439 world, but if you're a known fraudster, you constantly 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:28.800 trash talk the nation, you don't have a good 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:31.819 name. So it fuses capability with reputation. 00:03:32.139 --> 00:03:34.080 The two have to go hand in hand to earn this. 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:36.979 Exactly. The source quotes the criteria specifically 00:03:36.979 --> 00:03:40.659 as personalities who, by their acts and good 00:03:40.659 --> 00:03:43.400 name, contribute to honoring the Albanian nation. 00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:45.979 It's a holistic view. You really can't separate 00:03:45.979 --> 00:03:48.099 the art from the artist here. Now, there are 00:03:48.099 --> 00:03:49.900 two provisions in this law that I found really 00:03:49.900 --> 00:03:52.120 surprising. The first is about geographic scope. 00:03:52.280 --> 00:03:54.580 The source says the acts can be performed inside 00:03:54.580 --> 00:03:57.319 and outside of the country. This is huge. For 00:03:57.319 --> 00:03:59.620 many countries, national awards are for people 00:03:59.620 --> 00:04:02.860 who actually live there. But Albania has a massive 00:04:02.860 --> 00:04:05.259 diaspora. There are millions of Albanians living 00:04:05.259 --> 00:04:08.810 in Italy, Greece, the U .S., Switzerland. So 00:04:08.810 --> 00:04:11.490 this clause is essentially a way of tethering 00:04:11.490 --> 00:04:14.030 them back to the homeland. Absolutely. It's the 00:04:14.030 --> 00:04:16.689 state saying, we don't care if you haven't lived 00:04:16.689 --> 00:04:19.670 in Toronto since 1990. If you do something great 00:04:19.670 --> 00:04:22.129 in New York or London that reflects well on us, 00:04:22.230 --> 00:04:25.550 we claim you. It turns the diaspora into a strategic 00:04:25.550 --> 00:04:29.300 asset. And then the second surprise. Nationality 00:04:29.300 --> 00:04:31.800 scope. You don't actually have to be an Albanian 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:34.120 citizen to be the honor of the nation. Correct. 00:04:34.379 --> 00:04:37.660 The award is explicitly granted to Albanian citizens 00:04:37.660 --> 00:04:40.100 and foreign nationals. Which seems like a contradiction 00:04:40.100 --> 00:04:42.540 in terms. How can someone from outside the country 00:04:42.540 --> 00:04:45.860 be the honor of the Albanian nation? It redefines 00:04:45.860 --> 00:04:48.079 the concept of a nation. It's not just a closed 00:04:48.079 --> 00:04:51.339 circle of citizens holding passports. If a foreigner 00:04:51.339 --> 00:04:54.319 defends Albanian interests or elevates the culture 00:04:54.319 --> 00:04:56.910 globally, They become part of the national story. 00:04:57.069 --> 00:04:59.470 So it's a very inclusive idea of nationalism. 00:04:59.769 --> 00:05:02.230 Very much so. But before anyone gets any ideas 00:05:02.230 --> 00:05:04.050 about just applying for this online, the nomination 00:05:04.050 --> 00:05:06.170 process is pretty tight. It's not just the president 00:05:06.170 --> 00:05:08.810 waking up and picking a name. Right. Proposals 00:05:08.810 --> 00:05:10.790 can come from a few places. The president of 00:05:10.790 --> 00:05:13.009 the republic can propose someone. The speaker 00:05:13.009 --> 00:05:16.009 of the assembly. The prime minister. And independent 00:05:16.009 --> 00:05:18.310 institutions relevant to this specific field. 00:05:18.509 --> 00:05:20.990 Which distributes the power a bit. It ensures 00:05:20.990 --> 00:05:23.290 that experts in science or art can push their 00:05:23.290 --> 00:05:25.550 best people forward. OK, so that's the legal 00:05:25.550 --> 00:05:28.329 framework. High stakes, character counts, borders 00:05:28.329 --> 00:05:31.120 are porous. Now I want to look at the reality. 00:05:31.519 --> 00:05:33.220 Because when you scan the list of recipients 00:05:33.220 --> 00:05:36.180 provided in the Wikipedia article, it is, well, 00:05:36.300 --> 00:05:39.000 eclectic is a polite word for it. It is a genuinely 00:05:39.000 --> 00:05:42.800 wild mix. I expected generals. I expected politicians. 