Theme: Civil society and peacebuilding

Third Media Consultation Dialogue tackles empathy for “the other” in Serbia and Kosovo

Posted on June 2, 2021 by -

PCi’s Amplifying Local Voices for Equitable Development (ALVED) project has been gathering media experts, journalists, editors, civil society and institutions from Kosovo and Serbia in what will eventually be a cycle of eight Media Consultation Dialogues (MCD). Their goal is to bring together media related experts from Kosovo and Serbia who would not normally have a chance to meet and discuss their respective media scenes. The overarching goal is to try and galvanize change in a rather toxic media pool of division and hate speech. The project is funded by the UK Government’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF).

Having tackled a PCi commissioned comprehensive study of the media scenes in Kosovo and Serbia during the first MCD, the second one looked into the media regulatory bodies. The third Media Consultation Dialogue was held online on March 3 2021, and titled “Unpleasant Truths and Unfounded Beliefs”.  The discussion focused on a universally acknowledged belief by all participants that empathy for “the other” is very conspicuous by its absence. Three questions were discussed in detail:

  • Why is it so difficult to see the suffering of “the other”?
  • What could the Media and the Civil Society do to facilitate reconciling with the past, including reporting on unpleasant truths?
  • How could the Media (and possibly the Civil Society) change the current state of affairs?

Just like after every other Media Consultation Dialogue, together with its participants, PCi will draft a set of conclusions and recommendations to be shared with media outlets, civil society and state and international institutions. To access the document entailing the Conclusions and Recommendations click here in English, Albanian and Serbian.

Update on Second Media Consultation Dialogue in Serbia and Kosovo

Posted on May 26, 2021 by -

The second Media Consultation Dialogue (MCD) looked closely at the work of the media regulatory bodies in in Kosovo and Serbia since one of the conclusions of the first Media Consultation Dialogue was that their work does not contribute enough to the elimination of hate speech and “othering” in the media.

The Media Consultation Dialogues are an integral part of PCi’s Amplifying Local Voices for Equitable Development – ALVED project. The Dialogues bring together media experts, journalists, editors, civil society representatives and also some institutions that do not usually communicate with each other. Their goal is to engage in constrictive dialogues in areas important for the media in both Kosovo and Serbia.

The Media Consultation Dialogue 2 was held online on February 24 2021 and the focus was on the Media Regulatory Bodies – specifically on the difference between their work as laid down by the law and the difference between the theory and practice of their work. The discussion revolved primarily around:

  • How media regulators ensure that public interest is served and what does public interest actually mean?
  • What exactly are the differences between the theory and practice?
  • How to narrow down those differences and improve the overall media scene in Kosovo and Serbia and help the media play a more constructive part in creating a cohesive and constructive relationship between the two societies?

Further to the Dialogue and consultations with all participants, a set of Conclusions and Recommendations was compiled and in the next few weeks will be shared with local, national, and international institutions that work in strengthening the independence of media in Kosovo and Serbia.

The Conclusions and Recommendations are available in English, Albanian and Serbian language

ILO launches new guide to promote social cohesion and peaceful coexistence in fragile contexts

Posted on May 5, 2021 by -

PCi’s trustee Joan McGregor and Senior Peacebuilding Advisor Raj Bhari have been working with ILO to produce a new guide:  Promoting Social Cohesion and Peaceful Coexistence in Fragile Contexts through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). 

The guide is now available to download here: Promoting Social Cohesion and Peaceful Coexistence in Fragile Contexts through TVET.

The guide is aimed at TVET practitioners to consolidate their role as active promoters of social cohesion and peaceful co-existence.

The guide seeks to strengthen the role of skills development policies and programmes in peacebuilding efforts through inclusive learning methodologies and training in relevant core skills. 

It also provides practical guidance on how to adapt training, to mixed community groups, embed conflict resolution skills, cooperation, and other relevant core skills into training curricula, and create conflict sensitive, inclusive, and diverse learning environments for all.

The guide will be launched at a Webinar on International Day of Living Together in Peace on May 17 2021 at 2pm UK time. To participate in the Webinar, please click on the following link:  https://ilo-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jr1K9WatS4yB2qDJRILlpg

Media Award in Kosovo and Serbia: Call for applications is open

Posted on April 26, 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. 

The call for entries is open until mid-August 2021 and the entries will be evaluated by a professional jury who will select the winning stories and media outlets.

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 August 2021 are eligible for the Media Award. To apply click on the following link: https://forms.gle/3XWBbGFMMJqBtiw47. The application deadline is 16 August 2021.

PCi’s partner on the Kosovo-Serbia project launches small grants scheme

Posted on April 21, 2021 by -

PCi’s partner on the Kosovo-Serbia project, People in Need (PIN), has launched a small-grants scheme to support local-level, community-based initiatives that can help deal with the impact of Covid-19 on local communities, whilst cutting across ethnic divisions.

