![\"Kosovo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ARPS7AUY5ZGKZBFDSUADKETAFI.JPEG\")
On Feb. 9, State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton spoke at the joint resolution commemorating Kosovo\u2019s 2008 Declaration of Independence and recognizing the Kosovar community\u2019s contributions across the state.Courtesy of Fitim Shabani<\/p>\nSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 New York State Assembly member Charles Fall and State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton celebrated the 18th anniversary of the Republic of Kosovo\u2019s independence with members of the Kosovar community Feb. 9, honoring their resilience and history.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s event was held at the New York State Capitol and marked the third consecutive year Fall and Scarcella-Spanton sponsored a joint resolution commemorating Kosovo\u2019s 2008 Declaration of Independence from Serbia and recognizing the Kosovar community\u2019s contributions across New York state.<\/p>\n
\u201cKosovo\u2019s independence represents perseverance, sacrifice, and the unbreakable belief that freedom is worth fighting for,\u201d Fall said. \u201cEach year we bring this resolution forward, we reaffirm New York\u2019s commitment to standing with the people of Kosovo and honoring generations who endured immense hardship in pursuit of dignity and self-determination.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scarcella-Spanton said this year\u2019s event was a \u201ctestament to New York\u2019s commitment to stand in solidarity with the people of Kosovo.\u201d <\/p>\n
On Feb. 9, State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton spoke at the joint resolution commemorating Kosovo\u2019s 2008 Declaration of Independence and recognizing the Kosovar community\u2019s contributions across the state.Courtesy of Fitim Shabani<\/p>\n
She described Kosovo\u2019s 2008 Declaration of Independence as \u201ca historic moment, reflecting generations who dreamed of a freer future for themselves and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n
The celebration brought together Kosovar community leaders, advocates and families across New York, highlighting their history, culture, and contributions to civic and public life.<\/p>\n
Fitim Shabani, a Kosovo native and chief of staff to Assemblyman Fall and the senator\u2019s former Staten Island borough director, reflected on the importance of the annual commemoration. Shabani was also raised in Kosovo.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me, this is an affirmation of survival. My family shares the experience of countless Kosovar families who endured genocide, ethnic cleansing, and forced displacement, yet refused to surrender their identity, dignity, or hope,\u201d Shabani said. <\/p>\n
![\"Kosovar](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/LP7DIYDQMVHSNEPXPT3XZNNBSU.jpeg\")
Fitim Shabani, a Kosovo native and chief of staff to New York State Assembly member Charles Fall, spoke at the Feb. 9 event at New York State Capitol that honored Kosovo’s 2008 Declaration of Independence.Courtesy of Fitim Shabani<\/p>\n
\u201cHonoring Kosovo\u2019s independence in the New York State Capitol is a declaration that resilience is not invisible,\u2019’ said Shabani. \u201dIt says that a people shaped by loss and displacement did not simply endure history, they emerged to lead, to contribute, and to belong within the institutions that uphold law, democracy and public service.\u201d<\/p>\n
The annual event continues to honor Kosovo\u2019s independence and ensures that future generations see the Kosovar community\u2019s history recognized.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 New York State Assembly member Charles Fall and State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton celebrated the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":133769,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-133768","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133768","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/133769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}