Theme: Civil society and peacebuilding

Public Statement on the war and dialogue from Ukrainian mediators

Posted on May 20, 2022 by -

PCi endorses statement of Ukrainian mediation and dialogue practitioners on the application of dialogue during Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

Thirteen Ukrainian organisations with experience and expertise in the areas of mediation and dialogue have issued a joint statement to bring the attention of international donors and programming organisations to key aspects of the present context for the application of dialogue and peacebuilding approaches. The statement has been supported by a further 14 dialogue and mediation organisations.

The organisations preparing the statement express their appreciation of the unprecedented support directed towards Ukraine and propose seven points to be taken into consideration with respect to developing appropriate peacebuilding and dialogue approaches in the country at this time:

  1. The armed aggression in Russia must be understood in its full context, including as a violation of the very cornerstones of the post-World War II world order.
  2. Political-level (Track One) negotiations between the warring parties should continue on peace and humanitarian issues and formats may be considered for the involvement of civil society in such processes.
  3. Dialogue between citizens of Ukraine, Russia and Belarus during active hostilities is not appropriate to the current phase of the conflict, no matter the location of the talks, and does not reflect ‘do-no-harm’ principles.
  4. Dialogue and dialogue approaches can and should be used as a tool to strengthen resilience, social cohesion and unity within Ukrainian society, and these should be supported even during the hot phase of the conflict. Similarly dialogue between the civil society of Ukraine and international counterparts should be encouraged.
  5. Support is needed to citizens of Russia and Belarus who are opposing their own authoritarian regimes and the aggression in Ukraine.
  6. It is essential that peace and dialogue methodologies introduced into Ukraine be adapted to take into account the specificities of Ukraine and are respectful of the approaches and tools that Ukrainians have prepared for their own practice since 2014.
  7. Ukrainian mediation and dialogue experts have highly developed capacities and are currently ready to (i) invest their efforts into development of the conditions under which it will be possible to convene dialogue at the civil society level; (ii) study and adapt available conceptual approaches and formats of dialogues; and (iii) initiate the development of methodologies and approaches to the design of prospective dialogue processes.

PCi endorses in full the points presented by Ukraine’s mediation and dialogue community and encourages all international peace actors looking to make a contribution in Ukraine at this time to acquaint themselves with the full statement and the reasoning behind the principle points, which are well laid out. Furthermore, PCi encourages peace actors in Ukraine to contribute to the dissemination of the statement which is available in both English and Ukrainian.

Public Statement War and Dialogue UkraineDownload
Public Statement War and Dialogue UkraineDownload

PCi recognises the work of Kosovo journalists reporting on multi-ethnic co-existence

Posted on April 13, 2022 by -

PCi’s Media Award for showcasing multi-ethnic co-existence in Kosovo were handed out on 3 March 2022 in Pristina to journalists and media who participated in the category of Albanian language media content.

The Media Award was created as a follow-up activity initiated by PCi’s Media Consultation Dialogues, which constitute the backbone of media work in PCi’s Balkans programme. They bring together media professionals from Kosovo and Serbia to analyse problems and seek solutions to improve the quality of reporting and to battle divisive narratives. A repeated conclusion of these discussions was that there is a lack of stories about ordinary life, about living together, about peaceful multi-ethnic coexistence, both in Kosovo and Serbia. The media picture that Albanians and Serbs get about one another from Kosovar and Serbian media is almost exclusively bleak, black and white – and rich with divisive narratives.

By establishing an annual Media Award, PCi wanted to incentivize, promote, and reward media content from Kosovo and Serbia that explore themes related to the co-existence of communities. The Media Award Call for Application was launched last spring. The Call for Application can be accessed here.

Further to the Belgrade event which awarded media content in the Serbian language, the Award Ceremony for contributions in Albanian was held in Pristina on 3 March. The award jury was made up of three distinguished Kosovo journalists, Brikenda Rexhepi from Koha Television, Gentiana Begolli from the national broadcaster Radio Television of Kosovo, and Ismet Hajdari, from Agence France-Presse (AFP) Kosovo Bureau.

The first prize in the audio-visual category was awarded to Ardiana Thaçi for her story “Heshtja qe vrau” (The silence that killed), which can be accessed here. In the written category, the first prize went to Fitim Gashi on “Të pastrehët e pandemisë” (The Homeless of the Pandemic).

