Recently, the Kosovo Women’s Network hosted 15 members of German civil society as part of German-run workshop entitled “Civil Society in Kosovo.” The group consisted of a vast array of professionals, including journalists, teachers, psychologists, sociologists and an electrical engineer. One gentleman even identified himself as a grandfather. All spoke of their interactions with refugees and immigrants from the former Yugoslavia and Kosovo in particular as the inspiration for their trip to the newborn country.

Members of German civil society visit KWN

In particular, the group was interested in the activities of civil society in Kosovo both during and after the war. The Kosovo Women’s Network’s Executive Director Igo Rogova spoke inspirationally on the strength and spirit of Kosovar civil society during this period.

Incredibly, members of Kosovar civil society, including the Kosovo Women’s Network, recognized the reality of the situation of Kosovo immediately after the war. While they needed time to heal, the importance of reconciliation between ethnic groups was never forgotten. That is why, from the very beginning, the Kosovo Women’s Network implemented a policy of inclusion. For example, even before the network had any Serbian member organizations, funds were used to translate documents into the Serbian language. Soon after, Kosovo-Serbs began reaching out to the Kosovo Women’s Network for help in launching their own organizations. Recently, 15 Kosovo-Serb women’s organizations banded together to form the Kosovo Serb Women’s Network and have joined the Kosovo Women’s Network.

The workshop resulted not only in the dissemination of information about the activities of the Kosovo Women’s Network but in the forging of new relationships. Many members of the group came with questions on how to aid the Kosovar refugees and immigrants they worked with and befriended and left with the contact information of KWN member organizations.  The group was encouraged to contact the Kosovo Women’s Network and its members in the future to maintain the newly established ties.

This week, I was able to visit the office of the Blind Women’s Committee of Kosovo, here in Pristina.  The timing was essential, as in a few more weeks they will no longer have an office for anyone to visit.

The Blind Women’s Committee of Kosovo has existed since 1948. Its mission is to advocate for the emancipation of blind women in Kosovo and their full integration into Kosovar society. It is one that the Blind Women’s Committee is dedicated to, even in the face of war. Forced out of their office during the conflict, the members of the Blind Women’s Committee carried out their work from private homes, never wavering in their commitment.

Now, the Blind Women’s Committee faces an equally devastating challenge - a lack of funding.

The Blind Women’s Committee’s office is bare, with just one room and a long table with chairs. There is just one computer in the whole office, a donation from the Kosovo Women’s Network. Staff members come to the office every day, even though they currently have no project to work on. But that will not continue for much longer, as the rent is only paid for until the end of July.

The few projects the Blind Women’s Committee has implemented, including blind training (such as mobility training and teaching Braille) have been very successful. So why can’t they find donors? They have even repeatedly requested support from the government of Kosovo without receiving even one reply.

Watch the video below to hear Bajramshahe Jetullahu, the Executive Director of the Blind Women’s Committee of Kosovo, speak about possible reasons behind this lack of funding.

And what will Bajramshahe do when she can no longer go to her office and work? She will position her table in front of government buildings in Pristina and work from there! She will not abandon her mission to protect the rights of blind women in Kosovo.

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Valire Buza, the Executive Director of KWN-member organization Lira. I was both excited and nervous as I prepared for our meeting. I knew little about the organization, as an exhaustive internet search yielded NO information on the organization or it’s activities. So, I set off to meet Valire at a local café in Pristina, my only clue being the translation of “Lira” from Albanian to English (it means “free”).

When I arrived, Valire warmly embraced me.  For the next hour, and through the use of a (wonderful) translator who wished not to be identified, we discussed her organization.

In that time, I learned several important facts.

1. Lira’s mission is to promote the integration of women of all ethnicities into the social and cultural activities of Kosovar society.

However, their approach is a unique one.

Lira’s preferred medium of social integration is MUSIC. Their projects have included the creation of a traveling multi-ethnic women’s choir, the establishment of a multi-ethnic community arts center for women and children in Pristina, and the staging of concerts.  And what kind of music does Lira think has the power to bring diverse groups of women together? Check out the video below to find out!

2. Nearly a decade of experience is not enough! Even though Lira was established in 2000 (with the original goal of alleviating the trauma of war among all women), the organization is still struggling to build its institutional capacity. Finding funding is not easy, especially in Kosovo. To hear about Lira’s biggest challenge, and how the organization thinks membership in the Kosovo Women’s Network can help them overcome this particular obstacle, watch the short video below.

Lastly,

3. The tense political situation between the governments of Kosovo and Serbia is greatly impacting the participation of Kosovar Serbs in Kosovar society.  

Serbian officials exert significant influence over the Serbian minority still residing in Kosovo (and, some even suggest, over international institutions such as UNMIK and Eulex - see the picture of graffiti that is recreated all over Kosovo and it’s capital city).

Variations of this graffiti appear all over Kosovo

Authorities in Serbia have called upon the Serbian minority to abstain from participating in Kosovo’s political, social and cultural institutions. A highly publicized example has been the desertion - and return - of over 300 Serbian police officers to the Kosovo police force. The officers left the force in protest of Kosovo’s declaration of independence last year. However, Serbia’s Minister for Kosovo, Goran Bogdanovic, has publically stated that Serbia is involved in negotiating their return and that they are working on establishing a separate chain of command for Serbian police officers since Serbia and the Serbian minority in Kosovo do not recognize the government of Kosovo as legitimate.

So what does this mean for Lira? To hear their perspective on the involvement of Kosovar-Serb women in their organization and activities, see the video below.

Again, I would like to thank Valire and her translator for meeting with me and giving me such excellent points to think about.