A multi-ethnic team of regional coordinators brainstorms ideas for community projects at NDI’s first training seminar for its youth program in Kosovo and southern Serbia.
For decades, ethnic relations in Kosovo and southern Serbia have been defined by segregation and violations of human and civic rights. As young people from different ethnic groups grow up isolated from each other, the cycle of hatred and violence is perpetuated, threatening democratic progress throughout the Balkans and boosting radical political opinions. With so many youth in the region feeling disconnected from politics and powerless to change the status quo, young people are particularly vulnerable to manipulation by extremists and complete disengagement from the democratic process. However, Kosovo’s declaration of independence in February 2008 provides an opportunity for the region’s politicians and citizens to focus their attention upon critical non-status issues and begin the reconciliation process in earnest. In this environment, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) has launched a 20-month program funded by the U.S. Department of State to foster political activism as well as inter-ethnic tolerance and cooperation among secondary school students in Kosovo and southern Serbia. NDI’s standing in both Kosovo and Serbia, along with the willingness of youth to engage across ethnic lines, engenders the potential for this program to make important contributions to the future of this troubled region.
NDI’s Program
NDI aims to foster multi-ethnic reconciliation among ethnic Albanian, Romani, and Serb youth, on both sides of the Serbia-Kosovo divide, by developing the practices of civil political discourse and advocacy around common issues. As a first step, NDI distributed questionnaires and organized group discussions to gauge participants’ level of political activism, interaction across ethnic boundaries, and their interest in community issues. Despite ongoing tension between Serbs and Albanians, NDI’s multi-ethnic teams of regional coordinators engaged over 300 students from 20 high schools in this phase of the program. Based on their assessment, the Institute will train the participants in problem solving and constructing arguments, then facilitate inter-ethnic debates both locally and across the border on pressing community issues.
In the second phase of the program, youth from all three ethnic groups will build upon their team-building and debate skills to develop and implement joint community-based projects that address local problems, such as environmental concerns or a lack of recreational facilities. The students from the different communities will work together to overcome challenges in developing project proposals, locating resources and building relationships with community leaders and elected officials. In the program’s final phase, NDI, in cooperation with the Council of Europe (CoE), will provide opportunities for students of different ethnic communities to jointly present their work, culminating in a final conference for participants to discuss their projects and experiences with youth and local officials across Kosovo and in Europe. The best projects will be shared with activists from the CoE’s European Youth Centers in Budapest and Strasbourg, government officials, and nongovernmental organizations.
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