Considering the Future ConsideringPerspectives on Dealing with the the Past Future in Kosovo Perspectives on Dealing with the Past in Kosovo
Edited by Karmit Zysman and Ballsor Hoxha Considering the Future 3 Considering the Future Considering theFuture Perspectives onDealingwiththepast inKosovo Edited by Karmit Zysman andBallsorHoxha Prishtina, 2011 Printed intheRepublic ofKosovo © forum ZFD, December2011 www.forumzfd.de 00 38138227323 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo Qamil Hoxha 8/3 Forum ZivilerFriedensdienst e.V. Translation into English: Translation into Serbian: Illustrations: Layout: Cover design: Editors: after invented, withoutpriorpermissioninwriting from forumZFD. ing photography, recording orany information storage or retrieval system, now known orhere- utilised inany form or by any means,electronic (CD-ROM, Internet, etc.) ormechanical includ All rights reserved. Nopartofthispublication may betranslated, reproduced ortransmitted, or the views ofeithertheeditors orforumZFD. The views expressed inthispublication are thoseoftheauthors anddonotnecessarily reflect Kreshnik (Keka) Berisha Vehap Shita Jane ViolaFelber INTEGRA Dardan Ibrahimi Karmit Zysman, BallsorHoxha -
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Considering the Future Considering the Future 5 Considering the Future 89 86 75 63 51 39 29 19 09 06 Contents Acknowledgements Contributors Memorials anddealingwiththepast Fragile recovery ofcultural heritage in Kosovo Dealing withthepast andidentity Theatre inKosovo: Challenges inayoung country The silent burden ofthepast Why Ican’t write Dealing withthepast andhistory teaching Preface Karmit ZysmanandAbdullahFerizi Preface Finally,coursingthirdtheme the book, through this the importance ofdealingwithpast determined, defined andpresented inthepresent? is How purpose? whatto and it memorialising responsibleforand course)?contextualisingis Who ‘past’ memorial or tribute compared to a nation-wide commemoration (not that they are mutually exclusive, of community-baseda or family-based of merits the be might practical what consideration, a As ‘we’? the construction of ‘past’ transcend the ‘I’ to become that of the ‘we’? That is to say, which criteria determine one’s private, particular, and memorialisation does pointFundamentally, universalism.which and at ism betweenThe gulf privatetous leads public and thesecondchallenge the past:with dealing in particular themselves debated anddissected inpublicspacesmore noticeablythaninthepast. workplace.Moreover, for scholars,practitioners alike, people and lay ‘memory, identity, and history’, are the within and friends, family, among the in interaction daily in changes as well as communication, and technology as such structuresmacro-societal in years 70 last the over developments to due blurred ing However, becom- village. is compartmentalisation or one’s such neighbourhood of discretion the within perhaps or family, one’s mind, own one’s within – private relatively just or private extremely whether private domain, of the part considered been have traditionally memories, on reflections and Memories, may become ameansto preserve andprotect. of silence’ a ‘culture times, at where, pasts tragic with societies in particularly compelling, very is space public transparent, open, the to opposed as space private the of dignity and sanctity The consumption. public appropriate for is what and domain private the for reserved be should what about views definite are There self’. ‘public the ‘private’ versus the of sense deep a collective the and individual the both in The first concerns the context in which the past is explored. Discussions about the past inevitably awaken tions and topics. At present, though,three majorchallenges come to mind. elucida of dearth no is thereTo sure,process? be challenging and delicate a such past the with dealing utterly confounding be pastcancomplex. and the following:with the ‘dealing’ Consider makes what Yet, Welcome. We owe respect to theliving;to thedeadwe owe onlytruth. Voltaire (Première Lettres surOedipe, vol. 1,1785) Considering the Future: Perspectives on Dealing with Future:Perspectivesthe Dealing on Considering - -
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Considering the Future Considering the Future 7 Considering the Future 1 artistic expression, such as the production of the album, people; missing of unresolved fates the and crimes, war justice, transitional history; about teaching and various from past learning of process broader the the and development curriculum history foci: specific with with perspectives and dealing initiatives many been have there war Kosovo the of end the Since – notto mention ourparticularisms–that are partofashared past? universalisms our homogenising it is how and uniqueness, our of us globalisation robbing is How future. the defining about and present the about much very are all relatedthemes and memory historicalpast, the with dealing forget,we Lest past. the with dealing of part as phenomenon this consider to doxical the Past in Kosovo, is one that is so very much a part of our present: globalisation. One might find it para- for the originalparticipants butalso, we hope, for many new voices andperspectives, especially in Kosovo, are part of a work-in-process to encourage further public discussions around this topic, not only sevenessaysThe present the anthology,in through thelensesoftheirfieldsinterestwith thepast’ and experience. forover year,one seven members Thinkers’the of Forum expressed towillingness write‘dealinga about themes of a variety analysing and society. contemporary exploring Kosovo After in felt still grief present ’socialconceptof the using wounds‘ toidentify, omni the of frame, acknowledge the consequences and mind, in experiences these With suffering. and ‘victimhood’ of significance individual the and, needs societal consequent experience, collective a as loss on focus to a series of meetings to jointly look at ways to tackle this issue. The Thinkers’ Forum was initially convened framework,this Within on 16 May 2009, fifteen Kosovars were invited tothe first of what would become initiative calledThinkers’ Forumaspartofanon-going process ofDealingwiththe Past (DwP)in Kosovo. 2008, in Later organisationswith as from areas all of former Yugoslavia, establishto a regional fact-finding commission. well Kosovo, as in Missing the of Behalf on Associations Family with closely working been has forumZFD existing initiatives that on human bereavementwere largely inequity. focused economic and Specifically, already- other, with cooperating began Kosovo) (forumZFD Friedensdienst Ziviler Forum 2008, early In Network (BIRN)for television. titioners, and journalists from Kosovo and abroad; a series of debates by the Balkan Investigative Reports mental the in response health sector; trauma nostalgia and the temptation to ‘break individual with the future’; published works by scholars, prac - and collective past; the and identity cultural Jericho; band, and fervour andare intrinsic to thinkingaboutdealingwith thepast. Concepts and usages for ‘victimhood’, victimisation, and victim vary. Their connotations are necessarily debated with frequency debated arenecessarily connotations Their victim ‘victimhood’,for and vary. usages victimisation, and Concepts ZFD Kosovo, supported by the German Ministry for Development, embarked on an on embarkedDevelopment, for Ministry German the by supportedKosovo, forum ZFD Considering the Future: Perspectives on Dealing with the the Future: with PastPerspectivesthe Dealing Considering on West or ZFD and the Thinkers’ Forum began Forum Thinkers’ the and forumZFD East ( a Lindje Perёndim a ), by the Prishtina - this book,andshare itwith thoseinyour realm. my point of view’, or, ‘I couldn’t agree more with that point....’ In any case, we invite you, ‘discourse’ with idea so I must have a cup of coffee with that author to hear more of what he thinks, and to share with him Pick it up again and perhaps say to yourself, ‘...I hadn’t thought about that...’ or, ‘I really can’t fathom that fewdays. a for down it Put it. with argue to encourageyou we reason that For you. anger outright even or you, disturb that viewpoints and encounterassertions undoubtedly will you volume, this read you As opinion, earnest discussionaboutdealing withthepast begins. the in contributions. Naturally, theauthors are alone responsible for their content. Through difference of consideration questions, challenging and of or may agree views not all positions may with and contained perspectives tomorrow. and today and productive for and insights useful new develop and discover we discussions these Through past. the of ences contextualiseexperiremember,- and we enhance, how examineto us enables past the about Discourse challenges usto inthe reflectface ofglobalisation. on‘past’ looks at cultural heritage and appeals to us to heed the state of cultural preservation in Kosovo today, and multi-perspective historical narration.of philosophy and methodology the inherentin lenges Salihu cupy oc- motives economic and religious political, for heritage cultural usurping or manipulating Destroying, Kosovo today provide amplematerial in for Jeton Neziraj theatre , playwright anddirector. in place taking changes dynamic The literature. the in particularly ideas, of exchange the in society.Poet Kosovocontemporary in messages and intent young people. As an architect, effects of Kosovo’s recent violent past on today’s society, on particularly focusing family structure on and Ferid Agani contribution hasits own style, voice, spirit,andemphasis,withlimited editorial intervention. from their personal worldviews that envision and interpret their dealing with the past and its impact. Each contributorstoseven The rural andotherethnic communities. leaders from youth, women, e.g. firstedition, this in participate not did who sectorssocietalfrom those Petrit Çarkaxhiu raises important questions about the teaching of history and its goals, and the values and chal and values the and goals, its and history of teaching the about questions important raises , a psychiatrist, and Minister of Health of the Republic of Kosovo, writes about the psychosocial , looking back, and moreover, looking at the present and future. Historian future. and present the at moreover,looking and back, looking , have shared some of the thoughts and insights gained insights and thoughts the of some sharedhave theFutureConsidering Valon Gërmizaj examines the role of monuments and memorials, and their ZFD and the editors intend to facilitatethoughtful to intendeditors the and forumZFD laments the changing trends changing the laments Ballsor Hoxha Sali Shoshi Arbër -
Considering the Future 8 Considering the Future Dealing withthe Past and History Teaching Arbër Salihu Considering the Future 11 Considering the Future great historical turnbrought to our attention theneed tolook atthe past ourperceptions and of it. Now, This proletariat-dictatorshipconcept). the by (ruled world Eastern/Soviet the and ideal democracy) liberal the of valued that thinking of way a by (distinguished world Western the between War Cold the of broughtend systemalso the whole demise a fallIts the of camecommunismthinking. fall the of of With more orless beenpreserved to thisday, albeitwithdifferent intensity. have notions malicious irrational and Such constantlyothers.’holy’,by – heroicoppressed as others and as nations other portray superior, to as nations some portray to used been has history of manipulation the phenomenon; similar a been has there Balkans, the In circles. hegemonic or governmental of goals represent. In this manner, history is often transformed they into systems the a and myth personalities that their served the glorify ideological to and groups political political and politicians certain serves History dictatorial ‘undemocratic’manycountries. and in historystudying and teaching waypredominantof the is past the from truths selective using present the glorify to tendency The goals. certain serve to lated manipu often is and was history that see we broader, issue, takea we this If at retrospectivemore look be approached incertain contexts? influences how young people deal with it. In this manner, a question inevitably arises: How should history it has on students in their formative years. The field of history, which researches the past, unquestionably Not surprisingly, the education system plays an important role in dealing with the past due to the influence to create abetter future for usand for generations to come. ever, the need to not be enslaved by the past forces us to face it, and learn the lessons that are necessary ence the notions of an individual. This fate has followed the citizens of Kosovo throughout the past. How influ certainly can existence to threat constant environment facing an in Living independence. and tion It iswell known that Kosovo has,fortime, along gone through situations, difficult very up untilits libera- as itseems.Itisespeciallycomplex inplacesthat have gone through difficultperiodsduringhistory. society because of what it has gone through. Dealing with the past is usually neither as easy nor as simple es and perceptions of an individual regarding a certain event, and the judgment, behaviour and attitude of because the past reflects itself in the present and the future. This process is related to both the experienc- The process of dealing with the past is a complex issue that we encounter almost every day. This happens Kosovo Reflections Arbër Salihu AND HISTORY TEACHING DEALING WITHTHEPAST - - - students. Additionally, there was no room for sufficient and genuine treatment of national, economic and among thinking critical for room enough not was there that understandablewas truth’, historicalit and tory served as a government tool for backing certain political goals and actions with ‘historical arguments his where a context In such education. of freedom their and rights political Albanians’ of evolution the on depended much since appearance their in equal and present continuously not wereapproaches two rights’. Naturally, these ‘factual on based ex-Yugoslavperspective the Albanian and right’, ‘historical on beginning of the 21st century, was characterised by two different teachings: the Serb/Yugoslav one based Wecan that posit teachingalso the historyof Kosovo,in from Secondthe of Worldend the War until the existed. They continue to bepassedfrom one generation toanotherthrough word of mouth. also have institutions educational history. outside interpretationHowever,of