Albania
Scouting was founded in Albania in 1920 and was a founding member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement from 1922 to 1937. In 1937, Scouting was banned by King Zog and recognition by WOSM was withdrawn. In 1939, Albania was invaded by Italy and after the end of World War Two, the communist government had the Pionieret e Enverit, the Pioneers of Enver Hoxha, a local variant of the Pioneers.
With the fall of communism in 1989, Albanian Scouting was reestablished in Sarandë by Dolores and Mihal Dhima, International Commissioner and Chief Scout of Besa Scouts Albania, respectively. Scout groups rapidly sprang up in major cities.
Albania was accepted as a member of WOSM in July 1999 at the World Scout Conference in South Africa. The membership of Besa Skaut Albania was terminated by the World Scout Committee in 2005, and new membership was granted to Organizata Skautiste Shqiptare Beslidhja Skaut Albania, an offshoot of the older organization. Scouting struggles today due to political unrest, poor economic conditions and lack of government recognition and support.