00:05:42.899 --> 00:05:44.920 And sure, some of those are there. But then I 00:05:44.920 --> 00:05:48.139 saw the sports collectives. Specifically, the 00:05:48.139 --> 00:05:50.839 Albanian national football team is a recipient. 00:05:51.060 --> 00:05:55.300 Yes. Not just a star player, but the entity of 00:05:55.300 --> 00:05:58.069 the team. Think about that for a second. We are 00:05:58.069 --> 00:06:00.810 talking about the highest civil decoration, the 00:06:00.810 --> 00:06:04.029 same award you might give to a surgeon who revolutionizes 00:06:04.029 --> 00:06:06.269 medicine. And we're giving it to a soccer team. 00:06:06.410 --> 00:06:09.029 It speaks volumes about the modern role of sports 00:06:09.029 --> 00:06:12.110 in national identity. When the Albanian national 00:06:12.110 --> 00:06:15.060 team qualifies for a major tournament. That does 00:06:15.060 --> 00:06:17.819 more for Albania's good name globally than a 00:06:17.819 --> 00:06:20.439 thousand diplomatic summits. So the act is playing 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:22.920 well and the good name is the sheer pride and 00:06:22.920 --> 00:06:25.259 visibility they generate. Exactly. They aren't 00:06:25.259 --> 00:06:27.639 just athletes in that moment. They are a projection 00:06:27.639 --> 00:06:31.160 of the nation's confidence and unity. OK, I can 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:33.279 wrap my head around the sports team. But then 00:06:33.279 --> 00:06:36.540 I saw the institutions. The completely inanimate 00:06:36.540 --> 00:06:39.500 objects. The list includes the Universite di 00:06:39.500 --> 00:06:42.279 Luigi Guricucci. Yes, a university. And the 28 00:06:42.279 --> 00:06:45.540 and Tori Gymnasium. And we should probably clarify 00:06:45.540 --> 00:06:47.639 for our listeners who might not be familiar with 00:06:47.639 --> 00:06:50.600 the European system. A gymnasium isn't a place 00:06:50.600 --> 00:06:53.000 with basketball hoops and locker rooms. Right. 00:06:53.060 --> 00:06:55.660 It's an elite academic high school, a preparatory 00:06:55.660 --> 00:06:58.180 school. So it's a school. But still, it's a building 00:06:58.180 --> 00:07:01.000 with classrooms and chalkboards. Imagine a country 00:07:01.000 --> 00:07:03.740 giving its absolute highest medal of honor to 00:07:03.740 --> 00:07:06.779 a local high school. It feels weird. It does 00:07:06.779 --> 00:07:09.319 feel strange at first glance, but I think it's 00:07:09.319 --> 00:07:12.500 actually quite profound. By awarding the institution 00:07:12.500 --> 00:07:15.879 itself, the state is acknowledging that culture 00:07:15.879 --> 00:07:18.459 and excellence don't just happen in a vacuum. 00:07:18.759 --> 00:07:22.540 They are manufactured. Manufacture how? By the 00:07:22.540 --> 00:07:25.420 teachers. By the environment. Yeah. The 28 Mentori 00:07:25.420 --> 00:07:27.579 Gymnasium, for example, have a deep history. 00:07:27.779 --> 00:07:29.819 These institutions are where the language was 00:07:29.819 --> 00:07:32.379 preserved, where the next generation of intellectuals 00:07:32.379 --> 00:07:35.199 were trained. By giving the medal to the school, 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:38.040 the state is saying this infrastructure is heroic. 00:07:38.360 --> 00:07:40.720 That is a really cool way to look at it. We love 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:42.860 to worship the great man, right? The singular 00:07:42.860 --> 00:07:45.740 genius. But the genius had to learn to read somewhere. 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:49.160 Precisely. You cannot have the great writer without 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:51.180 the school that taught them. You can't have the 00:07:51.180 --> 00:07:53.540 scientists without the university. They are recognizing 00:07:53.540 --> 00:07:55.600 the foundation. And speaking of foundations, 00:07:55.819 --> 00:07:58.600 the Bibliotheca Combatera is on the list. The 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:01.240 National Library. Yes. Think about the criteria 00:08:01.240 --> 00:08:05.220 again. Acts. And good name. Does a library have 00:08:05.220 --> 00:08:06.879 a good name? I mean, I guess it does, as long 00:08:06.879 --> 00:08:09.360 as they don't charge exorbitant late fees. Well, 