found of alternative forms years, a socialist/communist revolutionary approach fifty toward than more history prevailedfor Balkans, as the the official throughout interpretation and Kosovo, in general, In period. given each of conditions and developments political the on depending have changed subject this of objectives development.The and approach in different phases through gone has history of subject the thatday, see this weto WarII lastsixty-oddthe years in of Kosovoing end question. answerin the this the From was,to wefind World Why does this happen? There is an explanation. If we look back and see where the focus of history teach- day lives, relationships, social,cultural and gender aspects,andindividuallife experiences. themes relating to every shortage of a is There repressions. and reachesbeyondwars, uprisings battles, Despite textbooks.considerable history attempts in to changeas them, curriculawell and textbooksas still curricula, offer classrooman approach wherein little both widespread is history teaching of way This (seemingly permanent) conventional national-patriotic issues is the predominant way of teaching history. Kosovo’scase,for Toexample, done. remainswecanfreelytobe saylot then thata day,this focusing on If we return to the aforementioned questions of how history should be approached in certain contexts, in of thepast andhistory. discourse, we think that in Kosovo, too, there is this an opportunity to reflectof history’. on theGiven bases of our perceptions end of ‘the existence the it meant infinite; not was societies human of evolution liberal capitalism, and culminating with the communist system. This perception of history meant that the slavery,from society tohuman in coherentdevelopment a as history conceptualised They philosophers. is therefore the end of history as it was interpreted in the philosophical writings of Hegel, Marx, and other process, when the experience of all peoples during all times is takenevolutionary intocoherent, account.single, (Fukuyama 2006:a 7-8) It as understood is history Instead,ex-Yugoslav etc.) the wars, Kuwait, of Iraqi invasion the Berlin Wall, the of the fall conventional (e.g. events manner, of occurrence the as such a in used not is ‘history’ history.Hereto end an bring we communism of fall the and democracy liberal tem?Furthermore, different theoreticians, researchers thinkers and advancement the that with argue of education the sys- in subject school a and science a as hold history does place what is raised: question a - -
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Considering the Future Considering the Future 13 Considering the Future derstanding ofnational identity andonprinciplesof tolerance’. (Recommendation Rec (2001)152001:2) an un on differences, based of forms all for respect developing in and citizens active and responsible of like.recommendations,these In that said is it historyteaching should training vitalthe ‘occupy a in place state for the and authors, developers, policymakers, teachers, subject education systems, education textbook curriculum this on recommendations of list a prepared Europe of Council the 2001, in seminars, and conferences many and research, extensive to addition In learning. and teaching history defining in common developing toward democratic principles, promoting aspiring equality,institutions and protectingEuropean the individual; oldestit has been significantlythe involved of one is Europe of Council The same question, resulting ina great dealof research and workonthe topic. the across have stumbled institutions European different and theoreticians educational many last decades, the answer. In an requires nevertheless it but provocative, and banal seem can beyond) and rope Eu throughout asked being question (a history about learn to need we why of question tantalising The what meaningwould learningaboutithold? Teachinghistory tohas relevance bear for students everydaytheir and lives. (EUROCLIOelse, Or 6) 2003: individuals andinstitutions, onmultiperspectivity in teachingof history. other and UNESCO, conferences, Euroclio Stradling, Robert of work the Europe’s and recommendations of the Council note particularly paragraphs following The challenges. these our meeting and investigations in points reference valuable Kosovo offer could history of teaching the with experience European Some European Perspectives sons for thefuture. straightforwardly,said a more needed is more for time approach les- rational us with that would provide liberation. emotional Or, full reach to are we if needed all are knowledge and courage, will, time, Much All this demonstrates that changing the individual’s and society’s thinking and conduct, takes a long time. towards others. one’sethnicity ownof people of part the on malice describing even or versa, vice or text Albanian an in between the Albanian and Serbian peoples, or in which a positive presentation of Serbs would be present textbooks.forand themes, example,or ricula are issues These amicablerelations recall of which periods As a result many issues remain untreated, ‘blank spots’ of historiography, and subsequently, in school cur attemptswere madeto legitimisedomination over theAlbanianpopulation. when occurred also This openly. very accomplished was it times other and quietly done was larly,pretended this ‘ownsides Sometimes absolutetheir thatall truth. wasthe period truth’ this during cultural themes, let alone the possibility to explore the everyday experiences of ordinary people. Particu- - - - the media, everyday communication with different people, books, arts, and sports, to name a few. name to a sports, everyday is and media, different It communication arts, the books, with people, of pupils and youth is not only formed in schools. Information about history can also be received through in, our preoccupations and problems – our present – and our goals for the future. Historical consciousness this discussion and interpretation of the past is closely connected to the state of the communities we live live. We are inevitably bound to discuss and interpret our individual and our community’s past. However, integral to our being. It is connected to understanding ourselves, and the community (society) in which we waysome in is historicalconsciousnessthat, of view In 6) 2003: EUROCLIOness.’ 1997; al. et(Bergmann ever-presentaware an - human is historical consciousness that and future, the perspectives for and sent pre- the understandings of past, the interpretations between of relations also but past, intereststhe for knowledge and only ‘historical that, not clarifies includes Jeissman consciousness handbook, didactics ry history didactics professor from the Westfalen-Lippe Pedagogical College in Munster, Germany. In a histo - renowned personalities trying to explain this notion is Prof. Dr. Karl-Ernst Jeismann, a modern history and The concept of historical consciousnesses became a topic within history didactics in the 1970s. One of the training processes. (EUROCLIO 2003:6) teachers’ history in important role an playing curricula, national of part a become has It countries. pean keyrecentyears,a manyIn becomeconcept,‘historicalEuro in termsciousness. has the consciousness’- con historical raising in role decisive a play perhaps and history of subject the of directions current the show these All (Albania). communication and organisation research, historical interpretation, historical values, gaining of skills and social (California,inclusion USA); chronological aspects, historical knowledge, civic and democratic of understanding understanding, and knowledge cultural (UK); past the communication regarding and interpretation, research historical and data, evidence/proof of usage effects, and differences, religiouscauses and culturalpast, the in changes and people occurrences, understandingof understanding, chronological (Ireland); citizenry and life for preparation skills, historical understanding, and knowledge following: the include pupils from expected results the and them, governing objectives If we look at history curricula in many European countries, but also beyond, we can see the main goals and ences, filledwithunderstanding andlove, butalso conflicts and hatred. cultivating history’s also is This openness. this past: the with deals it as domain, past generations’ experi- in play to role important very a has history of teaching and subject diversity. The toward flexible more role to play in preparing youth for this. Today, more than ever, education systems are becoming more and respect the differences, but also to adapt to this human diversity. Education, in general, has an important to diversity.only such not importantrespectwe is that importanceIt upmost of is it backgrounds, social and religious cultural, racial, ethnic, different of people with live we and world,today’s of components main the of two are interdependence and globalisation As 37) 1996: al. et together’.(Delors live to ing and ‘Learning to be’. As can be seen, one of the skills or pillars for preparing young people for life is ‘learn- concept of education, based on four pillars: ‘Learning to know’, ‘Learning to do’, ‘Learning to live together’ comprehensivea depicts learning, lifelong of concept the with dealing Treasurereport, The This Within. President of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, that resulted in the 1996 publication of Learning: ofre- aformer by led different from fields, experts of a body group by education, conducted in directions on search a also initiated Organisation) and Cultural Scientific Educational, Nations (United UNESCO -
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Considering the Future Considering the Future 15 Considering the Future Often historical moments and occurrences become topics of widespread social debates. This strengthens higher. also is sensitivity opposite diametrically are occurrences interpretations of and view of points the when cases In wider. even becomes occurrences historical certain of interpretations and standpoints be- tween gap the memory, the in fresh cleansing ethnic and torture violence, of experiences dramatic With of war andotherarmedconflicts, asisthe case with Kosovo. ous difficulties. The situation becomes even more complicated inplaces where people have just come out them. Of course, sometimes things that seem attractive and easily implementable can encounter numer tofeel necessary ownershipto apply will recognise overthe forideas, possess these need and the them, is Firstly, it practice? in implemented be they can how but inspiring, very are recommendations These (2001)15 2001:2) dimensions’.Rec (Recommendation global and European national, regional, local, its in heritage torical his common of their knowledge identity collective through and individual own their enhance citizens to European aspects’. should ‘enable dramatic sometimes teaching] It [history and conflictual its with even agreed building of Europe based on a common historical and cultural heritage, enriched through diversity, freely the of parts fundamental the of democracy’.one and rights‘be Teachinghuman should history of understanding, mutual tolerance, as such values, fundamental of promotion the in role vital a ‘play as well as peoples’ between trust mutual and understanding recognition, reconciliation, in factor decisive a ‘be also should teaching history that stated also is it trust’.There, and understanding mutual of spirit a in perspective, global a in societies human of development peaceful the as well as Europe, of building youngdirectpeople’srolea in in the active participation totheir developmentprogress,view a and with tury, in all European countries (for a democratic Europe) should ‘be part of an education policy that plays 21st cen- the history in of Europerecommendations, learning of the that Council see 2001 can we the In this subject? should we approach history. What are the values, opinions, comportments and skills we aspire to through of how question initial the encounter we time, same the Atoccurrence. past a surrounding truth torical his the presenting of goal foremost and first the has history contradictorily, that sometimes if known, also is It nation. each in feelings national with linked closely is history of subject the that known widely Regardingrolethe history,of naturalis it that there have stilland been, are, contrasting perceptions.It is subject), but also skilled masters of new teaching methodologies that promote a pupil-centred approach. the in professional(expertsteachers well-preparedand having implies only not This approach. this with tivity should also be adapted to serve this purpose. The teaching process and methodology should comply process.If historical consciousness goalsthe main one of is or axles history of thenteachingac- learning, defined clearly and organised,an planned with dealing arewe schools, historical in consciousnessabout processnon-formaltothe belongs that also informal and education. of However, domain speaking when - - - prejudices. (EUROCLIO 2003:8) and emotions on based ones better-supportedrationalmoreto to and opposed lead can as conclusions, different perspectivesfrom occurrences Viewing stance. principled a takingfor possibility the allow also can but debates, heated to lead can It happened. really what toward standpoint critical a for allow can truth to be debated or discussed, through which values can better explored by pupils. An open discussion the of aspect ethical evil, this better However,for is truth. from it the argues, and one ethics with good do to has which distinguish to ability pupils’ the diminishes this that worry may Many thinking. torical encouragesMultiperspectivity his disposal. their atarguments and facts on based occurrences judge to challenged be themselves will they because pupils, among thinking critical of development enables This account others’ perspectives inaddition toour own regarding acertain occurrence. (Stradling 2003:13) takesthatprocess into a is It it. Peterputs FritzscheK. as ‘aunderstoodstrategy understanding’ as be of it has proven to be a very effective approach in dealing with historical occurrences. Multiperspectivity can Nevertheless, didactics. history relatively appearance in a new is approachformconcept,pedagogicalor This countries. European developed in widely applied approach a contemporary is ‘Multiperspectivity’ and information technologies. (Recommendation Rec(2001)152001:2) communication using research comprehensive more undertaking as such history, teaching in methods formative pro- ongoing cesses. There and are some general guidelines about teachers’ preparation special encouraging the to usage undergo of complex need teachers history Therefore, policies. educational should increase respect toward a teacher’s work, because it plays a leading role in implementing society’s creation of children’s or young people’s outlook in general. This increases the teacher’s responsibility and new implementing in agent main the education, ideas. The way in s/he presents, change interprets and transmitsof historical agentoccurrences plays an main immense role in the the is teacher The subject. As mentioned above, the teacher’s role should hold a central place when talking about history as a school and institutes for researching andpresenting historical developments. mechanisms institutions, all of mobilisation general a requires interpretive It approach. wider a requires linked with the ideals of a society. itself is Therefore, that history is memory characterised collective by its sensitivityto and complexityconnected that closely is history of subject the that belief the more even torical events. This comes also as a result of requirements set by curricula and textbooks. Therefore, a Therefore,textbooks. and curricula by set requirements of result a as also comes This events. torical ofhis interpretations traditional by influenced been have teachers our attempts, isolated some Despite authorities to initiate debate onthisissue. We past’? the believe that serious until no now steps have been taken historyby teachers or responsible preparedKosovarareHow today’s teachersmeet to ‘dealrequirements?toprepared theyare How with Conclusion - -