 The jury members emphasised the importance of an award which motivates journalists in divided societies. They noted that “This is the only award of this kind in the entire region. It encourages journalists to present the reality between communities which is vital for a healthy social coexistence, without anger and hatred.”

Russian aggression against Ukraine raises profound concerns in the Western Balkans

Posted on March 17, 2022 by -

PCi hereby presents in full a joint statement issued by civil society organisations and activists from Serbia and Kosovo condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

Joint statement by the CSOs from Kosovo and Serbia on the potential consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the Western Balkans.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has negatively impacted the international rules-based order. The Western Balkans is especially vulnerable to global developments which put at risk international law, democracy, and human rights.

We, the representatives of civil society organizations from Kosovo and Serbia, condemn Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and call upon our governments to align with the European Union’s stance.

Furthermore, we urge the EU and its member states to change the paradigm of enlargement to ensure a practical and proactive approach to the European perspective of the Western Balkans. We also call on the wider international community to support our region in order to secure sustainable peace and security.  

The consequences of such breaches of international law could be extremely destabilising for our post conflict region. In view of Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine, this is a defining moment in history; one that calls for a prompt response from our governments and the international community to uphold respect for the rule of law, international law, solidarity, and human rights in the Western Balkans.

The current situation reiterates the importance of dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia for securing sustainable peace, prosperity, and the well-being of all citizens. It offers an opportunity to reflect upon and re-design the dialogue process beyond the notion of constructive ambiguity towards an inclusive process that would lead to a legally binding and long-lasting agreement. Urgent action is needed from the EU to push for and support substantial reforms – particularly where the rule of law is concerned – in order to accelerate the EU integration of the Western Balkans. 

Civil society in Kosovo and Serbia has actively engaged in peacebuilding processes over the years, representing community voices and the daily concerns of citizens which are largely overshadowed by mainstream politics. During this time of crisis, we ask the international community to support us in condemning divisive rhetoric, authoritarian politics, and populist and nationalist discourses which serve to silence critical voices and generate fear and distrust among communities. 

Aiming to reduce the spread of disinformation that may lead to possible escalation of conflict, we also call upon media representatives to fully commit to impartial and unbiased reporting.

Signatories:

  1. Aktiv
  2. Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC), Mitrovica
  3. Balkans Policy Research Group (BPRG)
  4. Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCBP)
  5. Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of the Balkans (CisBalk)
  6. Center for Peace and Tolerance (CPT), Gracanica
  7. Centre for Regionalism
  8. Civic Initiatives
  9. Democracy Plus (D+)
  10. Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society (BFPE)
  11. Igor Novaković, Analyst, Belgrade
  12. Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER)
  13. Institute for European Affairs (IEA)
  14. Institute for Serbian and Albanian Coexistence
  15. Jelena Lončar, Academic, University of Belgrade 
  16. Kosovo Center for Security Studi (KCSS)
  17. Kosovo Law Institute (KLI)
  18. Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM)
  19. Milan Antonijević, Lawyer
  20. New Social initiative (NSI), Mitrovica
  21. Peer Educators Network (PEN), Prishtinë
  22. Rahim Salihi, civil society activist, Bujanovac.
  23. Radio KIM Media Group
  24. The Balkan Forum
  25. Valon Arifi, civil society activist
  26. Vjollca Krasniqi, Academic, University of Pristina
  27. Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (VoRAE)
  28. Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Serbia
  29. Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo

 

PCi Celebrates International Women’s Day 2022: “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow”

Posted on March 8, 2022 by -

PCi supports women’s inclusion and empowerment in Libya through, leadership, participation, representation and visibility. We have captured the lessons we have learned from nearly 10 years of this work in our new report: “Integrating Gender into the Social Peace and Local Development Programme in Libya.” Key insights include:

  • Safely raising the visibility of women in peace leadership supports a shift in social perceptions towards women and their role
  • Inclusivity audits increase understanding of the quality of women’s participation, whilst working on male attitudes and behaviours has helped us to create a safer space for women to participate effectively
  • Pragmatic, culturally-relevant and context-specific arguments are essential in persuading men of the need for women’s involvement in community initiatives

PCi gives annual awards to journalists and media for stories on multi-ethnic coexistence in Kosovo and Serbia

Posted on March 2, 2022 by -

In PCi organised Media Consultation dialogues (the backbone of media work in our Balkans programme) which bring together media professionals from Kosovo and Serbia to analyse the media scene, one thing has persistently popped up as an issue – the lack of stories about ordinary life, about living together, about peaceful coexistence. The media picture that Albanians and Serbs get about one another from Kosovar and Serbian media is almost exclusively bleak, black and white and full of divisive narratives.