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:11.860 in a philosophical sense, an institution definitely 00:08:11.860 --> 00:08:15.740 has a moral standing. A library is the guardian 00:08:15.740 --> 00:08:19.139 of a nation's memory. If it preserves the history 00:08:19.139 --> 00:08:22.000 faithfully, it has honor. If it lets the books 00:08:22.000 --> 00:08:25.060 rot... It has dishonor. So the state is treating 00:08:25.060 --> 00:08:27.839 these institutions as living, breathing moral 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:30.459 agents. It elevates them. It says that maintaining 00:08:30.459 --> 00:08:33.820 a library is a patriotic act equal to defending 00:08:33.820 --> 00:08:36.259 a border. There's also an entire municipality 00:08:36.259 --> 00:08:40.080 on the list, Bashkir Kukiz, the town council 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:42.519 of Kukiz. That is almost certainly related to 00:08:42.519 --> 00:08:45.480 the Kosovo War in the late 90s. Kukiz is a relatively 00:08:45.480 --> 00:08:48.259 small town in northern Albania. But during the 00:08:48.259 --> 00:08:50.559 conflict, it hosted hundreds of thousands of 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:52.779 refugees fleeing across the border. They were 00:08:52.779 --> 00:08:54.700 actually nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for 00:08:54.700 --> 00:08:56.639 that effort. Ah, so that makes perfect sense. 00:08:56.759 --> 00:08:59.759 The act was humanitarian aid on a massive, unprecedented 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:02.340 scale. But again, look at how they awarded it. 00:09:02.419 --> 00:09:03.919 They didn't just give the medal to the mayor. 00:09:04.039 --> 00:09:06.419 They gave it to the municipality. to the people 00:09:06.419 --> 00:09:08.700 of the town as a collective. It really decenters 00:09:08.700 --> 00:09:10.879 the ego. It's not about one person saying, I 00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:13.240 did this. It's formal recognition that we did 00:09:13.240 --> 00:09:16.039 this. It's a very refreshing perspective on what 00:09:16.039 --> 00:09:18.799 constitutes national heroism. I also notice an 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:21.840 association on the list, the Shakada Tarana. 00:09:22.190 --> 00:09:25.450 Yes. The Tirana Association, again, honoring 00:09:25.450 --> 00:09:27.909 a collective group dedicated to preserving the 00:09:27.909 --> 00:09:29.809 cultural and social heritage of the capital. 00:09:30.129 --> 00:09:33.730 It's all about recognizing the groups that hold 00:09:33.730 --> 00:09:36.509 the fabric of the society together. OK, let's 00:09:36.509 --> 00:09:38.370 pivot from the collectives back to the individuals. 00:09:39.399 --> 00:09:42.080 Because if the library was a surprise, the celebrities 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:45.159 were a shock. We talked earlier about that outside 00:09:45.159 --> 00:09:47.700 the country rule and the foreign nationals clause. 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:50.419 There is one name on this list that I think almost 00:09:50.419 --> 00:09:52.659 everyone knows. You're talking about Jim Belushi. 00:09:52.820 --> 00:09:55.639 I am. The guy from, according to Jim, the guy 00:09:55.639 --> 00:09:58.639 from K9, the Blues Brother. He is the honor of 00:09:58.639 --> 00:10:00.840 the nation. He is indeed. Explain this to me. 00:10:00.899 --> 00:10:03.340 I know he's famous. I know he's funny. But does 00:10:03.340 --> 00:10:05.919 starring in an American sitcom constitute honor 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:08.370 of the Albanian nation? You have to look at this 00:10:08.370 --> 00:10:11.389 through the lens of soft power. Albania is a 00:10:11.389 --> 00:10:13.809 small country. For a long time during the Cold 00:10:13.809 --> 00:10:15.929 War, it was known for being totally closed off. 00:10:16.169 --> 00:10:19.389 Later, maybe for regional conflict, having a 00:10:19.389 --> 00:10:21.590 bona fide Hollywood star who goes on American 00:10:21.590 --> 00:10:24.990 talk shows and says, I am Albanian. I am proud 00:10:24.990 --> 00:10:27.690 of my heritage. That is worth its weight in gold. 00:10:28.029 --> 00:10:30.889 So he's basically functioning as a cultural ambassador 00:10:30.889 --> 00:10:34.799 without the diplomatic passport. Exactly. He 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:37.240 validates the identity on a massive global stage. 