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Considering the Future Considering the Future 17 Considering the Future countries. Here we should also mention EUROCLIO, the association of history teachers of Europe, of which different in Germany,research textbook history EckertGeorg in Institute with the dealing and Europe of of history is also of great interest to important international institutions and institutes such as the Council subject The print). and (electronic media interestthe toof community. also the are and Historical issues ence history teaching and learning. Society in general has a certain interest too, beginning with the family influ also and archives history. can as museums of field such institutions, the in specialised ments Other on advance- latest presentations and research scientific for Institute, responsible Albanological the with together Institute History the and staff; teaching producing for responsible Prishtina, of University the policymaking and an executive institution; the History Department and the Education Department within teachersmentioned first; of Ministry tobe Education,and the need would Science then Technology,as a the conducted, be history in Kosovo to of subject the stakeholdersWerethe of of field analysisthe an in form, role andactivities. Kosovo Historythe founding of of Association the plat continues its develop which Teachers to (ShKAH), interests.first with takenKosovo step was in and A requests,needs their harmonise teachersto enables A valuable practice from countries democratic long with traditions, professional associations of teachers, parative approach toward historical facts relating to relations amongthepeoplesof theBalkans. historical events). These trainings focus on creating a new environment in history teaching through a com- Europe(CDRSEE), that organises teacher trainingsfourthe useof in additional textbooks (on four topics/ in Southeast Reconciliation and Democracy for Center the with cooperation in (KEC), Center Education the Kosovo of initiative an is mentioning worth Also contributions. important been have above, noted ent events. Seminars, such as those of the Council of Europe on history curricula, teaching and textbooks, with the past. This was accomplished by listening first hand to witnesses’ accounts dealing of and form special narratives a as of history oral differ on seminar a supported back years few a (IIZ/DVV), Association Education Adult history.the German teaching organisation, of InstituteCooperation An International for toatedbegun raiseand discussion awareness teachersamong expertsdifferentand a about approach in If they can be mentioned as positive initiatives, one can point to the efforts of some NGOs that have initi that could provoke apublicreaction. Dealing with the past also means dealing with difficult issues that the public might find more sensitive and pupils. their to it apply promote and could they – this achieve order to in colleagues) (firstlyothers their cooperatewith to need they and – dealing with deal to manage honestly they past’.If the ‘dealingwith with ‘deal’ should teachers the all, of creativity. First for room is easily,there more challenge this meet could teachers our how and discussion this to contribute could we how about think we if Nevertheless, society ingeneral to dealwiththepast in a more openway. ditional instruction that would enable them to do this. Then again, there has been no strong request from ad- await still Theydevelopment. a such forpreparedpreviously been not havethey because happened also has manner.This adequate an in past the approach to able been have them of number small very - - - - its share inthisnoblecause for allhumanity. personal andcollective freedoms, and the general good. And democratisation,we believe that the subject of history bears of ideals the within especially doing worth is it mission, the hard how matter no But, debates. fierce sometimes and numerous incite continue to haveand issues and historicaltopicscertain that show Germany’s, as such experiences, countries’ Other impossible. not but mission, difficult a is It to have optimal coordination among stakeholders. history teaching and to prepare future generations for a more rational approach toward history, we need cooperation, or no cooperation at all, among themselves. In order to more successfully work in the field of the differenthave hand, other of the levels actors, on other are The parties. the all relationshaving teachers to linchpins, the that see again we scrutinised, further are stakeholders the between relations As the Kosovo Association ofHistory Teachers isalsoamember. tion), discussionwhite paper(UNMIK:Prishtina, 2001) educa - secondary Framework,and New Kosovo Curriculum The primary (preschool, Education Science, of and Department UNMIK cessed: 04.12.2010] Considering the Future 18 Considering the Future Why Ican’t write? Ballsor Hoxha Considering the Future 21 Considering the Future say with a borrowed fragment from the writer, Milan Kundera, is that we are so used to our boredom that boredom is so present in our lives that we made it unbearably easy, so unnoticeably easy. What I want to acquaintances.However,way,our rightstreets and the houses, it this at that look notice wewould we if of unbearableboredom eyes:the our frontof havein we what is acceptablemoremakes What it forus. away, somewhat far is acceptable episode and exotic an duration of the forleast at India, to escape Our connects us. us. for producedAlthough this has nothing to do with the purpose of this article, it is haveworth mentioning as something that director the and actors the what in us involve voluntarily and intrigues dubbed everyday with badly way operas.Croatia, to most deal and They showsarelives watched soap the up TV the all Balkan countries, the all in and Albania Macedonia, here from to that interesting out is point It to are missinginoureveryday life. we what taste; experience decorated with rooms, their into everyday experiences our reflect dialogues; dubbed badly their in lives our see reality.to likeWefrom running call we something – and lives unliveable worthless our from away far running of opportunity the us: offer they opportunity the is it think I European one;andtheMuslimfaith inapartofthepopulation, we have nothingelsein common. Indo- the root, initial same the fromgrew they as language, our of roots the her; knew world whole the Mother fromTeresa, afterIndians, the and unknown, wasyoungand she Apart havewewhile which us, sharedbetween us: China? and Nepal between range, mountain Himalayan the to close lives their ing characters,liv these to close so feel makesus What hearts? our to close so them hold we do then Why misery,ing, joys andintrigues pushusto take partinthesecharacters’ lives andvice-versa. affectionour Maybeis place? it this characters for opera soap ‘India’. the from called suffer their Maybe It is somewhat far from where we are, and we have few similarities with India. Then what does link us with bounded by theArab SeaandtheBengali coast, between BurmaandPakistan. steel and lead industry, in addition to manufacturing different massive types a of has export it goods. India although is country in agricultural South an Asia, predominantly is India China. after country populated most second the it making billion, one of population a has India Calcutta. and Delhi Bombay), as known the by bounded is it north, (formerlyworld’slargest areIts Mumbai cities Delhi. New is mountainhighestIndia the range.capital of The In Nepal. and China Pakistan, between Asia, South in situated is India India –where Iescape Ballsor Hoxha WHY ICAN’T WRITE? - - question with the passion of the reader that reads for no other reason but to escape from the real world. this ask I humankind. of know we since escape, people helped has literature that knowing perspective, have it exactlypersonmightthat frombefore this ask livednaïvetéa I inventionof And the television. of the with question this ask I television. and equipment differentto audio-visual Internet the from media, different through today present are that opportunities many the from separately perspective, everyday Karenina, Tolstoy’sin order to readexperience an epic storyline?not I ask this questionwe separately fromdo the fast-forwarded,why plots, marathon their with lives our hijack to achieve operas soap If not onlycompared to Europe. Ifwe are soartistically gifted, whythendo wenot read? havingatanytolook statistics, perhaps least,that’s and the undoubtedly that our nation know reads we weare toable escape transportand realityour to whatThen thatIndia. it is makes read?not us Without hypnotised creates that unbearable ourselves. between and silence writers, himself such good being But also is who guest, our while continent, another to reality our transport we that gifted Weso operas.are artisti- so are everyday soap our life’s these televising accomplish through We intrigues we that gifted and life. cally boredoms ‘good’ of piece a experiencing from us stop can continents even not that life of extreme cases, we escape to CIA offices. In a way, we are such good artists, writers, used to the hardships ‘betrayals’, ‘theft and corruption’ (how many times a day do we hear these two words), etc. Or in the most society.politicians’ our to groupswithin India, Weto social escape bigger here including boredom,lives’ comes to mind. In a way, we are smart enough to invent ways of escaping the unbearable lightness of our family,heavythatso wehave whatever is and hand, politics toother escapetalkingby about the else on or friends our with when feel we tranquillitymirror. The the of side other the to escape an is it words, writer’s opinion – and brings it to the reader as in a mirror, where we usually see our own selves. In other reflect reality. It extracts the most important, the deepest, the most meaningful aspect of our life – in the It is often said that literature, or art in general (but I would more preferably limit this to literature), tries to between us,especially whentheepisodeends? silence the us, tells presence our to what to listen we able aren’t why India, from events fictitious in society, not about what is hidden behind boredom. My dilemma therefore is: If we are able to participate from CIA high officials toIndiaextras, butnotaboutourselves, notaboutwhat bothers us, notaboutour es within the CIA, then our conversation ends up with what television tells us. We can talk about anything, In our encounters with our acquaintances, if we are not talking about politics, survival or the latest chang- Kosovo –Kosovo which hasby now fallen into adelirium oftrauma. to inability resurrectthe snowand whatattemptreally an it - is into back mechanisms bring life the to of grey against self-defence mechanism a is reality. current Boredom unchallenging an deny to attempt an be can boredom end the in ‘India’. Perhaps as remote and exotic as something with life (dramatic) the from fatigue our cover to attempt an than more nothing is society our engulfed has that boredom the Maybe depict. to art for even challenging were they that dramatic so were lives our 1999, before fact, In motion. slow in lives our put has it that lives our infiltrated in so is boredom hand, other the On it. of we have made it unnoticeable, transparent, and we carry it with such lightness that we become unaware Ana Considering the Future 22 Considering the Future Considering the Future 23 Considering the Future recent decades, our lives have gone through such dramatic and extreme changes, events and develop and events changes, extreme and dramatic such through gone have lives our decades, recent Kosovarsus of thatall read.think atbookshad I leastthese thatthe I most During of issue. agreethis on that the author’s advice did not apply to us Kosovars. My life, seen retrospectively, seemed stranger than intentionally. I stopped for a while there and reminisced on my life, a life of an ordinary Kosovar, and I saw about how we should not take works of literature seriously because they dramatiseentitled andRrahmani Zejnullahexaggerate by book events a reading while remember I – seethemselves inthemirror. seems to me that they want to be in touch with their reality. They want to see what is happening to them it then read, greaterto need have a developed world mirror, the a literature of as If societies serves and from anotherperspective, onethat makes Kosovo lessadvanced. moreonce has proved society’sits contemporaneousness. again, Then conclusionthis canseen be easily abovementioned question has already been answered in Kosovo: literature is dead. Through this, Kosovo somewhere smoking quitting in Afghanistan theGuantanamo and then prison, we easily can say that the mation technology have killed literature by exposing the world to information such as a two-year old boy of the need for literature is being asked. If Internet-related products and the latest developments