The project on “EULEX Mission and Minority Communities in Kosovo”, jointly developed by the Youth Dialogue Program and experts from the EULEX mission, which will be implemented in partnerships by both organizations, officially started with a meeting of a number of Kosovo Serb civil society organizations on mount Brezovica between January 23 and 25, 2009. The purpose of this meeting was to inform the CSOs about the project and to define their role in its implementation. Through this initial phase, the most relevant aspects of the EULEX mission were brought to the closer attention of minority CSOs, representing the initial step in engaging Kosovo Serb and other minority CSOs in establishing closer ties with the EULEX mission throughout Kosovo. The criteria for the selection of minority CSOs at the first coordination meetings was: (a) the organizations’ credibility in their local communities; (b) the type of activities they implement in the field; (c) the significant number of successfully implemented projects, and (d) their sufficient organizational capacity for managing the implementation of the broad-based and multi-faced project.

The meeting brought together organizations from all parts of Kosovo, from Leposavić and North Mitrovica from the north of Kosovo to Gračanica, Orahovac, Štrpce, Osojane, Goraždevac, Novo Brdo, Gnjilane and Istok, from the rest of Kosovo. After a number of failed attempts in the past, this meeting represents the first successful event that gathered representatives of Kosovo Serbs and other minorities from different parts of Kosovo at a meeting focused on defining a joint position concerning the common interest, in this particular case, the establishment of the EULEX mission Kosovo-wide, strengthening the capacity of Kosovo Serbs and other minority CSOs and improving mechanisms for effective civil society – local institutions (government, police, judiciary) – EULEX cooperation.

The current needs of minority organization related to the implementation of the project were discussed alongside the perception of the EULEX mission in the areas inhabited by Serbs and other minority communities. Participants’ feedback will be of a great importance in strategizing the implementation of the next project phase. Their concerns and recommendations have been summarized in the Annex of this report.

Representatives of minority organizations from across Kosovo have supported the project and expressed their willingness to actively participate in the implementation of the proposed activities in their local communities. Readiness to organize initial encounters between local minority organizations and representatives of local communities, on one side and representatives of the

EULEX mission, on the other, has been clearly expressed in Leposavić, Orahovac, Štrpce, and Parteš. Additional assessment and further consultations are expected in Kosovska Mitrovica, Gračanica, Novo Brdo, Osojane and Gnjilane and meetings of local CSOs and representatives of local community with the EULEX mission will also be organized there.

The partner organizations have concluded that there is a need for lobbying at a local level within Kosovo Serb and other minority groups to change the existing resistance and create a more positive climate for accepting the EULEX mission in the protection of minority rights and the implementation of the rule of law in Kosovo. This is particularly important for North Mitrovica, since, given the generally precarious situation and recent developments in this part of Kosovo, this could lead to resistance during the implementation of the project.

Finally, we would like to highlight that this project will be implemented by a group of young people who have expressed enormous energy and enthusiasm for the implementation of the project. This is the first time in ten years that the Kosovo Serb community has organized itself, proactively facing events that are still in expansion and directly influence the position of local communities, both Kosovo Serb and other minority communities in Kosovo.

This initiative, a jointly defined set of activities that will contribute to the faster implementation of the EULEX Mission in Kosovo, represents a positive step towards easing the tensions and solving the most important problems faced by minority communities Kosovo. By implementing the project, we are moving towards new challenges, taking a step ahead in the process of formulating a strategy for joint action between minority CSOs, local institutions dealing with the rule of law, and the EULEX Mission.

Feedback from participants at the meeting of Kosovo Serb civil society >>
UNMIK Report >>

For all further details vis-à-vis the Brezovica meeting, please contact us via e-mail at office@ydprogramme.org.

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