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:40.039 The state awarding him is a way to lock that 00:10:40.039 --> 00:10:42.580 relationship in. It's a way of saying, Jim, you 00:10:42.580 --> 00:10:44.279 aren't just an American with Albanian parents. 00:10:44.399 --> 00:10:46.639 You belong to us. It's clever. It's essentially 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:48.820 a very prestigious thank you note for the PR. 00:10:49.059 --> 00:10:51.059 And he's not the only one in the arts. You have 00:10:51.059 --> 00:10:53.399 Inva Mula on the list. The opera singer. The 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:55.659 world -class soprano. For listeners who might 00:10:55.659 --> 00:10:57.679 not follow opera, if you've seen the sci -fi 00:10:57.679 --> 00:10:59.659 movie The Fifth Element, there's that famous 00:10:59.659 --> 00:11:02.440 scene with the blue alien diva singing that impossibly 00:11:02.440 --> 00:11:05.970 high song. That is Inva Mula's voice. No way. 00:11:06.009 --> 00:11:08.850 I had no idea that was her. It is. So you have 00:11:08.850 --> 00:11:12.230 elite high culture opera sitting right next to 00:11:12.230 --> 00:11:14.649 Hollywood comedy on this list. And then you have 00:11:14.649 --> 00:11:17.110 Ismail Kader. Who is in a totally different category 00:11:17.110 --> 00:11:20.330 of cultural impact. He is the literary giant 00:11:20.330 --> 00:11:24.389 of Albania. A perennial Nobel contender. Winner 00:11:24.389 --> 00:11:27.110 of the International Booker Prize. He documented 00:11:27.110 --> 00:11:29.950 the Albanian soul and the machinery of totalitarianism. 00:11:30.330 --> 00:11:33.049 for decades. So the list includes the pop culture 00:11:33.049 --> 00:11:35.929 export with Belushi, the high art virtuoso with 00:11:35.929 --> 00:11:38.110 Moolah, and the intellectual heavyweight with 00:11:38.110 --> 00:11:40.149 Kader. It really shows that the definition of 00:11:40.149 --> 00:11:43.309 honor is broad. It covers entertainment, fine 00:11:43.309 --> 00:11:46.090 art, and literature. They all contribute to that 00:11:46.090 --> 00:11:49.149 good name in different but equally valid ways. 00:11:49.409 --> 00:11:51.710 We also see athletes honored as individuals, 00:11:51.710 --> 00:11:54.110 not just as part of the football team. Panajot 00:11:54.110 --> 00:11:57.700 Pano is there, Nora Gakova. And Majlinda Kalmendi. 00:11:57.940 --> 00:12:00.220 Majlinda Kalmendi is an absolute legend, a judo 00:12:00.220 --> 00:12:03.039 champion. Now, she famously won Kosovo's first 00:12:03.039 --> 00:12:05.360 Olympic gold medal, but she is on the Albanian 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:07.840 Honor of the Nation list, too. This touches on 00:12:07.840 --> 00:12:10.200 the ethnicity aspect we discussed. She is an 00:12:10.200 --> 00:12:13.139 ethnic Albanian from Kosovo. Ah, so the award 00:12:13.139 --> 00:12:15.399 ignores the political border to recognize the 00:12:15.399 --> 00:12:17.799 broader ethnic nation. It reinforces that inside 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:21.259 and outside the country idea. Yes. The political 00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:23.519 map is different from the cultural map, and the 00:12:23.519 --> 00:12:26.460 decoration bridges that gap perfectly. Now, I 00:12:26.460 --> 00:12:28.379 want to talk about a specific pattern I noticed 00:12:28.379 --> 00:12:30.539 in the data from the source. I was scrolling 00:12:30.539 --> 00:12:32.460 through the dates of when these awards were given 00:12:32.460 --> 00:12:35.159 out. Usually they are granted one at a time, 00:12:35.179 --> 00:12:38.159 maybe two. But on July 11th, 2017, there was 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:41.399 a bulk drop. Ah, the Curiazzi family cluster. 00:12:41.679 --> 00:12:43.940 Right. Five people with the same family connection, 00:12:44.059 --> 00:12:47.139 all awarded on the exact same day. Let me read 00:12:47.139 --> 00:12:51.460 the names. Chris Adaco, Gerasim Curiazzi, Jerje 00:12:51.460 --> 00:12:55.299 Curiazzi. Parashkevi Kiriazi and Sevasti Kiriazi. 