Auron Tare is an Albanian historian, journalist and cultural heritage manager. Currently, General Director for the Albanian National Coastal Agency / Former Member of Parliament for Tirana and member for the Media and Cultural Committee for the Albanian Parliament. In May 2018 he was elected Chairman of Unesco Scientific and Technical Commity on underwater World Heritage. Auron Tare is a well-known public figure in the field of Albanian cultural heritage, government, and journalism. Championing to the cause of cultural preservation, Mr. Tare and 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 in the mid-1990s when Albania was going through difficult economic and political transitions. He was one of the Founders of Butrint National Park and its First Director from 1999–2005 Mr. Tare's many duties have included work with many international organizations such as UNESCO, World Bank, RAMSAR Convention, Butrint Foundation, Oak Foundation, Mifflin Trust, National Geographic. USAID, SIDA, World Mate, and Italian Trust for Culture for the improvement of Albania's cultural heritage.
Background
Under Communist Rule, 1968–1990
Born during the communist era, Auron Tare followed his family tradition and was educated at Military Academy of Tirana. Mr. Tare graduated from the Skanderbeg Military Academy of Tirana and the Institute of Physical Culture in Tirana, where he played basketball for the Albanian legendary team "Partizani". Continuing post-graduation to play for Partizani on the national team, Auron 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, Mr. Tare became a member of the British Television Channel Four 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 Auron Tare join the team of Butrint Foundation a charity founded by Lord Rothschild and Lord Sainsbury with 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 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 who work to include Butrint in the Unesco World Heritage Site. After one year of research he discovered and brought back in Albania the Bust of Empress Livia stolen from Butrint in 1992. This beautiful marble Bust of Livia was in possession of Robert Hecht the famous and controversial figure of the Medici Affair. IN 2002 Auron Tare started the first scientific underwater project in cooperation with Prof. George Bass 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 RPM Nautical Foundation.
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 and INA from Texas A&M, the Albanian Maritime Research center has discovered 37 shipwrecks. In 2014 the developed 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. Research continues to this day.
2009 – 2013
In 2009, Auron Tare run for membership for the Albanian parliament. He served as a member of the Socialist Party of Albania. During this period Mr 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.
At Present
Today, Auron Tare remains a face for cultural preservation, and he is currently a key member of various Albanian organizations, most notably as the head and founder of the National Coastal Agency 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 Marine Inquiry Committee, the Albanian National Trust, founder of Our Own Expeditions, the Cultural Heritage Forum, and remains a representative for Butrint National Park. Mr Tare head the highly successful project or creating the first model of sustainable tourism in Albania by connecting the coastline region of mountain communities. providing a possibility for the isolated mountain communities to link with tourism places and attract hiking, trekking, cultural and other forms of low impact tourism. 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.
