Auron Tare

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Auron Tare (b. 1968) is an Albanian journalist and historian.

Auron Tare is one of the founders of Butrint National Park, a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. He has worked for many years in mobilizing interest and support among many international organizations and institutions like UNESCO, World Bank, RAMSAR Convention, Butrint Foundation, Oak Foundation, Mifflin Trust, World Mate to protect and preserved this unique historical site. His efforts where rewarded when in 2000 the Albanian Government created The Butrint National Park and UNESCO declared the Park a World Heritage Site. For almost 6 years he was the Head of Butrint National Park and transformed the Park from almost an abandon place to one of the most important cultural centers in Albania.

Butrint has now the First ever Summer School in Anthropology in Albanian, which is organized in cooperation with Utica College, Syracuse University cooperation establish 5 years ago.

Auron Tare has organized a number of special artistic events in the Butrint Theater such as a performance of the Russian State Ballet, the Ancient Flute Festival, Concerts of classical music featuring the renowned soprano Inva Mula, or “Philosophic Dialogues” under the fashion of Plato’s dialogues.

He also founded the annual International Ancient Theater Festival, where for the first time artist from Kosovo, the rest of Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Republic of Macedonia where brought together to performe in the Ancient Theater. He opened a Cinema "Open Air" for the local farmers, shepherds and fishermen keeping in mind that there was no Cinema in the South of Albania for the last 15 years.

He has established an Art History Program in Butrint and brought for the First time in Albanian an Art Exhibit with work from native Indians artists from New York.

He was successful in wining a Grant from the World Bank to the amount of 1.million USD for environmental issues for Butrint Park in 2005.

His dedication to the local people in the area of Butrint Park is widely recognized. He has built two schools for local children as well as one hospital in Libohova not far from the National Park. He has also organized a Program to support the local community in establishing a Handy Craft Center as well as an economicbased programs for local people around Butrint. The Handy Craft Center now has the support of Italian Trust Fund for Culture

His approach to the issues of Management of Cultural Heritage has been highly regarded by a number of International Institutions. UNESCO in July 2005 removed Butrint from the List of Sites in Danger mainly to the improvement done to the management of the site.

He has been a guest lecturer at various universities like Harvard University, Boston University, Michigan University, Ohio State University, Wayne State University, The University of Chicago, Institute of Oriental Studies

He has done or appear in several TV documentaries about Butrint for the ZDF German TV, Top Channel TV, Rai 2, Channel Four, BBC World Service, New York TV

Auron Tare succeeded in returning the Bust of Empress Livia, a beautiful marble sculpture, found in Butrint in 1930 and stolen in 1991, to Albania. He founded in the collection of the American Art Dealer Robert Hecht and single handed returned to Albania. He also was instrumental in returning three more Busts from Greece which where stolen from Butrint in 1991.

Before managing Butrint, Auron Tare worked as a journalist mainly for the British TV ITN during the Kosovo War between 1998 and 1999 as well as during the Civil disturbances in Albania. He continues to be active in the Albanian press, publishing many articles on cultural and social issues as well as doing several documentaries for Albanian and foreign media,

His work has been recognized by a number of journalist writing about his work in well known publications such as The Economist, Sunday Mail, Travel & Leisure, New York Time, Observatorio Balcanico, Public National Radio US, Rai 2, Washington Post, Corriere dela Serra, CNN Traveler.Geographic,

He has also worked for 6 years as the representative of the Butrint Foundation in Albania, a charity founded by Lord Rothschild and Lord Sainsbury.

In 1992 he organized the first exploration expedition in the North of Albania on behalf of Smithsonian Museum and Royal Geographic Society.

Previously Auron Tare was a well-known athlete as a basketball-player for Partizani Club in Albania and the Albanian National Team. He was also the first Albanian basketball player to play in the first League in Greece.

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