00:12:55.500 --> 00:12:57.500 This is one of the most fascinating stories in 00:12:57.500 --> 00:12:59.580 the entire Wikipedia article. Who are they and 00:12:59.580 --> 00:13:01.559 why did they all get the highest honor in the 00:13:01.559 --> 00:13:04.240 country on a random Tuesday in 2017? They weren't 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:06.419 a basketball starting five. No, they were something 00:13:06.419 --> 00:13:08.220 much more foundational. They were the educators 00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:11.019 of the nation. Sevasti and Parashkevi Kiriazi, 00:13:11.179 --> 00:13:13.559 the sisters, are often referred to as the mothers 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:16.620 of Albanian education. They opened the first 00:13:16.620 --> 00:13:20.179 Albanian school for girls in Corse back in 1891. 00:13:20.419 --> 00:13:22.970 Wait, 1891? So this is a posthumous award. Very 00:13:22.970 --> 00:13:25.350 posthumous. This is the state reaching back more 00:13:25.350 --> 00:13:28.190 than a century to officially correct the historical 00:13:28.190 --> 00:13:31.629 record. Why did the record need correcting? Because... 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:33.799 During the communist era, history was heavily 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:36.519 managed. Some figures were celebrated, but others 00:13:36.519 --> 00:13:39.759 were sidelined. The Curiazzi family were Protestants, 00:13:39.779 --> 00:13:42.159 and they had strong ties to American and British 00:13:42.159 --> 00:13:44.720 missionaries. They didn't fit the strict communist 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:47.379 narrative, so their immense contributions were 00:13:47.379 --> 00:13:51.100 often minimized. So July 11th, 2017 was essentially 00:13:51.100 --> 00:13:53.779 a canonization. It was the modern state saying, 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:56.360 we are officially putting you back in the center 00:13:56.360 --> 00:13:59.000 of the pantheon where you belong. Exactly. And 00:13:59.000 --> 00:14:01.549 it wasn't just about the girl school. Girgirj 00:14:01.549 --> 00:14:03.850 and the others were heavily involved in the Congress 00:14:03.850 --> 00:14:07.330 of Monaster in 1908. That was the conference 00:14:07.330 --> 00:14:10.090 where intellectuals gathered to decide what alphabet 00:14:10.090 --> 00:14:12.509 the Albanian language would officially use. They 00:14:12.509 --> 00:14:14.629 literally helped pick the alphabet. They did. 00:14:14.830 --> 00:14:18.070 So when we talk about the criteria of acts, helping 00:14:18.070 --> 00:14:20.029 to decide the very letters that the nation's 00:14:20.029 --> 00:14:21.929 laws and literature will be written in is a pretty 00:14:21.929 --> 00:14:24.230 definitive act. That really puts Jim Belushi 00:14:24.230 --> 00:14:27.149 in perspective. I mean, I like canine, but inventing 00:14:27.149 --> 00:14:29.330 the alphabet is a tough act to follow. It certainly 00:14:29.330 --> 00:14:32.629 raises the bar. But it shows the incredible utility 00:14:32.629 --> 00:14:35.730 of the award. It connects the foundational figures 00:14:35.730 --> 00:14:38.370 of the 19th century with the pop culture figures 00:14:38.370 --> 00:14:41.389 of the 21st. It draws a continuous line through 00:14:41.389 --> 00:14:43.990 history and says, this is all part of our story. 00:14:44.250 --> 00:14:46.730 I noticed an interesting omission, though. With 00:14:46.730 --> 00:14:49.129 all these massive historical figures, Mother 00:14:49.129 --> 00:14:51.909 Teresa isn't on this specific list. That's right. 00:14:52.049 --> 00:14:54.090 She has other massive honors and institutions 00:14:54.090 --> 00:14:56.870 named after her, but she isn't listed under this 00:14:56.870 --> 00:14:59.330 specific decoration in the source. However... 00:14:59.580 --> 00:15:02.320 You do see other massive cultural icons. You 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:05.159 have Djurgjei Fishta, the great Franciscan friar 00:15:05.159 --> 00:15:08.179 and poet. You have Vassila, the iconic singer. 