To counter such narratives, last spring PCi launched an annual award for the best stories about interethnic coexistence in Albanian and in Serbian language and in two categories – audio/visual and written submissions. The award ceremony for the best stories in Serbian was held on February 28th in Belgrade’s Media centre. The Albanian language awards ceremony will be held on Thursday the 3rd of March.  

The jury consisted of three of the most prominent and distinguished Serbian journalists, Jelena Obućina from Newsmax Adria, Tamara Skrozza from the news agency FoNet and Milivoje Mihajlović who works for the public service broadcaster, RTS.

The first prize in the audio and video format was awarded to Zorica Krstić Vorgučić from Radio KIM for her TV story “Why is it important to speak the language of our neighbours”. Thanking the jury and PCi, Ms. Krstić Vorgučić said that it is impossible to escape the fact that Serbs and Albanians are distanced from each other and that they live parallel lives. “Language is important for changes to happen and most Serbs do not speak Albanian. There are some new initiatives, some new language courses and I hope that things will change for the better”.

The first prize for the written format went to Jelena Jorgačević, a reporter from the Belgrade weekly newsmagazine “Vreme” for her story “Encounters on Destroyed Bridges”. “We need to  inform the public about what is going on and things are far from perfect. But we, journalists, do not have to be pyromaniacs and fan the flames of hatred”, said Jelena as she received the award.

The jury members emphasised that in divided societies, journalists can do much more to improve inter-ethnic relations. Tamara Skrozza said that “the importance of the awarded stories lies in the fact that they go way beyond daily news reporting and deal with real life which is always much more complex and even beautiful than daily news make it appear to be.”

The Peacemakers Network – Libya, Launches Video Campaign to Improve Public Awareness of Electoral Process in Libya

Posted on January 13, 2022 by -

The Peacemakers Network, a group of individuals from Libyan civil society, local government, media and academia, who work to find solutions to promote sustainable peace (supported by PCi) worked on a video campaign at the end of 2021, to improve public awareness of electoral process in Libya. Elections were scheduled for the 24 December 2021 but have been postponed.

The Peacemakers Network distributed four videos across a broad range of Libyan media and social media and a fifth video will be released shortly focusing on the process of candidate selection. Click on the links below to view the videos:

For more on the Peacemakers Network, click here.

The Peacemakers Network – Libya, collaborates with the Italian NGO – Agency for Peacebuilding – to comment on Libya’s postponed elections

Posted on January 13, 2022 by -

The Peacemakers Network, a group of individuals from Libyan civil society, local government, media and academia, who work to find solutions to promote sustainable peace (supported by PCi) have collaborated with The Agency For Peacebuilding (www.peaceagency.org) and produced an article commenting on Libya’s postponed elections, that were scheduled for December 24 2021. This was published by Huffington Post Italia on December 24, 2021 which can be read in Italian here.

Click here to read an edited English version of the article on the Agency For Peacebuilding website; an extract is outlined below:

“Members of the Peacemakers Network truly believe that holding an election is the only way to save Libya, get it out of its current crisis, and put an end to the state of division. And they are not the only ones. The elections will pull the rug out from under all parallel bodies created since 2011, as well as those who want to impose their views and control the country, including the many actors are standing in the way of realizing the Libyan people’s aspirations and desire to build a civic and democratic state.

There are, indeed, high expectations for the anticipated elections, which many Libyans see as a historic and pivotal event that shall end the conflict, and it would be a mistake to think that these expectations can simply be ignored. Past and recent events have, in fact, left the country’s three historic regions and various ethnic groups (Arabs, Tebu, Amazigh, and Tuareg) dissatisfied with the current situation. Each group is a volcano on the verge of erupting as a result of what it perceives as marginalization and an attempt to control its rights.