in infor these pastDuring decades,the developed in world, where literatureconsumed is the most, the question etc.world, the Kosovars in optimism levelof highesthaveworld-renowned becomefewthe for a things: authors?Kosovar reads Who unread. remain Qosja Rexhep from novels two last the and shelves, library the on somewhere lost gotten has movie, a into also Kraja,made Kosovo’sMehmetwriters, of renowned most either always fail or do not happen at all, but the writer is not always to blame. The self latest novel from own one one’s face to attempts the Nevertheless, reasons. abovementioned the for incomprehensible not reflecting reality. There are also many other writers that overuse metaphors to the point of becoming of sake history, the and for traditions ancestors’ our into delving lost gotten have that works many also are There here. living people the of side negative the showing avoiding while reality portray to writers Kosovar by absurd, on bordering attempts, some are country. There this of inhabitants the with larities Kosovar writers that have written using Latin American names precisely in order to demonstrate the simi a few are There armpits. its under tucked somewhere away Europe, of citizens as viewers, as us, to tion rela- in exoticism India the makes of focus,achievegreaterwanton tothem I whereviewership? is Here which our reality, of reflection true the and minds artistic our by enriched exoticism the with together ones in which the context is closest to ours – connecting religion, social issues, etc. And is this the reason, the areoperas soap viewed most the but television,provenfrom be could that something probably is It meaningful ones,questions that make us face what isbotheringus. more questions, deeper questions, makeask not us does factit thattransparencythe the of about thing ties of many of characters’ lives with our lives; and the transparency of what we see there. There is some- India’s,Brazil’s‘India’: Argentina’s than and similari meaningful more the exoticism; answer no is There , I read a piece of advice of piece a read I Read, to How - - - - condemned him for notrespecting his/her requests. We will return to this topic later inthisarticle. that our people really wanted after all. Maybe the writer has lost touch with the reader, who has, in turn, lives’our of model the is reflection,India if all, in All then thatmaybe model the is the for writer’ ‘extinct The timehas come to face andscrutinisethepast, so we canclearthe way forthefuture. haps happens because we haven’t dealt with the past yet. We have not reflected on our lives whatsoever. beaches’, ‘Brazil or per ‘India’ this theft…’, of improvised then tion, rooms the in somewhere escapes or If what we presently go through in life is unclear to us and is obscured with the repetitious words ‘corrup- to read, because we have anunclearpast –apast that, individuallyat least, we donotunderstand. that we are the only European country under a visa regime for travelling to knowing the – EU. country Wethe of have outside a happening bigger need is what also and lives s/he where happening is what stand under to need: the double Kosovohas in being human a then happening, is understandtowhat need a fordifferencesthis the use comparison,becauseof (I development last in two the three in to decades) has Scandinavia in somewhere even being, human a say.If to wanted I what not is it true, is this though ments, that it puts literature’s purpose of existence to question, making reality the best writer of all. Even walk without any help. Then, I’d miss the ‘United Boys – Members of the Communist Idea’,Communist the of MembersKadare’s – I’dand Boys‘United Then, the help. anymiss without walk to how learning was Beni while Beni’suncle, of village the be would most the losing miss would I What about theplaceandwhat Isometimes saw on television (even despite aprotective shield). imaginary hardseems It to believe,couldn’t goI there but for decades, always delaying facing whattold people me fakedreamsand the toall buildings pyramids.municipal from down:the cametumbling Albania in thing every after even believe, to continued I thatstrong so was believed I What me. raised they how is That other baddiesgot killed–seemeduninviting. the all and Indians North-American many so which for – movies Hollywood on saw we dream American the even that well so it told He Albania. in living werebrothers ‘dream’our the of others and me vince toseem encounter awayrunning Albanians from reality). Nevertheless, continuedhe relentlessly to con he had ‘faced’ the dream’s nonexistence, or better said,itsdisconnection from the real world (we always Hoxha’s Albania. What is even more interesting is that my father had already been to Albania before, and fogged up from all the anxiously smoked cigarettes, and went all emotional about being so close to Enver the movie, everyone showed their respect by standing up, hand over heart, inside a room, most probably of beginning the beforeplayedAlbania”, was “Mother anthem, the When movie. Albanian an watch to friends with gathered they seventies, late the in Namely,sometime decades. previous the in Albania ed with a shattered dream, after his visit to post-communist Albania, he told stories about how they respect A man was. father demoralised my utterly how Albania, in collapsed remember, had I communism after Albania –where Iamprojected - - - - - Considering the Future 24 Considering the Future Considering the Future 25 Considering the Future Hip Hop,Hollywood filmsandvideo games. majority of the words with similar meanings for the youth have today, certainly been replacedex-Yugoslav Even with words films. and from Hollywood the jargons of of influence the under were who us of few a denigrating for somehow was Albanian in kiss word The language. our in them say to embarrassment (read:zhurka) for party. Somehow, mostinterestingthe words age our were an Serbian words.for It was building’sentrance; wemany used words).Serbian ‘Žvaliti’ (read: zhvaliti) for then ‘žurka’ kissing; French a for (Serbian ‘ulaz’ our of front in friends with talked we time every that remember Wayne.I John into I remember the first English word I learnt: whiskey. Every time I said it, it seemed to me that I was turning society hasoffered. Kosovoliterature,what and education Kosovoand of outside from coming things from havebuilt I what whatwantI to express everydayin lifewhat andpaper.on put be should conflicta of sort a is It between When I write, I do so first in English and then I translate it all into Albanian. It is a sort of a conflict between Why Ican’t write? was created inourlives. paradox of sort life, a how on translucent unemployment,better poverty is outlook and a boredom. This pensating what occupied in lacking was Kosovo, today escapewe ‘India’,to order in escapeof to lack the life, virtual com- a to on hold to communism, evenafter of the Albania, to fall escaped us manyof While during the time of liberalisation of the relations between universities and other institutions on bothsides). (except travelled other who each ones visit the keptdreamcouldn’t time we therewehad a aliveduring a after realisation spiteful most the was communism of fall the after seen Kosovarshave us of all What What iseven more interesting isthat they are still there. They await me,whenever Ineedthem. have possiblyexisted inreality. ThankGod,Iunderstood thisvery late –onlya few years back. charactersthe with wouldhide I ‘India’.when of incurablethatan couldnot idealism of sort wassome It Kadare’sof atQirici’sone out or hid friends, I his when with But ‘combed’ than deeper wasmuch it girls, knew Albaniasowell that Ididnotneedto travel there; Ididnotneedto meet anyone there. lovers from Albanian novels. I even sometimes stole their lovers, with their hair so beautifully ‘combed’. I of spots meeting the at and uncle) my also was (he Beni’s uncle’s house in Qirici’s;sometimes at where projected my life in Albania– the part of my Kosovo young life that was unliveable. I found shelter some- If today we hide our desire for a good life in ‘India’, then I, during the time of oppression, have ceaselessly Tirana, etc. them. with communicate cannot one that untouchable so are and reality our above rise that characters with surrounds us with words we are not accustomed to using; words that don’t exist in the Kosovo art world; try to portray the drama we have gone through. It is a failure, because it is hard for us to express that movies whatever the in failure a remains It that. writerstestify renownedto most our of pieces Published us. Any attempt of mine to express myself was a failure before I even began. And, it remains a failure for all of technology.information by created world virtual the fast-forwarded-to-the-maxand the worldto relate reality,not of did sense they their losthavepaper. books of Albanian sheet paralysedfeltbeforeSince a for– example, division createdabnormal betweenhas Fidan’san such I characterthatBunny – Bugs and to write in English, in order to express what I wanted, regardless of the quality. Somehow, this dichotomy balance. While I experienced the contemporary arts in foreign languages, I also paradoxically had to learn limited to a few pieces, just as sterile, torturing myself trying to maintain this unsustainable and inhumane Divided between sterile patriotism and other languages’ superior achievements, my need for writing was ies. Noneofthecharacters hadanything similarto what we aspired to asteenagers. anything else, but for how far they were from reality, we found them in foreign music, literature and mov patriots. Characters in literature or movies of that time, produced by Kosovars, are nonexistent. If not for the pure from distinction and recognition for fight a of sort a be to had They nation. towardour love of aptations we were making were not wrong. They were not due to a lack of our sense of patriotism or lack ad- the borrowingand were phrases we understand the that to time, long very a time, long a me took It that usedswear words orrebelled like us. characters Albanian any were never There God. of messenger a like just untouchable, – lives our above existedcharacterswerethat They sought. we life the and wants the have not did they that is important However, there were no Kosovo Albanian characters people. my betrayal speaking toward my of and my sort friends’ language. a What is felt more I this. of because spy a guilty, even felt often have I Kosovars, me, making my lip-synching even more persuasive. Seeing that the patriotic spirit was quite strong among stayed with movies, literature from characters, and lent these boy, of words little the a as learnt I which become them, I adopted their phrases, the way they looked, and their moves. Just like the word whiskey, searched for characters that were stronger than ordinary haveones I – person, winning characters.young a as And convictions while my wantingin valuable to is what for search in while the all and dream, nian Alba- utopian the of ideals the and memories, beautiful most our behind leaving and up growing While Bad writing is as widespread a phenomenon for us as snow is for Eskimos. The first thought that comes to students. its all for writing proper a in course offer to wants it that announced recently Prishtina Universityof The Why Ican’t read? - Considering the Future 26 Considering the Future Considering the Future 27 Considering the Future our job to tame this forgotten beast, the readers need to meet it, regardless of how horrifying it might be. back as a mad beast if we do not try to tame and understand it. Artists and readers need each other. come can oblivion, If of corners it the is in incomprehensible as discarded past, Our individuals. as or nation a by not writing, not reading and not making art we are ignoring a very important part of ourselves, be it as arts exist because we need to express what we perceive – adeeper expression.Knowing that this,Ithink literature that and said was it times, Manyfuture. our about us telling bowl magic a not and opera soap with tweenfilled conversationsis us that things the about exist; where and becomes ‘India’ – a what is it be- existsthat silence the where are; waythey the just said are things wherelife a to return a be would the author. Amos Oz believes that authors need to find a solution together with the readers. The solution experienced frontEvery a rightcontractin nose.of oursort of a writtenis between piece the and reader are; we way the have what we have through. see what we gone to areand need we We just who about writing to back come ourselves, about reading to back come to need We before. been never have we ‘India’, place in from a those mirror that comes as a mirror instead beautiful of own our as to back come not are that houses to our back toto reality. come back We need getting start to time is it that believe I defectscaused society,brought us our has still wethatupon in it what experience warand the Although could create. country,small a fiction what such Kosovo, than as readers bigger becausesuch much faceand situations in life everyday from removed so were writers because is reality. It and writing their between crepancy dis the is readers and writers Kosovar estrangement between the believe, I influenced, most has What believe. Allthisinorder to escape from thisreality. sure,dreams am our I mightus as beautiful, lead to theyas escapethey dreamnot to‘India’ – the about readers; have we hand, other the On too. Kosovo, in exists it and exists always read and write to need small country and it is not possible to have as many writers as we used to have, but it is also true that the very a arewe that true is non-existence.It of brink the on arethey since issue this with deal should nies readers. But knowing that writers have been so hard headedly ignored by our readers, and publishing writers compa between contact of lack the above: mentioned was what to back come we again once And mind isthelackofcontact withletters, writingand reading. - - Considering the Future 28 Considering the Future The Silent Burden ofthePast Ferid N.Agani Considering the Future 31 Considering the Future WHO’s Mental Health Official, Mr. Peter Elsass, at the time, stated that, ‘People are severely traumatised, difficulties. health demonstrating significant mental patients of influx growing continuously and massive a psychiatrists to of were responding number limited very A approximately million. two of population a werenineteenneuropsychiatrists psychiatricwith five workingpatients, and psychologists, in Kosovo for there time, At the population’s health. mental the affected war 1998-1999 the and occupation ten-year the that shows data disability. (UNDP, The of 2004) sort Kosovo’s demonstrate some population of cent 10per that asserting evaluation Organisation’s (WHO) Health World the to close is number latter The 150,000 people with physical and mental disabilities. (Comprehensive Disability Policy Framework, 2001) over as well as population, general the among pathologies psychiatric ordinary the include war,we the from consequences psychological major to addition in when, severe more even appears situation The heightened sense of, and readiness to act upon, vengeance: sixty percent in a 1999, held and research 90 percentin this in 2000. included individuals the that revealed finding essential Additionally, an diseases. the age of 65, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and individuals who previously suffered from psychiatric the average for the general population. PTSD registered the highest among rural populations, peoplethan over areas certain in higher much were values These percent. 