00:15:08.460 --> 00:15:10.919 The diversity of the names is staggering. Speaking 00:15:10.919 --> 00:15:13.299 of diversity, there is one more category of person 00:15:13.299 --> 00:15:15.279 on this list that we need to address, the complete 00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:17.519 outsider. We mentioned the Four National Clause 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:20.220 earlier, and I saw the name Rosen Plevnaliev. 00:15:20.360 --> 00:15:22.860 The former president of Bulgaria. Right. So why 00:15:22.860 --> 00:15:24.759 does the president of Bulgaria get the honor 00:15:24.759 --> 00:15:27.889 of the nation for Albania? Did he open a historic 00:15:27.889 --> 00:15:30.730 school? Did he star in a sitcom? This is where 00:15:30.730 --> 00:15:32.809 we leave the realm of pure sentiment and enter 00:15:32.809 --> 00:15:35.169 the realm of hard diplomacy. State decorations 00:15:35.169 --> 00:15:38.950 are a currency. A currency, like trading favors. 00:15:39.269 --> 00:15:41.470 Think of it like a high -level diplomatic gift. 00:15:41.690 --> 00:15:43.990 When a foreign head of state visits or when you 00:15:43.990 --> 00:15:46.830 want to solidify a strategic alliance, you exchange 00:15:46.830 --> 00:15:49.950 honors. Plevnalia was a very strong supporter 00:15:49.950 --> 00:15:53.289 of Balkan integration and EU expansion. Giving 00:15:53.289 --> 00:15:55.809 him the highest civil honor is a way of sealing 00:15:55.809 --> 00:15:58.149 that friendship. It feels a little more transactional 00:15:58.149 --> 00:16:00.409 than honoring the local library or the Kiryasi 00:16:00.409 --> 00:16:03.190 sisters. It is transactional. But that's statecraft. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:06.519 It serves a very real purpose. It says we value 00:16:06.519 --> 00:16:09.000 our geopolitical relationship with Bulgaria so 00:16:09.000 --> 00:16:11.519 much that we're giving you our best medal. So 00:16:11.519 --> 00:16:13.100 if we look at the list as a whole, it's this 00:16:13.100 --> 00:16:15.960 incredible tapestry. It's a mix of genuine national 00:16:15.960 --> 00:16:19.440 heroes, strategic diplomatic allies, soft power 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:22.490 celebrities and inanimate institutions. If you 00:16:22.490 --> 00:16:24.590 looked at just one name out of context, it might 00:16:24.590 --> 00:16:26.590 seem totally random. You'd ask, why is the guy 00:16:26.590 --> 00:16:28.730 from the sitcom here? Why is the high school 00:16:28.730 --> 00:16:30.750 here? But when you step back and look at the 00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:33.870 whole list, you see the actual priorities of 00:16:33.870 --> 00:16:37.110 the state. They prioritize history, education, 00:16:37.570 --> 00:16:40.789 international recognition, and unity. Before 00:16:40.789 --> 00:16:42.570 we wrap up, I want to double check the history 00:16:42.570 --> 00:16:45.090 of the award itself. The source has some interesting 00:16:45.090 --> 00:16:47.789 documentation. We said the law was from 1996, 00:16:48.110 --> 00:16:50.669 but is this a brand new idea for the country? 00:16:51.129 --> 00:16:53.649 Not entirely. The article references a book called 00:16:53.649 --> 00:16:57.389 Ligi Per Decorata, The Law on Decorations. And 00:16:57.389 --> 00:16:59.990 it also cites books on Albanian metals by authors 00:16:59.990 --> 00:17:03.450 like Filipram Bulaku and Artin Lame. Right. I 00:17:03.450 --> 00:17:05.250 saw that. And the historical context mentioned 00:17:05.250 --> 00:17:07.529 in one of those titles was from Prince Vidi until 00:17:07.529 --> 00:17:10.769 today. Yes. Prince Vidi, or Wilhelm Vidi, was 00:17:10.769 --> 00:17:13.150 a German prince appointed to rule Albania for 00:17:13.150 --> 00:17:16.819 a very short, very chaotic period in 1914. But 00:17:16.819 --> 00:17:18.380 the point the authors make is that even back 00:17:18.380 --> 00:17:21.279 then, the state knew it needed symbols. You need 00:17:21.279 --> 00:17:23.740 ribbons, stars, and medals to create a hierarchy 00:17:23.740 --> 00:17:27.160 of loyalty and shared values. So the 1996 law 00:17:27.160 --> 00:17:29.900 establishing the honor of the nation is really 00:17:29.900 --> 00:17:33.380 just the modern democratic iteration of a very 00:17:33.380 --> 00:17:36.460 old state impulse. Exactly. Every government, 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:39.180 no matter the era, needs a structured way to 00:17:39.180 --> 00:17:41.779 say... good job to the people who build the nation. 