Chameria Human Rights Association (Albanian: Shoqëria për të drejtat e Njeriut, Çamëria) is a Non Governmental Organization, based in Washington, DC, USA, which protects and lobbies for the rights of Cham Albanians.
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Muslim Cham Albanians were expelled from Greece in 1944, and were forcefully sent to Albania. But, many Chams were persecuted also by the Albanian Communist regime,[1] forcing them to leave. The majority of Cham Albanians that left Albania and Greece, migrated to the United States.[2] They were mainly concetrated in Chicago, as well as Boston and New York.[3] They managed to retain their tradition and language[2], and published the first Cham Albanian newspaper, in 1966, named "Chameria - motherland" (Albanian: Çamëria - Vatra amtare), edited by Bilal Xhaferri.[3]
In such situation, where Cham Albanians in the United States are the fourth most numerous population of Chams, after Albania, Turkey and Greece[2], there was created the Chameria Human Rights Association. It describes as its mission: the Right of Return of Cham Albanians "to their homes in Greece and live there in peace and prosperity with their Greek brothers"; the Property Rights; Other Legal Rights "ensuring to the Cham people all other legal and minority rights deriving from the Greek Constitution and Laws, the Treaties and laws of the European Union, and other rights originating from international treaties and conventions to which Greece is a party"; and the conservation and propagation of the rich history, culture, language, and other cultural aspects of the Cham people.[4]