25 was it year following the of spring the PTSDof Kosovolence the among 1999 of autumn percent,population the 17 was Albanian in whereas in significantly but prevalence, lower than in the high Albanian population. (Nelson, 2004) The results of the a research showed that therepresents preva - also that Kosovo in minority Serbian ethnic the among Kosovo the among 13-percent war a Post-Traumatic showed study 2002 The population. Serb prevalence(PTSD) Disorder Stress the of consequences psychological the revealed 2002 in conducted Research researcher. a as participated I when 2003), al, (Cardozaet 2000 May Septemand 2000) al, in (Cardozaet 1999 ber conducted were studies The accurate. expectations gloomy the proved older and 15 aged Albanians Kosovo of health mental the on studies major Twodirected. was brutality the whom against the mental health of Kosovo’s population especially as concerned the majority population, the Albanians, It was very much expected that Serbia’s systematic state-run violence havewould a devastating effect on houses were burnt anddestroyed. (IWPR,1999) when 850,000 Albanians were forced society to Kosovar shattered flee thealready country andan 10,000 wereto killed, whiledealt more thanwas 120,000 blow last war,a 1998-1999 the With consequences. psychological physical and serious suffer and psychosocialstresschronic in live all – countries other and colm, 1998), and thousands of separated families – with members having migrated to Western European (Mal work from expelled 150,000 prisoners, of infrastructure. Thousands political and social economic, Apartheid politics and the bitter oppression imposed by the Milošević regime severely damaged Kosovo’s Ferid N. Agani THE SILENTBURDENOFPAST - - - enough. Numerous negative phenomena that have plagued Kosovar society and specifically itsyouth and specifically society Kosovar plagued have that phenomena negative Numerous enough. How much is this socio-psychological reality taken into consideration in the state-building process? Hardly the advancement ofdemocracy inKosovo. and stability,development political social reaching of effort general the toobstacle an as but – problem reflected by PTSD, anxiety and depression, should be approached in a holistic way – not only as a medical war-related recollections, of and appearance continuous feelings the war. that the after years showed It relatedpsychological traumas continue haveto important an population’s the on impact mental state six still was significantly lower than what the 1999 and 2000 studies showed. The study established that war- feelingspercent) among these (17 continuedKosovars, high upon to remain readinessact to it and cent) onstrated a ‘significant’ and ‘extremely level significant’ of hatred. While the sense of vengeance (25 per dem- interviewees of percent fifty-odd that revealed study recent more the studies, 2000 and 1999 the to compared vengeance, of sense Regardingthe percent). (43 anxiety and percent) (42 depression with together percent), (22 high very remained prevalence PTSD study, the of year the war, the after years by manyaffect generations. Six treatedto and many years over linger potential to havea they that be and themselves cannot wounds psychiatric and psychological war-related that indicated also study The population. Kosovo’sgeneral of part considerable a among phenomena chronic become have (anxiety) disturbances emotional and PTSD,depression that showed study this of results The above. and 15 aged population, general the of functioning social its and health mental the on related traumatic experiences war- of impact long-term the documented study recovery.This health mentalKosovo’s hamper would supported the proposition that these disadvantageous socio-economical and psychosocial developments – (Wenzel 2006) 2005 November al, in conducted et – population the in mental health on study major A Center, 2010) Law (Humanitarian groups. ethnic non-Albanian other and Serbs 500 and Albanians, are 1,400 whom of missing, still are Kosovo from individuals approximately (ICRC), 1,900 Cross Red the of Committee tional Interna - the to According burden. heavy especially another represents war the after people missing of ated when 25,000 to 40,000 youth are added to the job market every year. (Butler, 2009) A large number than 50 percent of the population is under 25 years old (Riinvest, 2003) testifies to the great pressure cre- to be 45 percent (UNDP, 2009), whilst 37 percent of the population lives in poverty (CIA, 2007). That more the economic and social inreality Kosovo, remained harsh. During these recent years, unemployment has been thoughtlife to reconstruct community international the from efforts great Despite satisfactory. accompanyingcontributed the mentalsituation, somewhatthis relieving tothe welfare factors were not all While abilities. coping families’ on focused it as community the by supported services health mental and partnership between international experts and local professionals resulted in a new system of public post-war The situation. brought period great international Committedand creative support. cooperation health mental dismal otherwise an of face the in hope maintained generalpopulation the Nevertheless, mental health.’Kosovo’s of (Elsass,1999) future the for hope little is there system; services health mental no virtually is there while - Considering the Future 32 Considering the Future Considering the Future 33 Considering the Future levels of communication between peoplesand states. and paths new finding for ground sound as serve can sides, both by recognised truth, the Only hearts. methodology – with facts and documentation regarding the occurrences that burden people’s minds and appropriate with be accomplished must recognition and revelation, conflict. Truth, in peoples between to reconciliation a precondition is truth of the recognition and revealing that show literature scientific and peoples of these experiences The WWII. after nation German the with experiences specifically and peoples European of experiences the remember to suffices It impossible. not is burden past’s the with successfully dealing that show nations many of However,experiences work. impossible seemingly and challenging very some stateformakeKosovo’s economic about factsand psychosocial noted above The covered lands,makingstate-building anddemocratization processes even more difficult. onic politics from Belgrade chauvinist circles, continues to trouble the feelings and thoughts of our blood- hegem the exacerbated centuries, by through sub-consciousness and consciousness nations’ two these kan history that also unfortunately represents a repeat of history. The suffering and the pain embedded in majority populationthe Albanian Serbminority and community represent abitter heritage of recent Bal- and in European and NATO integration processes for Kosovo. The burdened interethnic relations between to deal with an additional and a very real problem that represents an important obstacle in state-building has society Kosovar factors mental and social cultural, political, economic, of matrix complicated this In Dealing withthePast socio-pathological conduct that could beargrave consequences for thefuture ofthecountry. economic and political social, recovery of is psychological, taking its toll on times Kosovar difficult youth, manifesting during itself in thetransition formfast-tracked ofcultural deviant the that show data These mosaic. grim the completestudents school high and elementary among violence deadly of cases recent from 2000-2006 have been committed by youth between the age of 16 and 24. (Kosovo Police, 2006) The Kosovo in suicides attempted the of percent 53 and suicides of 2004) Richter, number total & the of Twenty-sixpercent (Brisson 17. and 14 ages the between intercourse sexual first their have adolescents Kosovo’sof percentForty-two 17. and 14 between aged are drugs consume who people the of percent international studies conducted in Kosovo show that 4 the age of first of heroin usage is results going down, while 36 The prescription. a without drugs psychoactive trying reported have (9,800) percent 3 and (1,500); heroin consume percent 0.4 (14,500); marijuana smokepercent 4 (143,000); alcohol drink cent Kosovo youth aged 15-25 shows the following: 44 percent smoke (around 378,000 young people); 38 per towardness developments.these mostThe recent reportWHO psychoactiveon substance usage among Now, twelve years after the war, Kosovo institutions are yet to show necessary consideration and serious as indicators of great psychosocial difficulties at the individual, family, and wider levels of Kosovar society. serve – divorces, abortions of a and children,number growing trafficking and violence, women of school and family suicide, and attempts suicide of trend growing the abuse, substance psychoactive as such – - - - ethnic andterritorial conflicts. byopen burdened relations with especially identities, religious different of peoples between issues nic for religious issues is, by definition, a heavy emotional burden that impedes rational dialogue on intereth- the victim-hero on identity.have interplayIslamic embraced based an identity a national creation of The whom of majority the Albanians, Kosovo with communication establishing in obstacles insurmountable pathonly the as to betweenpeace wepeoples, argue, nationalistof kind this Serb created has reasoning God in Almighty belief essential the entirely Ignoring Islam. oriental aggressive from Christianity ropean Eu protectors the of – being Christianity one’s orthodox historicallysacrificing self for expressedas own is identity victim’s Serbian identity; of Volkan’s choosing of on principles theory the by explained be can in community Serb Kosovo, as a continuation of its national The tree inSerbia, has constructed a national reality.identity concept which current Kosovo’s to relevant are theories these both broadly, Looking to top) theneedfor security, theneedofbelongingto agroup, andtheneedfor self-esteem bottom (figure 1). (from steps transitional as middle, the in leaving self-actualisation, for need the is it of top the at and physiological (existential, needs, have the vital) pyramid, we the of base the voluntaryactions. At This theory uses a pyramid to prioritise fulfilment of needs, as essential motivational factors in ahuman’s Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, which is part of his theory on personality motivation. (Maslow, 1954) identity, Abraham is enforcing group upon of identity. big touch also aim a the I will with theory Another victim’s the of embracing the and transmission trans-generational trauma of importance the out points It 2001) theory. (Volkan, identity chosen the as such concepts, theoretical Volkan’sVamıkrelevant use an to In attempt most acceptable create the solutions. a conceptualfinding thathinder Iwill framework, Of course the situation is not black and white; it is characterised by specific factors and complex processes Ph Sa Love/belonging Es t fe ysiologica eem ty l Figure 1.Needshierarchy according to Maslow. security of:body mor ality , thef , employment,r amily , health,pr esour operty ces, - Considering the Future 34 Considering the Future Considering the Future 35 Considering the Future to offer the hand of reconciliation in the name of the Almighty God, can neutralise the heavy emotional heavy the neutralise can God, Almighty the of name the in reconciliation of hand the offer to looking toward the future, accepting scientific facts that reveal the truth about the past, and being willing should be the accomplishing of an appropriate level of welfare for their children, as soon as possible. Only them motive fundamental steering democratic higheststandards. The the reaching of aim the with cies, bilities offered by the new state of Kosovo, built under the umbrella of world’s most developed democra- Kosovocitizens, regardless and backgrounds, their ethnic makereligious of should possi most the the of all that I believe elites. political their and peoples two the between constructiveestablishing dialogue in difficulties significant create Kosovo in communities Serb and Albanian the between differences These unemployment, post-traumatic stress, ethnic hatred, anddeviant phenomena. poverty, of level abovementioned the on data the from recall we as citizens, many for unreachable are has not been identical for all of Kosovo’s citizens. Many of the needs from the lower levels of the pyramid nian community the situation is far from perfect. The passage through the prioritisation of needs’ phases Alba- the within course, Of facts. of acceptance the and prejudice of elimination problems, to solutions morality, creativity, finding of levels certain reaching represents phase last This need. self-actualisation time, the Albanian populationis in the final phase of fulfilling its needs according to Maslow’s theory: the same the Kosovo’s At Constitution). within Church Orthodox Serb the of status special the and Package Ahtisaari the remember us (let issues these of supportive are who friends and neighbours by rounded issur that identity collective Serbian of stabilisation a facilitates model This nation. the and religion of Serb community is still in the chosen identity of the victim the phase, feeling it that is sacrificing itself in the name conclusion the to us leads developments psychosocial national these of analysis theoretical A many very difficultlife challenges asdescribedthroughout thisdiscussion. historic need of Kosovo Albanians as essential motivational factor for their voluntary actions to overcome the of fulfilment represents needs hierarchyof Maslow’s of context the in Statehood need. fourth-level the address to helped law, has international with complied independence of Kosovo’sdeclaration that priateself-esteem. 