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:44.559 So let's bring this whole deep dive back to the 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.839 surface. What is the ultimate takeaway here? 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:49.599 We started by asking how a nation decides who 00:17:49.599 --> 00:17:52.380 is honorable. The honor of the nation is a flexible, 00:17:52.519 --> 00:17:56.200 high level award established in 1996 that recognizes 00:17:56.200 --> 00:17:59.299 acts in good name, regardless of borders or even 00:17:59.299 --> 00:18:01.240 citizenship. And I think the deepest takeaway 00:18:01.240 --> 00:18:04.119 is that for Albania, honor is essentially a team 00:18:04.119 --> 00:18:06.339 sport. It really is. It's not just the solitary 00:18:06.339 --> 00:18:08.990 hero charging up the hill. No. It's the writer 00:18:08.990 --> 00:18:11.789 at their desk. It's the diaspora star in Hollywood. 00:18:11.990 --> 00:18:14.190 It's the diplomat building bridges. But most 00:18:14.190 --> 00:18:15.549 importantly, and this is the part that really 00:18:15.549 --> 00:18:17.329 sticks with me, it's the infrastructure. The 00:18:17.329 --> 00:18:20.670 library and the gymnasium. By honoring the institution, 00:18:20.990 --> 00:18:24.490 the state is admitting a fundamental truth. You 00:18:24.490 --> 00:18:27.349 cannot have culture without the container. You 00:18:27.349 --> 00:18:30.109 need the school to teach the history. You need 00:18:30.109 --> 00:18:33.390 the library to hold the books. You need the municipality 00:18:33.390 --> 00:18:36.509 to organize the relief effort. You need the team 00:18:36.509 --> 00:18:39.150 to wear the jersey. It levels the playing field 00:18:39.150 --> 00:18:41.990 between the individual creator and the communal 00:18:41.990 --> 00:18:45.049 support system. It does. It forces you to look 00:18:45.049 --> 00:18:47.210 at your own society differently. It really does. 00:18:47.329 --> 00:18:48.990 I'm going to drive past my local high school 00:18:48.990 --> 00:18:51.269 today and give it a little salute. I see you 00:18:51.269 --> 00:18:53.430 building. You're doing the work. You should. 00:18:53.529 --> 00:18:56.150 It deserves it. And that is exactly where we 00:18:56.150 --> 00:18:58.710 want to leave you today. We want you to try that 00:18:58.710 --> 00:19:01.380 thought experiment we started with. If you were 00:19:01.380 --> 00:19:03.799 the president of your own country or even just 00:19:03.799 --> 00:19:06.480 the mayor of your town and you had five Honor 00:19:06.480 --> 00:19:09.059 of the Nation medals to give out, who gets them? 00:19:09.220 --> 00:19:10.819 Do you just give it to the richest person in 00:19:10.819 --> 00:19:13.819 town? Yeah. The most famous athlete? Or do you 00:19:13.819 --> 00:19:15.779 have the vision to give it to the hospital that 00:19:15.779 --> 00:19:18.079 anchored the community during a crisis or the 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:20.460 university that educated your kids? What does 00:19:20.460 --> 00:19:23.660 it say about a nation's true priorities when 00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:26.400 they value the institution just as highly as 00:19:26.400 --> 00:19:29.069 the individual? It's a question worth pondering 00:19:29.069 --> 00:19:31.490 as you look around your own community. It tells 00:19:31.490 --> 00:19:33.049 you everything about what they want the future 00:19:33.049 --> 00:19:35.430 to look like. Thanks for joining us on this deep 00:19:35.430 --> 00:19:38.029 dive into the definition of honor and the decorata 00:19:38.029 --> 00:19:41.109 and dairy I combat. It's been a pleasure unpacking 00:19:41.109 --> 00:19:43.049 the source material with you. Always a pleasure 00:19:43.049 --> 00:19:44.789 to be here. We'll catch you on the next one. 00:19:44.829 --> 00:19:45.609 Keep exploring.