Auron Tare
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Auron Tare (born 21 October 1968) is an Albanian historian, journalist and cultural heritage manager. He was a founder of the Albanian National Coastal Agency and its First Director (Agjencia Kombëtare e Bregdetit). He was a member of Parliament for Tirana and a member of the Media and Cultural Committee for the Albanian Parliament for the legislation 2009-2013. In May 2018, he was elected chairman of UNESCO Scientific and Technical Committee on Underwater World Heritage. Auron Tare is a well-known public figure in the field of Albanian cultural heritage, government, and journalism and explorations. Championing the cause of cultural preservation, Tare has worked for many years mobilizing support for the preservation of Albania's rich historical background. He is well known for his efforts to protect the ancient city of
Butrint Butrint (, , ) was an ancient Greek polis and later Roman city and the seat of an early Christian bishopric in Epirus. Originally a settlement of the Greek tribe of the Chaonians, it later became part of the state of Epirus and later a Roman ...
in the mid-1990s, when Albania was going through difficult economic and political transitions. He was one of the founders of
Butrint National Park Butrint National Park () is a national park in Vlorë County, southern Albania. It is located south of Sarandë. The park encompasses of hilly terrain with freshwater lakes, wetlands, salt marshes, open plains, reed beds and islands. The park' ...
and its first director from 1999 to 2005. Auron Tare was for several years the Albanian representative of Butrint Foundation and charity founded by Lord Rothschild and Lord Sainsbury of Preston Candover. Tare's many duties have included work with many international organizations such as
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
, the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
, the
Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar site, Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on We ...
, the Butrint Foundation, Oak Foundation, Mifflin Trust,
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
,
USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian United States foreign aid, foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 19 ...
, SIDA, World Mate, and the Italian Trust for Culture for the improvement of Albania's cultural heritage.


Background


Under communist rule, 1968–1990

Born during the communist era, Tare followed his family tradition and was educated at the Military Academy of Tirana. Tare graduated from the Skanderbeg Military Academy of Tirana and the Institute of Physical Culture in Tirana, where he played basketball for the Albanian team Partizani. Continuing post-graduation to play for Partizani on the national team, Tare garnered nationwide fame, but would remain a familiar face on television for his later work in the humanities.


Post-communism, 1990–1994

After the fall of communism, Tare became a member of the British
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
television team, covering civil unrest in Albania in 1997 as well as the Kosovo and Macedonia Wars of 1998–1999. In 1995, he founded a boutique travel company called Our Own Expeditions, which specializes in taking foreigners along the undiscovered trails of Albania. In 1995, Tare joined the team of the Butrint Foundation, a charity founded by
Lord Rothschild Baron Rothschild, of Tring in the County of Hertfordshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1885 for Sir Nathan Rothschild, 2nd Baronet, a member of the Rothschild banking family. He was the first Jewish mem ...
and Lord Sainsbury with the aim to research and protect the ancient city of Butrint. He worked for many years with the foundation, managing the project and became the head of the foundation in Albania working together with Sir
Patrick Fairweather Sir Patrick Fairweather (born 17 June 1936) is a British retired diplomat. He served as Ambassador to Angola from 1985 to 1987 and Ambassador to Italy and concurrently Albania from 1992 to 1996. He was director of the Butrint Foundation which wa ...
former UK ambassador to Italy and Albania. Among many efforts in Butrint, most notably was his work in protecting and preserving the site during the most difficult period of Albania's civil unrest. He was part of the team which worked to make Butrint a UNESCO
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
. After one year of research, he discovered and brought back to Albania the bust of Empress Livia stolen from Butrint in 1992. This beautiful marble bust of Livia was in possession of Robert E. Hecht the famous and controversial figure of the Medici affair. In 2002, Tare started the first scientific underwater project in cooperation with Professor
George Bass George Bass (; 30 January 1771 – after 5 February 1803) was a British naval surgeon and explorer of Australia. Early life Bass was born on 30 January 1771 at Aswarby, a hamlet near Sleaford, Lincolnshire, the son of a tenant farmer, George B ...
from Texas A&M looking at potential sites around Butrint Bay and Butrint Lake. This cooperation lead to a major full scale project with the American team of the
RPM Nautical Foundation RPM Nautical Foundation (RPMNF) is a nonprofit archaeological research and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of maritime archaeology that includes Littoral zone, littoral surveys and excavation of individual shipwreck and har ...
.


2006

Auron Tare became the head of the Albanian Maritime Research Center, an NGO specializing in underwater archaeological research and expeditions. Along with
RPM Nautical Foundation RPM Nautical Foundation (RPMNF) is a nonprofit archaeological research and educational organization dedicated to the advancement of maritime archaeology that includes Littoral zone, littoral surveys and excavation of individual shipwreck and har ...
and INA from
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
, the Albanian Maritime Research Center has discovered 37 shipwrecks. In 2014, the photos taken from underwater expeditions garnered international fame when they were made into an art exhibit and showcased from the National Coastal Agency, along with promotion of the newly opened ex-military base of
Sazan Island Sazan ( sq-definite, Sazani) is an Albanian uninhabited island in the Mediterranean Sea. The largest of Albania's islands, it is a designated military exclusion zone; it lies in a strategically important location between the Strait of Otranto ...
. Research continues to this day.


2009–2013

In 2009, Tare ran for membership in the Albanian Parliament. He served as a member of the
Socialist Party of Albania The Socialist Party of Albania (, PSSh), also known as simply the Socialist Party (, PS), is a Social democracy, social-democratic centre-left political party in Albania. It is the successor to the Party of Labour of Albania, which reconstituted ...
. During this period, Tare led the effort in researching the history of Corfu Channel incident in 1946, which brought Albania and Great Britain into conflict after four British ships hit mines in the Corfu Channel on 21 October 1946.


Present

Today, Tare is currently a member of various Albanian organizations, most notably as the head and founder of the National Coastal Agency (Agjencia Kombëtare e Bregdetit) of Albania, a public authority established in 2014, which deals with the promotion of ecotourism. He also currently serves as chair of Technology and Science for the
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
Marine Inquiry Committee (STAB), the Albanian National Trust, founder of Our Own Expeditions, the Cultural Heritage Forum, and remains a representative for
Butrint National Park Butrint National Park () is a national park in Vlorë County, southern Albania. It is located south of Sarandë. The park encompasses of hilly terrain with freshwater lakes, wetlands, salt marshes, open plains, reed beds and islands. The park' ...
. In March 2023, Auron Tare made possible the correction of the Numismatic Collection of Butrint in British Museum from Butrint Epir Greece to Butrint Epir Albania, a significant historical accurate information. He was responsible for opening the former secret military island of Sazan to the general public and tourism, therefore, ending a century-long period of the island being a forbidding place for the public.


Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tare, Auron 1968 births Living people Albanian journalists KB Partizani Tirana players