Elections are therefore important to stability and peace, and in order for them to be rescheduled shortly, Libyan actors and the international community must commit to and support its results and endorse what the Libyan people vote for in the ballots boxes.”

For more on the Peacemakers Network, click here.

New Research on Civil Society in Serbia and Kosovo

Posted on December 16, 2021 by -

Peaceful Change initiative is pleased to present new research, jointly undertaken by the Universities of Belgrade and Prishtina, which explores the current landscape of cross-community initiatives in Serbia and Kosovo. 

The research – which was undertaken as part of the UK-government funded project, ‘Amplifying local voices for equitable development’ – sought to explore two key dimensions. First, the standing of civil society organizations (CSOs) amongst the very constituencies and communities that they claim to represent. Second, the new issues which have mobilized citizens who had not previously been civically engaged, the reasons for why such mobilizations have been successful.

One of the key recommendations deriving from the research is that civil society should continue to promote equality, solidarity, and reciprocity, and to counteract divisive and ethnicized narratives on identity and dealing with the past. As such, civil society organisations should be encouraged to engage with difficult topics and issues that concern communities, and not only foster issues deemed less political in their cross-community initiatives.

As Dr. Jelena Loncar, an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, and one of the research leads, concluded, ‘in Kosovo civil society is more forward looking, more optimistic than in Serbia, with more developed intra- and inter-community co-operation at the local level. On the other hand, in Serbia, the main impression is a lack of hope and motivation for activism, with participants insisting on the lack of expertise, resources and visions of the future. At the same time, we noticed there are emerging youth organisations that give hope that grassroots activism is possible.’

Dr. Vjollca Krasniqi, a Profesor of Sociology, at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Prishtina, who also spearheaded the research, emphasized that, ‘the history of conflict has left a difficult legacy, both in Kosovo and in Serbia, and also for civil society organisations. They have to restore trust – promote tolerance and co-operation – between communities. One important finding is that civil society organisations believe cross-community initiatives are important and relevant to foster inter-ethnic relations, even despite the fact the main narratives remain divided.’

Dr. Orli Fridman, head of the Center for Comparative Conflict Studies at the Faculty of Media and Communications (FMK), Singidunum University, and an advisor on the researcher, added that ‘the strength – even the beauty – of the research is its rich empirical data. There are some excellent quotes from participants demonstrating the presence of the fieldwork itself. As a result, the report reflects a complex and more nuanced reality on the ground, which challenges what is out there in terms of daily discourses.’

The research is available to download from the PCi website by visiting:

On Civil Society in Serbia and Kosovo

For further information about the research, please contact Ian Bancroft (ian.bancroft@peacefulchange.org).

Civil Society in Kosovo and Serbia take Stance against Division

Posted on December 9, 2021 by -

PCi hereby presents in full a joint statement issued by civil society organisations and activists from Serbia and Kosovo laying out a series of calls and commitments that respond to the present context of relations in the region.

Joint Statement of Kosovo and Serbia Civil Society Actors

Witnessing that Kosovo-Serbia relations are not improving despite the ongoing dialogue process, we express our deep concern for the deterioration of the situation on the ground and in the daily lives of citizens. There is a need to safeguard and protect the human rights of minority groups in Serbia and Kosovo.

Concerned that the dialogue is being used to distract from important issues such as the deterioration of the rule of law, corruption, and human rights challenges.

Recognizing contextual differences regarding the levels of democracy, the rule of law, and separation of power, which influence the process of normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo:

We call on the governments of Serbia and Kosovo to:

  • continue the dialogue in a substantial and sustainable manner;
  • promptly implement already reached agreements;
  • refrain from inflammatory rhetoric against minority communities and populist narratives regarding mutual relations and history;
  • commit to transparency and ensure civic participation;  
  • take prompt measures to develop internal processes of integration;
  • respect the rights of minorities; and,
  • work on confidence-building measures to bring communities together. 

We call on the International Community:

  • to support dialogue and the normalisation agreements that not are not at the expense of democracy in Kosovo and Serbia;
  • to focus on substantial solutions instead of resolving daily disputes among the parties in dialogue;
  • to support civil society in the wider sense (CSOs, academia, cultural institutions, media, trade unions, etc.);
  • to work on normalization and sustainable relations between two parties;
  • to foster a wider inter and intra-societal debate  on  possible solutions and priorities in the dialogue.