2010, in Justice’sInternational July of Hague 22 Court The on ruling opinion, advisory Kosovo Albanians have entered the fourth phase of fulfilling their needs for status, reputation, and appro- phase, significantly 17 on fulfilled thedeclaration 2008with in February of Kosovo’s independence. Now, third the in belonging national for need the as well as phase; conflict post the in stability,order and law existentialneeds, the elementary base of the fulfilled pyramid haveof hierarchy Albanians of needs, Kosovoin the firstneeds, phase; theof needshierarchy for protection,the security,of theory the of light In on personality development is more relevant to the Albanian people than Volkan’s chosen identity theory. Maslow’s that posit development, political can national we psychological theory peoples’ to them plying about theoretical concepts of the hierarchy of needs from Maslow’s individual personality theory and ap- to generalise identity. liberty national the of preservation Taking and survival for need the faced history throughout people manner, century. Albanian this last state’s the In the Serbian in and occupation man, millennia, been continuously ruled by the great empires of the time: the Roman, the Byzantine, the Otto- to Albanian people. As one of the more ancientas familiar peoples of Europe, Albanians have,not throughout the last two is victimisation of concept the through building identity national hand, other the On - - ences that characterise them. Kosovo’sfor happiness generations, differ and newregardless the peace achieving wayto the open will to each other. Both peoples should see this as a special challenge for civilisation. Its successful completion close and togetherlive should we that determined decisively Creatorhas Almighty the peoples, two the between happened has that all and animosity centuries-long despite that thought-provokingfact a is It mal-adaptation can we openthe way to proper andpromising dialogue. international the pation in community. and throughof clichés repetitive of Only elimination mechanisms partici- equal and development economic knowledge, self-actualisation, for needs their fulfilling to turn burden from the past and open new perspectives for the future. Based on these principles, citizens should the past and overcome thecurrent dangers coming from achaotic social, economic andcultural transition. with deal successfully we can – Kosovo throughout seen be self-actualisation can full for need the when – freedomsforKosovo all citizens, regardless differences the of characterising this Only achieving them. after and rights human of accomplishment full the and Europe,around freely move to opportunity jobs, new of creation education, university quality including Kosovo’s for youth, opportunities economic and education ciliation between peoples and, as a result, peace and stability in the region and beyond. We need to open up of aim recon- the with resources and community political, institutional of mobilisation optimal achievecan fasterstakeholdersfasterThe these the we past. dialogue, the startthe with dealing in importanceutmost Religious leaders, traditional religious communities, and new religious communities in Kosovo hold of a role psychosocial potentials ofour country’s citizens. bio- remaining of the utilisation optimal enable turn, to,in order in later than sooner understandtothis need institutions Policymakers and negative consequences. for potential the increase only will facts the to to respond institutions decision-making and policymakers of part the on Failure challenges. ultimate signs and symptoms of depression or emotional distress (anxiety) the processes of state building face the displaysof fifteen age the citizen above second almost every where situation people’s a In personalities. young within accumulated aggression, of modes pathological representing phenomena, social deviant of growth the and nets, safety social in rupture youth, of isolation social systemcrises, value social and individual by causing that Itdoes community. the wider and the family of functioning in the difficulties significant in result to threatens citizens Kosovo of majority the of instability psychosocialcontrary, the the country. On the of development political and socioeconomic stable a stra- achieve to respective order in the plan, tegic per as reform, services health mental the of continuation the as well as research, scientific through appropriately be addressed should difficulties These continuously. and considerably the country’s democratic is developmentobstructing indefinite Kosovo’sfor variable this All institutions. as well as the harsh traumas for the general population from the 1998-1999 war continue to represent an occupation, and apartheid under stresspsychosocial chronic of decades of burden heavy and silent The Conclusion - Considering the Future 36 Considering the Future Considering the Future 37 Considering the Future Mental Health inKosovo SixYear after the War’, Kosova Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims, (2006). Wenzel, Thomas, Ferid Agani, Feride Rushiti, Ismet Abdullahu, and Bajram Maxhuni, ‘Long-term Sequels of War, Social Functioning and 79-97. identity’, large-group of aspect An traumas: chosen and transmissions ‘Transgenerational Vamık,Volkan, euro/seo/Kosovo.html> [accessed September 2005] ‘The United Commissioner Nation High for Refugees, SoutheastWorld, Europe, Kosovo’, Considering the Future 42 Considering the Future Considering the Future 43 Considering the Future two months producing, initially, two so-called ’theatre actions‘ that were performed in unconventional in performed were that actions‘ ’theatre so-called two initially, producing, months two about for worked Switzerland and Kosovo from artists of group Zohner.A Markus by directed projects, presented Centre Multimedia 2007, ruary Feb- In projects. theatre of scores produced has date to and 2002 in established Centre was Multimedia only theatre group that hassurvived. the essentially is Centre Multimedia war, the after established were that troupes and companies theatrical other concerns As Kosovo. in theatres independent no are thereTeatri Babes, and i Oda from Apart companies. theatrical and theatres independent in lacking been has Kosovo years, recent During vid. Theentire play isametaphor for thehuman tendency to cause violence towards others. murdertakeswherethe chair Da- the Starbearsof and a place actorresemblesHitler leading wherethe stageddirectorwho indirectlyas them Lumi, such Bekim with dealt Ionesco’sor warthemes Lesson, The avoided who playwrights and actors were there hand, other the war.On the from moments convey to pathospost-warmanywar-related theatre,documentaryusing sawThe of period spirit playsa staged in a few plays enjoyed. first post-war years and it remained part of the theatre’s repertoire for almost two years, something only live? he will or die he will predicament: own actor’s chose actor The speare. Shake- from something perform to him asked they which after him, beat and captured soldiers Serbian actorsthe of One play,the in mezzo recountedscène, personalhis war,storythe During monologue. a in Gothard. The interpretation of post-warfirst plays Shakespeare’s in the Kosovo was of One After the war, it took a considerable amount oftime to reactivate thesetheatres. Theatre) was damaged due to near-by bombing. Indeed most of the theatres were in some way damaged. (formerly,Kosovo of Theatre Kosovo People’sNational the the of building Kosovo,the in war the During 3. few whomanaged to slipaway from theconvoy andfind refuge inhissister’s homeinPrishtina. the of war, one the werewas forcibly Begolli Prishtina. fromDuring expelled Dodona Faruk actors of the gifted actresses ofher generation. woundedand Abdullahu, ana others. recenta Adriana, graduate from academy,the wasmostthe of one police and military Serbian forces. During against those days, campaign unknown criminals theNATO bombing murdered a of young Dodona actress, Adri- the start days before five until activities its continued contained‘Albanianit because elements’. night Dodona national opening this, its all Despite on perform The dance-drama, Albanian Odyssey, choreographed by the renowned Abi Nokshiqi, was not permitted to formance, theSerbianpoliceordered theactors to burntheAlbanianflagthat hadbeenusedasaprop. ’s ‘to be or not to be’, a dilemma that most clearly corresponded to the to corresponded clearly most that be’,dilemma to a not or be Hamlet’s‘to Hamlet brought the dilemma of vengeance before the Albanian audience. , one of the most ambitious post-war artistic post-war ambitious most the of one Supper, Last The was the most successful play during those during play successful most the was Hamlet staged by the English director Daviddirector English the stagedby Hamlet As a new state, Kosovo now has regulated theatre-related activities as decreed by a special law a special by decreed as activities theatre-relatedregulated has now Kosovo state, new a As 4. and understandable through otherstories from thewar told by theactors. become stronger or weaker after committing a murder? These and other questions became more tangible killer a forgive?Does toperpetrator’s order forgiveness a forrequestin need we Do achieved? be it can How possible? forgiveness Is context:Kosovo the in forgiveness and vengeance to related issues the of some analyse sought to that level ‘victims’,and ’murderer’between dialogues ’imaginary’ an in fact was riences. Some of the stories were true, while others were imaginary. The second level, which consisted of The play consisted of two levels of narratives. The first level contained actors’ stories from their war expe- heart into pieceswithabigknife. one of the scenes an actress demonstrated how Serbs raped her during the war by cutting a fresh animal’s were They timeless. were universal.space forThe theplay play was‘decorated’ the organs,animal with In lungs. hearts, heads,and as such by raised questions the and message the but Serbs, and Albanians forgiveness.post-warvengeancereferenceand and The period clear.was playdirectedwastowardsThe was staged three times in succession before large audiences as it very courageously spoke about Kosovo’s Supper Last The Prishtina. in buildings prominentmost the of one and house media a once was that ing recent war. merousmeetings namely – commemorative ceremonies heroes of behalf on earlierhistoryfrom the and nu their for NTK within spaces other and hall theatre the use to continue presidency) and (government NTK’sovercontrolkeyresources,state structurestheir of expression an As it. controlto and ‘armpit’ its under theatre manner, the a keep to in attempts, structures, its state,through the things, other Among beyond this ‘national-mania’, the state does not show much interest in the theatre and the name it bears. a Theatre‘!’National should However,have a country stateKosovo all, the identifies. of After which with institutions’, ‘national others, the among of one represents it because NTK the statefinances young The in connection withtheTheatre in recent history. theatre’sthe Indeed, relationship national to dramaturgy the and state most disputed the issues two are national dramaturgy, public, time. the relation a painstakingly long to in vision the taking state, is its and Nevertheless,physiognomythe theatretransition. clarification remainthis rolein The of both of the and audiences theultimate values ofnational and world dramaturgy. mostauthoritative theatrical institutionin thetheatrical with country dealing and bringing to production law describes, in very general terms, the role and function of the National Theatre of Kosovo (NTK) as the theatrical spaces. After intensivetheatricalspaces. work, 3 2 ing where the newspaper was located. Itwas bannedinAugust 1990. Law No.02/L-12OnTheatre, 23March 2005.http://www.unmikonline.org/regulations/2005/RE2005_31_ALE02L_12.pdf Rilindja (trans. rebirth or renaissance) was the name of the Albanian-language newspaper during Yugoslav days, as well as the build was performed in the abandoned Rilindja abandoned the wasperformedin LastSupper The 2 3 build . This . - - - Considering the Future 44 Considering the Future Considering the Future 45 Considering the Future an increase in nationalism thereby putting this new state’s future at risk. Regardless, however,Regardless, at risk. the state’s new even future this putting thereby nationalism in increase an to lead could it since problematic be could it controversial,challenging yetbe would importance, the of state,regardlessthe bypromoted ‘value’ the case, this In it? challenge or ‘value’ this accepttheatre the state (for purposes of ‘national interest’) today promotes coexistence between Albanians and Serbs, does the If values? those challenge theatrepromote or does and ‘avalue’ national considered be fact, in can, During this time of ‘identity crisis’ for theatre in Kosovo, the big questions seem no less challenging: What always almost thedrunken soldiers were that cursed andkilledcold-bloodedly. Serbs play, and a during cause national the of traitor a into transform never could cause’ mother,Albanian an of for example, prostitute;nevercoulda be character a fighter a of ‘national the for negative not worthy message is freedom.character society others, A that of this to outside world: the to a a sending of internal accompanied by with fear was problems Dealing goal. final delaysattaining the in (‘marginal’)problemsother were with dealt often considered dangerous, simply contributing or towards instead but ideal, this to contribute not did that dramaturgicalworksrespect, this In freedom. was goal only its that natural only was it unconsolidatednation, politically a and oppressed an been Havinglived. has society Albanian which in condition social and political the to relatedtheory,naturally, is main The enemies’...Why these schemesexist?do whyAnd they do continue influenceto theatrenational artists? our from coming ‘influences as such influences, external of results as them society,shows Albanian it or excludesscheme mistakesweakness, This cracksscheme. certainwithin and a within only momentstain age to touch upon many themes and taboos. There is a selective