Kuvend

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Kuvend, in Albania, was a form of exercising one's power in regard to community decisions that might affect one's family or self. Literally translated as conversation, its meaning is closer to convention. The kuvend derives from ancient times; what kept it alive for the last 500 years was the refusal of Northern Albanians to accept the legal system provided by the Ottoman Empire.

Kuvend's most important contribution to the Albanian Heritage is thousands of years of the Albanians assembling to change, manipulate and improve the Canon of Albania, especially its two more advanced versions, The Canon of Mountains in Malsia e Madhe, Rugova, and Gjakova and Canon of Lek Dukagjini in Mirdita, Zadrima, and Dukagjini. The Kuvend ended with the independence of Albania from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. Since then the Kuvend takes place at the Palace of Kuvendi Popullor (The Palace of People's Convention) and is the equivalent of the congress.