25 @ 25 Refugees Making A Difference
OPERATION PARASOL MARKS 25 YEARS, WE EXPLORE 25 REFUGEES MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN CANADA
3. SHPRESA LOSHAJ'S ACTIVISM EARNS HER INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
Shpresa Loshaj can now be seen nurturing her young daughters. When she’s not doing that, she’s actively working to bring change in Kosovo, influenced by her work in public service in Canada. Before making headlines internationally for her inspiring activism, Shpresa Loshaj was a young girl with a fiery passion caught in the middle of war in Kosovo.
Her family arrived in Canada as refugees in 1999 initially settling in Vancouver. While it’s been quite the journey Loshaj says she is grateful for the peace and opportunities Canada has provided. She obtained a degree in Political Science in Vancouver and later a master's degree in Public Policy in Ottawa. Loshaj is also the co-founder and Executive Director of the Non-Government Organization ‘Pishtaret’ in Kosovo where her work has made extensive headlines for her environmental activism. Loshaj was also caught in the middle of a 100,000 (EUR) lawsuit by Austrian-based Kelkos Energy for defamation which was later withdrawn as it was hindering freedom of expression. Kelkos claimed Loshaj’s activism speaking out concerning environmental damages the company was accused of causing in Kosovo was detrimental to their reputation. Her activism has brought her international recognition. Amnesty International called the lawsuit against Loshaj “baseless”. Loshaj was recognized for her work from the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani as she was the recipient of the 'Medal of Bravery' in 2021 and the prestigious 'Human Rights Prize' from the French Republic in 2023.
Inspired by her refugee experiences, Shpresa felt a strong desire to contribute to Canada and joined the Federal Government, where she has dedicated over a decade of service, currently working within the Department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development. She resides in Vancouver with her husband Visar and her two daughters.
Loshaj is also a passionate documentary filmmaker.
2. FLUTURA MAZREKU: How escaping war has helped shape her passion in public service
Before becoming the wife of Kyle Seeback, Member of Parliament for Dufferin- Caledon and working for the Federal Parliament and Government of Canada, Flutura Mazreku’s life was far from perfect as a teenager. She and her family were escaping war in the heart of Europe. The war would leave scars on her family where her mother Shpresa would lose family members as a result of Serbia’s brutal war in Kosovo.
While the memories of war remain, it didn’t break Flutra’s spirit. Since being airlifted to Canada among over 5,000 other refugees in 1999, Mazreku was part of Operation Parasol, Canada’s response to UNHCR following their urgent calls for help to assist Albania and Macedonia with the refugee crisis. Mazreku and her family would take a leap of faith and come to Canada without the knowledge of her father’s whereabouts as they were separated during the war while their hometown was under siege. Mazreku’s father is and was a well-known academic that contributed his life’s work towards the rights of Albanians in Kosovo that were continuously violated.
Flutura Mazreku Seeback has since dedicated her passion to advocate for refugee rights and to public service fostering strong relationships between Kosovo and Canada. Mazreku holds a Bachelor of Arts in Law and Philosophy and a Master’s degree specializing in International Refugee Law, she combines her personal experience with academic expertise to make meaningful contributions in the field working to bridge connections between Kosovo and Canada, promoting cultural and diplomatic ties that benefit both countries.
ARNISA MORINA: FROM BEING A REFUGEE TO REPRESENTING THEM
Today, Arnisa Morina represents her clients at Toronto’s court rooms with poise and confidence but 25 years ago, Morina was just a toddler facing some unique circumstances; fleeing war-torn Kosovo at just three-years-old. During the war, Morina would lose her father in the Gulloboc massacre in what she calls her greatest loss. But that loss would only strengthen her courage and drive and to help thousands of others in seeking refuge and justice. Her mother, left to raise six children as a single mother in a foreign country, with no english. Morina says being raised as a refugee child helped her in overcoming many other challenges that life has thrown. She was determined to stay resilient. She wanted to be a driving change for other refugees and newcomers and break the barriers and stereotypes that face them.
“ Experiencing war has made me strong and determined to pursue my dreams, as a way of showing the Serbians responsible for the Kosovo war that despite the countless number of people they killed and dreams they shattered continue to stand strong” she wrote on a blog, and indeed her determination has led her to opening her own practice in Toronto specializing in Refugee and Immigration Law where she would break the stereotypes related to the success of refugees in Canada; where she says she was challenged by both the Albanian and Canadian communities of the possibility of success as a refugee. Morina would end up shattering those barriers and proving that dreams are just a hard work away from becoming reality. Morina graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2019 and her passion continues to a be a voice representing refugees and people from misrepresented communities and advocate for innocent victims of war crimes. She hopes she will be able to help Kosovo one day become recognized as
Young Arnisa Morina