approach towards the past, stressing cer the with cour approach or critical no thereis cases, the of majority dramaturgythe lies authorsproduce.In Albanian problem However,the this. to logic and appropriateness certain a is There sense. makes problems’.projectsits ‘mirrorsocietywhere a argument dramaturgyfornational moreThe undoubtedly theatre is that acknowledge argumentation, society’s understand authors and of problems local this line and therefore, according to them, its repertoire should feature mainly national plays. In keeping with this theatre’ national a is ‘this that claim Critics Theatre. regardingthe point disputed most the remains sue dramaturgy. is national This overdramaturgy favouredworld NTK’squite repertoire 2009-2010, During ‘denationalise’ authors theNational Theatre? And,so continue the many questions andquandaries…! European contemporary or Molière Shakespeare, of enactments Do national’? ‘more Theatre National the make plays national Do theatre? national a issues’, of ‘greatnational worthy the are What Theatre? National the at performed be should dramaturgy national from plays Which theatre? national a fact in is What questions: crucial with faced is Theatre circumstances, the political new these in Found most relevant reasons why thepublicrefuses to attend performances. ginal because of continued abysmal attendance. I believe that NTK’s ‘opportunistic’ approach is one of the power,whatsoever, createtoprovoketo neither nor theatre’s The opinion. mar been has society rolein had no has theatre values’. Essentially, this ‘national promoting by notion ‘state-building’ the in ally an correct repertoire. In politically other words, a it has of become a policy theatre that a does implemented not ‘disturb’ has the theatre state. this It has years, become recent during aspect, programmatic the In - - - - Kosovo to date. It all began with two articles in two Kosovo dailies. The first article, ‘Vranje’s catalystbecomea since has Directorand Burhani, fiercestRahim forthe of debatesone theatre about in discussion, under play The theatre. national a of role the about debate the of essence illustrates poignantly the nonetheless it extreme, while play; a about first is example The and what different groups, beitthetheatrical community ortheaudiences, expect from thetheatre. The following two examples illustrate the complexities of the debates about the role of theatre in Kosovo theatre becomes abloodlesstransmitter ofhistory, notdissimilar to how history books portray history. context, In this ‘anti-national’. labelled is events historical these of sides ‘dark’ possible with frontation excludessubjects these anytochallengewhat ‘historicalare possibility as known facts’. Any form conof towards approach an such Theatre‘. ‘National cases, most called In is it hence subjects, these of bastion a being be to designed and of meant is Theatre National worthy the logic, this is Theatre. Following National the issues’ atstaged ‘national these of one with deals that play each Accordingly, subjects. such Prizrencolonisationthe League, of Kosovo, Albania’s Congress Manastir, the of independence, other and history and they are connected to nation-building, state-building, Skanderbeg’s struggle against the Turks, from derive subjects these some, of beliefs the to According subjects? national Moreover,our are what compromise ofnotdealingwiththeseissuesrepresents anopportunismthat doesnotbefit atheatre. 6 5 4 At the end of his article, Academic Mehmet Kraja demands that the state intervene in what he calls a calls he ‘tragic accident’. what in intervene state the that demands Kraja Mehmet Academic article, his of end the At and ArtsofKosovo. Amongotherthings,Kraja wrote thefollowing abouttheplay, written by Mehmet Kraja, a writer and professor, who is a permanent member of the Academy of Sciences Ibid. Kraja, Mehmet, ‘Tartuffe of Vranje,’ Gazeta Express, 19December2008. Vranje isacityand municipalityinsouthernSerbia with, inadditiontoSerbs, Roma andAlbanianpopulations. than to any othernational [Kosovo] play that has ever performed at Prishtina’s National Theatre… politically-motivated, cultural scandal. our state-level cultural policymakers, and who, logically, should be held responsible for this brazen, runwaythe because failssomeone inspection pass by tolights)not landing the should on and turn ...this play is equivalent to a tragic accident (let us say such as an airplane that crashes too closely to Vranje from towardscharitable more is that one is it but Culture, of Ministry True,plays….a have you theatre, national national have a don’t culture, you national produce cannot – will you whatsay – blood rotten or impure blood, mixed with country a in Kosovo, in here you, that suggesting ment everything else. Another above message, seemingly prevail cultural, yet should again political, blood’ includes the ‘spoiled implicit state of - ‘multiculturalism’ where country, multiethnic a suggests a cultural model and understood as a political model. In Kosovo’s context, the political environment This is a ‘genetic stew’ of the Balkans, – co-existing with (or without) mixed identities and offered as 4 with a Roma director, a Turkish set designer, and a Macedonian costume designer,costume Macedonian a and designer, set Turkish director,a Roma a with 6 Tartuffe , was staged in 2008 by 2008 in staged was , Tartuffe Tartuffe ‘, was - 5 Considering the Future 46 Considering the Future Considering the Future 47 Considering the Future hmet Kraja’s requests. Thecopy, was anti-dated, March 1976,andamongotherpoints, stated, Mehmet Kraja’s racist views. Using satire, it told ‘Kosovo state institutions’ what it should do to meet Me Kraja’s the the second in poster the article language, and Roma ridiculing pamphlet consisted unsigned an of One showed Prishtina. throughout appeared posters two time, that At Mehmet to Kraja’s reacted article: also critic, arts an and philosopher a Maliqi, Ghost‘, Shkëlzen ‘Racist article, his In was firm. A letter signed by fourteen young artists was sent to all media voicing these and other concerns. The reaction from the theatre community to the article, which many believed contained racist overtones, 7 Shkëlzen Maliqi,‘Racist Ghost’, Gazeta Express , 27December2008 the bloodin theatre, so asto prevent theinfiltration of any non-Albanian-blood. Blood Commission’,another commission, ‘The created which will be responsiblehave for testing and wecontrolling this, achieve to order blood’.In Albanian is, that – teardrop a likeclear, crystal blood, ‘pure of be must blood’,rather impure but or mixed ‘rotten, by dominated be not will out on here from stage the plays for All completed. been has accident’ ‘tragic this after rehabilitation National Theatre The of people…. absolute be untilan Kosovotemporarilyblooded down will shut on theatre) in order to halt state institutions works with suspicious motives for focus Kosovo particular and highest its (with peace-loving and Kosovo’s works pure- artistic forintelligence-counterintelligence 24 hours, on commission a formed lasting meeting marathon a during evening, Last these ideasandarguments belongto thearsenal ofclassical racism by referring to those who have opened the NTK’s stage to foreign artists as bastards and traitors. All purity,continues others.He with of fromprotect‘mixing’ to Albanians need uncontaminatedthe and blood notions his with burdened is he how reveals he NGOs), non- – of organisations governmentalmafia’ ‘theatrical the case, this (in agents local their and rulers external from Albanians Obsessed with the alleged threat of multiculturalism andforeigners. cosmopolitanism imposedarecollaborators on Kosovo his and of two that more even him disturbs It NTK. – Kosovo of Theatre National the atplay directeda Roma a KrajathatMehmet characters.pains the It textand the for ologies and commissars gives the authors the right to stage a play according to the vision they have ide- by culture or controlled politicised not is that expression theatrical of Freedom unjustifiable. are and prejudices points starting political His reprehensible. and arbitrary utterly is work artistic this Kraja’s of interpretation Academician world? imaginative an in quilts against haveKraja does blanketsthat are quiteworld the over?similar whathatsSo if resemble Karzai?of those whatAnd What political message or offense could be drawn from hats resembling those of Karzai? Or quilted arts isthehealthiest food for thespiritandmind... the through manifested diversity cultural the that believe We different race. prejudices a of his personal people towards in community artistic Kosovo entire the implicate to attempts his demn Mehmet in Kraja’s to article referred (Gazeta Express), on whose ‘audience’ behalf he spreads interracial the hatred and we strongly and con community’ ‘artistic the from ourselves distance We 7 . page with page Express Gazeta - - On the contrary, it means seeing it in a new light without the barriers that existed thus far. History contin- therebytofocusit allowing realon societytoday.problems our in rejectingmean past. the not does This callsforence flexibility towards theatre the those on clamp the of ‘greata loosening national and topics’ of independ Kosovo’s declaration after climate political new The self-censorship. and clichés, schemes, Tartuffe 5. pain. woman’sand misfortunethe advantage of taking was who hypocrite the villain, heartless the became – character Serb missing surrogate the the for – foreigner the whilst victim a and virtuous as Albanian the the characters are still suffering from the consequences of the war. Seen this way, the character portrayed and war the after events take place the though even – drama’ ‘national a intodramalove pure a turned that revisions sufficient were These advances. foreigner’s the refused woman the time every applauded eigner were transformed into something else – proud rejection by the widow.for the The with audience liked wife this the and of ‘kissing’ and ‘touching’ the on wrote I directions stage The desires.foreigner’s person’smissing The audience. the wife was portrayed localheroinea refused as who totothe succumb foreigner.the hatredfromof role elicit foreigner, the to as He, negative manner a portrayedsuch was in the onto‘projected’ now antagonistwas Serb absent, the that clear became it rehearsals during Hence, war.the about play a in incomprehensible was villain Serb a of absence the actors, these for thermore, it was ofthem, For some love the a affair.wartime, due to during Albanian, another shoot would Albanian unacceptableone thatplay. in Fur to perform who were the actors with arose difficulties first The husband. jealousy.by becomesunderstoodmurderedpersonLater it whowoman’ssame wason, the the thatthis motivated inhabitant a local by shot is foreigner The persons. missing for office an in works who eigner war.the during a enamoured becomes with for she endeavours husband, her missing During her tofind play, The Theatre. City 8 The debate about the National Theatre’s has neverhas historythe in theatre. happened this of media about this performance. Consequently, opening night Kosovotickets in were sold out media two different weeks before. in This published been have articles thirty than More Kosovo. in play theatrical a one. A few years ago, not long after the end of the Kosovo war, I first wrote the illustrative as as a one, play personal a example, that second a wasmention to stagedoccasion this atuse thetolike would Gjilan I NTK even through early2009.Itwas alsoperformed andwell received inSkopje andTirana. Gjilan (Gnjilane)is thenameofacityandmunicipality ineastern Kosovo. and oh aiae h ne fr ooo har t fe isl fo its from itself free to theatre Kosovo for need the validate both House the by Well The , tells the story of a woman whose husband disappeared husband whose woman a of story the tells House, the by Well The Tartuffe marks one of the fiercest and longest debates regarding Tartuffe *** continued performed be to successfully the at - - - - 8 Considering the Future 48 Considering the Future Considering the Future 49 Considering the Future teuropa, Theatres’,in jungen des Geschichte späte ‘Eine Jeton, Neziraj, Neziraj, Jeton andShkëlzen Maliqi, contemporain (2009),53-58. Kosovo’, au Burhan Rahim de Tartuffe ‘Le Kurti, Granit & Blerta Neziraj, Maliqi, Shkëlzen, ‘Racist Ghost’, Gazeta Express,27December2008. Kraja, Mehmet, ‘Tartuffe of Vranje’, References The theatre ofKosovo shouldbeafree theatre! tional’ subjects;atheatre that becomes the voice ofthe weak andtheoppressed. that recognises its aesthetical and emancipating role; a theatre that is open and ready to see beyond ‘na- culture to the world whilst at the same time brings the world’s rich theatrical culture to Kosovo; a theatre a theatre that promotes qualitativeKosovo’s manner. and be analytical theatrical should an It presentin the and past the reflects critically that theatre a needs; public’s and the wants articulates that theatre a As a conclusion, we can say that the theatre of Kosovo should be autonomous in its activities. It should be constructed according to nationalists’ perspectives. imagined) on taboo episodes of history, (even perspective for additional we all an know how havehistory, to in us these Balkan help parts, oftenwould has been they But, endless…! be could treatment this for counterarguments and Arguments act!? terrorist a Rrustemi’s as Avni actions sees example,for theatre, the Esat if Pasha of What assassination treat act. greatthe to patriotic a ues Rrustemi as Toptani by Avni Recherchen 61,ed.by Martina Vannayova andAnnaHausler, (Berlin: Verl. Theater der Zeit, 2008),48-60. Dodona Theatre Gazeta Express,19December2008. –1992-2002,(Dodona:Prishtina, 2003) Landvermessungen: Theaterlandschaften in Mittel-,Ost und Südos und Mittel-,Ost in Theaterlandschaften Landvermessungen: – Le théâtre Le – Balkans des cultures Les 5: l`Est, de sud Au - Considering the Future 50 Considering the Future Dealing withthe Past and Identity Petrit Çarkaxhiu Considering the Future Considering the Future Considering the Future 53 Considering the Future vate homes, innsanddosshouses,Macadam roads andbridges. DEALING WITHTHEPAST ANDIDENTITY 3 2 1 teqe mosques, baths), (public hamams squares),(market çarshi old destroyedThey past. Ottoman its with had region this connection any destroy and strangle to attempted elite old The the new’. up build to and old the destroy ‘to War: Second World the after elite communist the guided that motto same the by Today’sguided past. destroysis the elite and hides ignores, that outlook