19/01/2026
Elvana Shala, Speaker
World Diplomacy Forum 2026| Canada 🇨🇦
Born on May 11, 1990, in Peja, Elvana Shala completed her elementary and high school education in her hometown between 1998 and 2007. She pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the University of Prishtina from 2010 to 2015, while simultaneously studying Mass Communication and Journalism at AAB College during 2012–2015. Alongside her academic studies, she participated in numerous professional trainings organized by institutions such as the Independent Media Council of Kosovo and the OSCE, and gained practical experience through internship programs with various ministries and media organizations.
Career and Activism
Elvana began her journey as a civic activist at the age of 12, engaging with local and international non-governmental organizations focused on cultural initiatives, humanitarian work, and human rights protection. In 2002, she made her first public appearance as the lead actress in the drama “We Also Want Light,” which advocated for the rights of people with disabilities. A year later, in 2003, she represented Kosovo at the First World Congress for Disabled Children in Wells, England.
Her leadership continued to grow when, in 2004, she was elected Deputy of the Youth Assembly of Peja, an institution dedicated to safeguarding youth rights and interests. As a writer, she earned the title “Best Poet of the City of Peja” in 2006, awarded on the occasion of Peja’s Liberation Day. Between 2007 and 2008, she attended several non-formal human rights schools organized by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights and Save the Children.
In 2009, Elvana became a member of the Trentino con il Kosovo and Cooperazione Colomba research group, working to strengthen relations between Serbian and Albanian youth and promote interfaith peace and stability. The same year, she received a special invitation from Roberto Bazzoni to moderate the commemorative academy honoring two Italian humanists, Roberto Bazzoni and Antonio Sercana, who lost their lives during the Kosovo war. From 2006 to 2014, she also served as a moderator of the Mini-Olympics for People with Disabilities, a long-standing sports event held under the patronage of the Kosovo Paralympic Committee.
In 2014, Elvana was appointed Ambassador of Goodwill for Kosovo by the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), a non-profit diplomatic mission, with a five-year mandate to represent Kosovo globally in the field of public diplomacy. Through this role, she represented Kosovo at international conferences and events in cities such as New York, London, Dubai, Geneva, Turkey, Morocco, Prague, and Thailand. Within Kosovo, she has led and organized numerous impactful initiatives focused on marginalized communities, including the international human rights video “Your Right Cannot Be Bought, It Is Born With You,” the awareness campaign “A Ray of Light” addressing discrimination against survivors of wartime sexual violence, the fashion show “The Beauty Begins With Us” for people with disabilities, the diplomatic reception “Together for Our Rights,” the television program “My Story, Your Motivation,” and the World Congress for People with Disabilities, among others.
Her contributions have been widely recognized. In 2015, she was awarded the title Laureate in Social Welfare by the Municipality of Peja. In 2018, she was re-elected for a second mandate as Ambassador of Goodwill for Kosovo by the IHRC. She has also worked with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo and continues to maintain external cooperation with the institution. In 2021, she received the Global Youth Leadership Award in Nepal, followed by the Global Excellence Achievers Award in 2023 from the Royal Family of Ajman in Dubai, honoring her international social impact. In 2024, she was honored with the Global Changemaker Award by the United Nations office in Thailand.
Currently, Elvana Shala works with Radio Kosova, where she also hosts her own radio programs, continuing her mission of advocacy, dialogue, and social change.
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