More than 100 applications were received, out of which 12 grassroot organizations were selected for support. They are:

  1. Centar za aktivizam Vranje (Center for Activism in Vranje) //Vranje & Bujanovac
  2. Centar za ravnomerni regionalni razvoj (Center for Equal Regional Development) – CenTriR & Ruža Lebane //Lebane
  3. Education Code & Ana Morava //Gjilan/Gnjilane & Lipjan/Lipljan
  4. Primo la toleranza //Štrpce/Shtërpcë
  5. Qendra e Kujdesit Ditor “PEMA” (Day Care Center “Pema”) //Gjilan/Gnjilane
  6. Qendra për jetë të pavarur (Center for Independent Living) //Peja/Peć
  7. Shoqata Beyond (Association Beyond) //Bujanovac
  8. Udruženje građanja Odbor za ljudska prava Vranje (Citizens’ Association Committee for Human Rights in Vranje) //Vranje & Bujanovac
  9. Udruženje Roditelja “Podrži me”, Sever (Association of Parents in the North “Support me”) //Leposavić/Leposaviq
  10. Udruženje Romkinja Bujanovac (Association of Roma Women in Bujanovac) //Bujanovac
  11. YMCA Movement – Peja branch //Peja/Peć
  12. Youth Association for Human Rights //Lipjan/Lipljan

Our partner PIN will be launching similar small-grant schemes in the future, offering more opportunities for support, especially to those who are in a more vulnerable position.

Supporting marginalised communities in Georgia impacted by COVID-19

Posted on April 19, 2021 by -

This report has been produced by PCi’s partner organisation in Georgia, IDP Women’s Association Consent. The report summarises quantitative and qualitative research carried out by Consent and their partners in isolated communities in three regions of Georgia on the way they were impacted by the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the report in English, click here. For the report in Georgian, click here.

The Peacemakers’ Network – Libya, launches campaign to counter hate speech on social media

Posted on March 18, 2021 by -

The Peacemakers’ Network – Libya, has launched a campaign to counter hate speech on social media “Our difference does not separate us”. It is based on workshops that were held in 12 Libyan cities between February 27 and March 5 2021, with support from Peaceful Change initiative. The target audience included media professionals, activists and social media activists in the regions. A webinar was convened on 10 March (in Arabic with English translation) to support the connection of target audiences and to introduce the campaign and motivate the audience to be a part of it. For more visit Campaign Facebook Page  and/or The Peacemakers’ Network, Libya Facebook Page

The Peacemakers’ Network – Libya, gives Libyans from both sides of the conflict divide a vehicle to work together in an institutional way, to seek funding autonomously, and to amplify the voice of its diverse membership and is registered with the authorities.

Social Media youth campaign to strengthen the role of young Libyans in peacebuilding

Posted on March 1, 2021 by -

Peaceful Change initiative, through the Social Peace and Local Development Programme has launched ‘Bader’, a social media youth campaign to strengthen the role of young Libyans as peace actors. Through amplifying the voices and experiences of young peacebuilders and civil society activists, Bader aims to inspire young people to take action and engage in peace, social cohesion, gender equality and social inclusion initiatives in their own communities.

The campaign will use social media to connect young peace leaders from across the country and facilitate knowledge and learning exchanges. This will support the strengthening of existing youth networks, as well as building new relationships among peace leaders with diverse experiences and backgrounds, challenging divisive narratives through meaningful interactions around peace and youth issues. The young leaders are being encouraged to tell their peace initiative stories and through the campaign, three of the participants will be awarded a grant to fund a new initiative. Please visit  https://www.facebook.com/bader.libya.pci

Supporting national trust building amongst Syrian youth

Posted on November 24, 2018 by -

After 7 years of civil war, Syrians on different sides of the conflict are deeply mistrustful of each other and can be afraid to meet. Peaceful Change initiative worked to bridge this trust gap by convening a group of 12 young people from politically diverse areas at a dialogue forum outside Beirut, Lebanon. It provided the opportunity to build bridges and share perspectives, whilst developing a genuine respect for ‘the other’. Trust and confidence was slowly built.

Nadia is a 27 year old graduate in Civil Engineering from Aleppo. She said: ‘The different realities I heard during the dialogue forum helped me to break down the stereotypes I had formed about people during the war because I lacked access to information. I listened to how it was for other young people to exist during the war and it has been helpful for me to know about their lives.’

The dialogue forum also provided an opportunity for the young people to learn about peacebuilding and concepts such as human rights, conflict and violence. The facilitators led a guided discussion on economic and social violence (visible and invisible) that need to be addressed in order to bring conflict to an end.

Khalid is a 19 year old student from Homs, the third largest city in Syria, who implemented civil society activities in his locality. He said: ‘It was helpful to learn about peacebuilding concepts as they underpin my work as a civil society activist. I want to empower myself and understand actions that respect human rights and non-violence.’

Promoting public engagement with the Constitution in Libya

Posted on October 22, 2018 by -

The development of a new Constitution is a central pillar of a peaceful political transition in Libya. While the Peacemakers’ Network recognised the importance of the Constitution during the transition process, they had concerns that few communities across the country had access to credible information about the draft Constitution text, or measured debate about what the purpose of a Constitution is. Joint analysis by the Peacemakers’ Network members indicated an urgent need to foster constructive public debate about the Constitution to overcome citizen apathy and disengagement from a key part of the country’s transition process. Peacemakers’ Network member Ms Khadija Elboashi, Lecturer in Law at Tripoli University, said: “What was disappearing from the debate is any understanding of what a Constitution is and what role it plays in the life of a nation.”

To this end, two members of the Peacemakers’ Network, from different parts of Libya, took the lead in developing a campaign on public engagement with the Constitution drafting process. Due to the highly polarised nature of traditional media and social media in Libya, the Peacemakers’ Network opted for an approach of direct, face-to-face engagement with local leaders and influencers. The Peacemakers’ Network subsequently developed a set of tools and materials for facilitating workshops, town hall meetings and similar events focusing on the Constitution; trained Peacemakers’ Network members in how to use these materials; and embarked on an ambitious project to hold public engagement meetings in all parts of Libya. The Peacemakers’ Network engaged with the Constitutional Drafting Assembly throughout.