We commit to:

  • further impel substantial and continuous debate between civil society in Serbia and Kosovo;
  • exchange information about issues, context and developments in both societies in a timely manner;
  • have joint reactions on the alarming issues that deteriorate the situation on the ground and have a detrimental impact on relations between communities;
  • keep in focus on-going challenges not being resolved, which are marginalized due to current issues or incidents;
  • maintain a space for civil society proactive leadership in creating better relations and improvements in human rights and the everyday lives of citizens;
  • recognize differences among processes in Serbia and Kosovo and react in line with those processes asking for steps in the right direction;
  • involve other civil society actors for a continuing dialogue among civil societies actors and enable substantial involvement for each and everyone.

Signatories:

  1. Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC)
  2. Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC)
  3. Assist Kosovo Center – ASSIST, Prishtinë
  4. Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE)
  5. Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
  6. Balkan Policy Research Group
  7. Crno-beli svet, Mitrovica North
  8. Center for Advocacy and Democratic Development (CADD)
  9. Center for Peace and Tolerance (CPT)
  10. Centar za regionalizam, Mitrovica
  11. Civic Initiatives
  12. Council for Human Rights – Bujanovac
  13. Democracy Plus (D+)
  14. Drita Dibrani, civil society activist
  15. European Fund for the Balkans
  16. Forum for Development and Multiethnic Collaboration (FDMC)
  17. HANDIKOS, Kosovo
  18. Independent Initiative for Blind People, Kosovo
  19. Institute for Development and Integration (IZHI)
  20. Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER)
  21. Jelena Lončar, Academic, University of Belgrade
  22. Kosovo Law Institute (KLI)
  23. Kosovo Center for Security Studies (KCSS)
  24. Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI)
  25. Leadership and Development (LAD)
  26. Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM)
  27. Mitrovica Women Association for Human Rights (MWAHR)
  28. NGO Advocacy for Society Development (AFSD)
  29. NVO “PLEJADA” Prizren
  30. NVO Communication for the development of society CSD, Gračanica
  31. NGO Aktiv
  32. New Social Initiative (Mitrovica)
  33. OJQ “Drugëza”
  34. OJQ “VISION 02” Istog
  35. OJQ Aureola
  36. OJQ Qendra e Gruas “ATO” Vushtrri
  37. OJQ Roma in Action Gjakovë
  38. Open Society Foundation, Novi Sad-Beograd
  39. Rahim Salihi, civil society activist, Bujanovac.
  40. The Balkan Forum
  41. Unioni i Punëtorëve Social të Kosovës
  42. Valon Arifi, civil society activist
  43. Vjollca Krasniqi, Academic, University of Prishtina
  44. Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (VoRAE)
  45. Xhejrane Lokaj, civil society activist
  46. Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) Kosovo
  47. Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) Serbia

Media Award in Kosovo and Serbia: Deadline for applications is extended

Posted on August 17, 2021 by -

Peaceful Change initiative is calling on journalists, editors, media representatives, and others, to share with us their stories on multi-ethnic coexistence in Kosovo and Serbia. The idea was initiated by the Media Consultation Dialogue, an integral part of PCi’s Balkan programme. 

With gratitude to all who have applied so far for the Media Award, PCi hereby announces an extension of the deadline for entries by three months. This means that stories published/broadcast between now and November 15th can also compete for the Award. The new deadline for submitting applications is now November 16th 2021. Stories going back to 15th August 2020 are also eligible. 

The reason for the deadline extension is to try and stimulate journalists to generate media content which explores the positive sides of multi-ethnic co-existence. All entries sent so far remain in contention, but we want to give journalists and editors additional time to pursue stories that qualify for recognition by PCi’s Media Award. Good luck to all who want to compete for the Award. 

For detailed information about how to apply, please click on the Terms of Reference below, available in English, Serbian and Albanian languages.

Stories published between 15 August 2020 and 15 November 2021 are eligible for the Media Award. To apply click on the following link: https://forms.gle/3XWBbGFMMJqBtiw47. The application deadline is 16 November 2021.