current own their on based reality a new create to work clerics and artists intellectuals, businesspeople, politicians, rulers, of elite new A heritage. physical and spiritual their of destruction the to witnesses are today Kosovars Fig. 1-3 ‘Rilindja’ 1. Petrit Çarkaxhiu structures ofPrishtina fromthe Yugoslav period. are ofthesamebuildingrenovated at different stages during themid-2000s. A teqe isaplaceofworship for members ofvarious Sufiorders. original stageafter and theFirst its 1990s throughout Kosovo in the leftphotofrom shows building war.the photos other two The Rilindja was the name of the Albanian-language daily newspaper, as well as the building where it was published, during the Yugoslav days. Destroying theoldto buildupthenew 1 (Renaissance) – the name of a building considered to be one of the most representative 2 3 and churches, pri- churches, and 4 ‘Union’ the of case the Hotel in as razed completely are buildings some that extent the to even out carried being are character buildings’ the to changes complete and added, over,are storeyspainted are 1970s in the Prishtina’s distinctive to were buildings thatExteriors colouring. rainbow of facades aluminium by over covered is being uniqueness architectural buildings’ pretext, are a as era used being communistrenovation With destroyed. the from structures prominent the all Almost country. this of and past YugoslavOttoman the with link any destroy and ignore obscure, strangle, to tries elite new the Nowadays, to ‘theold’. wealth robbed. The prudent and the wise were cast aside, ignored and humiliated because they belonged off, and seized destroyed, properties aristocracykilled werefamilies the of members period, this During masses for exclusively personal interests. anythingness genuine, except hatred towards vehiclebecamemain forwhich a Serbia, manipulating the personal interest with earnestness. Whereas during the last ten years, with the new elite, we did not wit above were that ideas principle its of some by abide to how knew also it but arrogance, with acted ten of and privileges its exploited elite old the communism, of years approximatelyfifty during sure, Tobe fathers andgrandfathers builtwas stolen, sold,and‘privatised’ –theelite’s synonym for theft. behalves were beaten and killed. There was hardly any property theft, but what a whole generation of our on their spoke who citizens other and competitors business said, better Or eliminated.were opponents nial of the place of these martyrs of fascism. True, there were no killings of the old elite. Instead, political de- total in is elite new The despised. and neglected have within been Yugoslavia – Albanians of identity the enriched and built preserved, they as stressed, be should it selflessness, and wisdom patience, with – decades ensuing the in acted who patriots and intellectuals generation of whole a war,of war the and Their ruination. to left been have memorials, their or fascism, against fought who those of Cemeteries stroy tombs ofscholars, martyrs andimamsofthesemosques. to de- attempts been also There have mosques. Ottoman-period from calligraphicmotifs and arabesque by NGOs from Arab countries, made possible by the United Nations, there have been attempts to destroy interpretation religious of currents new of introduction the With facilities. praying under supermarkets with new, mosques ‘turbo-folk’ for room make destroyed to being are mosques Old elitists. new the as mentalitytodaysame have imams the adopted some elite, old the among religiouswerethere no While The Austrian-style UnionHotel, a‘protected was destroyed builtin1927,and monument’ inafire on22August 2009. 4 . - - Considering the Future 54 Considering the Future Considering the Future 55 Considering the Future integration into theEuropean Unionandimprove Kosovo’s image asaEuropean country. accelerate not will traditions our Misrepresentation of Kosovars. of identity cultural true the not is that something imposing by reality false a represents it but strategygood been have may This 1990s. the in glance, it was not seen as anything more than a flirt with the West in order to survive during Serbian rule office, Rugova would stand in front of a wall with a photograph of him taken with Pope John Paul II. At first bolised by the figure of the first President of Kosovo, Dr. Ibrahim Rugova. In media appearances held in his sym was that avision of clarification materialisation and the Kosovo,see tobeganin wewar the of end Several the goals. years political after personalities for and symbolsreligious using history. includes This region’s this throughout religion about flexible proven have Albanians Hence, life. everyday in role ary Historically, Albanians have perceived themselves as a secular people where religion has played a second eliminated orassimilated by theirneighbours isreal. being of risk the region, the in Albanians of history recent the Given Balkans. the in survive to order in it do Albanians while Balkans the in ambitions hegemonic of because so do Serbs the that argue Many Albanians. or Serbians by it is understood,however,whether is upon tool depending a varies as religion of political goals, and are thought to have done so with Islam during the Ottoman period. How the use of Catholicism, sovo,have especially achievementChristianityAlbania, and the abused in for wellalso as as However, it is not only Serbs who have used religion as a tool for achieving political goals. Albanians in Ko- a more complex andtherefore lesspolitical reality. portance of Orthodox religious sites to the Serbian community, but rather to recognise that there is often im- the denyto meant not is This guards.Church of photos the monastery,in the illustratedthe in and even in gatherings of photos old itself, church the in frescoes in represented is This place. important an as it consider and monastery safeguard the to continued Islam, conversionafter to who, Albanians, also but Serbs only not included region this of believers Christian Orthodox that prove that facts undeniable 5 the is illustrative mostcase The Kosovo.to claims territorialpetuate per order to in are exclusively churches Serbian, these that claim the continuing and them about truths medieval history Serbs manipulate Orthodoxcontinue of the omitting churchesaddition, certain to by In its fate, are alsonotthinkingtoo muchaboutit. empty,completelyIt is itsplace. in ignored by Prishtina’s inhabitants who, they while have ideaabout no religious. all at not day, this and entirely political and To as moveunfinished church remains this this see Albanians Institute. Albanological the and Rectorate, the Library, University National the includes also and its administration compound, was built in the middle of the campus of the University of Prishtina that and city centres in order to further its territorial claims. In Prishtina, the largest Serbian church in Kosovo, Beginning in the 1990s, the Milošević regime began building Serbian Orthodox churches in Kosovo’s town Religion asapolitical tool Decan isthenameofatown anditsmunicipalityin southwestern Kosovo. 5 Decani Monastery which contains which Monastery Decani - - - gymnasiums the Serbian Orthodox Church. Across from the university complex stood one of Kosovo’s most prestigious the Prime Minister’s seat of government are located; at other end, the university compound that includes open to motor vehicles but is scheduled to close. At one end of this boulevard the National Assembly and 8 7 6 statueThe national hero,our of Gjergj Kastriot Skanderbeg,granted title the Athleta Christi much traffic chaos. 2007. The truth is Prishtina needed such a public common area, although blockage of in this closed road completely artery, has was communication caused important an as hours work during used recently until munist times, and the third layer is covered with granite tiles from Rugovian times. This street, which was com- the from asphalt with paved is layer second The times. Ottoman the from macadam with paved is themes. The ‘korzo’ (pedestrian area) in the centre of Prishtina is ‘a street with three layers’. The first Christianlayer Prishtina’s highlights centre of planning Kosovo’s city.Prishtina, spatial Arguably, capital of the Arts of Kosovo, television, radio and newspapers, as well as and through Science spatial of planning, Academy especially the in the of works case textbooks, school through done primarily is hyperbolisation Such our ancestors’. see the declarations ofourmost successful national writer, Ismail Kadare, for returning tothe‘religionof For example, or artists. politicians, clergy, scientists, or theologians from rare not are declarations Such Albanians. of religion natural the as forth put is Islam, to opposed as general, in religion, Christian ism’; to ‘Albanian closer being as presented are objects religious Christian Albanian. purely as presentedare writings, Ottoman Albanian than frequently more writings, Latin Albanian disappearing. are elements ic ment is being hyperbolised. The activities of these figures are presented as ‘purely’ Albanian, while Islam- ele- Christian their said, better or hyperbolised, being is figures historical Christian Albanian of role The crete recently withtheunbalancedemphasisofChristian elements. lifeelements of Islamic fields all of cultural social, – historical and this – become has tendency more con Kosovo, in tendency weakencommunistto eliminate clear times, the eversince or a therewas Although The street that extends from the squares is Mother Teresa Boulevard purposes –inways similarto what theAustrians have donewithMozart andStrauss. fact, Mother Teresa and Skanderbeg are two Albanian figures, commonly exploited for national marketing In name. her Terasabearing square Mother small of Skenderbeg’sfrommetresa crowns statue. thirty It asculpture is Christiana organisation. There a of founder as and a nun as activities charity forher world at tacksoff fromward the East.to Another nationalcity hero isthe Mother of Teresa,part Theatre. an Albanian Nobelist,old knownNational throughoutthe the towardeastward the faces fromhead his across and locatedsword, a is holds Skanderbegstatue His name. his bearing square a on located is can, Since the 15 Until theendof Kosovo war in1999,this street was named‘LeninBoulevard’. Gymnasium isasynonym for auniversity-preparatory publicsecondary school. th century this political title has been granted by the Vatican to those who led military campaigns in defence of Christianity. 7 , named after the anti-fascist hero Xhevdet Doda. This gymnasium was demolished a few demolished was gymnasium This Doda. Xhevdet hero anti-fascist the after named , 8 . This end of the boulevard remains 6 by the Vatithe by - - - - Considering the Future 56 Considering the Future Considering the Future 57 Considering the Future standing, with an emphasis on communist ideology. In Albania, this change was much more radical,and more much was change this ideology.communistAlbania, on In emphasis an with standing, of Albanian renaissance, under the ideological filter of Enver Hoxha Enver of filter ideological the under renaissance, Albanian of nationalism romantic the strengthen to come would ideology this Albania, in mainly educated partisans With the start of the Second World War, for the first time the communist ideology was introduced; through as difficultand frequent as any other European society. tion by Serbia coming in different periods, Kosovo society has experienced social and cultural transitions, or physical ‘cleansing’ of Kosovo. During the last hundred years, in addition to the risks of physical elimina assimilation – which proved to be impossible due to the huge linguistic, cultural and religious differences – of forced various experienced forms and colonisation, and occupation of period classical a throughgone have War, Kosovars World Second the of beginning the until and 1912 in Kosovo annexed Serbia Since 2. TheTransformers teachings ofthepeopleinwhosehonourthey buildtheboulevards, the statues, and religious temples. account into take always don’t Kosovo in actors Unfortunately,political tool. the is religion where aim, a political or a vision of service the in be to said be can Prishtina of planning spatial Thereforethe country.a of life cultural and social the of arteries main the and heart the are boulevards and Squares derpass that leads directly into thecathedral area. Pedestriantraffic busy the from cafes across shops the and four-lane un is only routed through road the threekilometres from cathedral.the cathedralThe takes the capital’s in position principal the silhouette. boulevard,goes which west beyond,to and airport the was justexpanded lane additional twoan with to this Prishtina, toentrance the Atinauguratedstatue.recently his includes which Boulevard,Clinton Bill Teresa Cathedral. At the Mother junction withthe Mother Balkans, the Teresain Boulevard,cathedrals closeCatholic tobiggest Mother the of Teresa Cathedral,one for begins space make to order in ago years lages there was a mixture of Kanun deeply traditional and conservative society. The Islamic ethical code dominated the cities, while in the vil ples, taught in madrasas outlook while at the same time severing links with the Ottoman past. Education based on religious princi different a and values new vastly of system educational new a introducing by literacy increase to lessly tireShkoder,- worked and Elbasan of gymnasia and schools the in educated elite, Kosovo’scommunist Second World War found thepopulation overwhelmingly illiterate. the of end the why reason the is This 1909. in only alphabet Latin the with standardised was language 600Albanian years script than The was alphabet for more Arabic. official the since alphabet, Latin the of obligationsspecific with the home,along toward society theauthorities. and had Fewpeople knowledge the educator of her children. The role of the man was that of the provider for the family and protector of covered, except the face and the hands, while her role in society was that of the guardian of the home and 12 , was replaced with primary and secondary schools rooted in materialist under 11 and Islam. Kosovar women dressed according to Islamic code, totally 10 . Until World War II, Kosovo was a was Kosovo II, War World Until . - - - - - cine, logicandrhetoric, music, dependingoncountry and timeperiod. kanuns is the TheKanun ofLekë Dukagjin, butthere are several othervariations that followed. Albanian prince who fought against the Ottomans), and written down in the nineteenth century. Hence, the most prominent of the absolute and brutal. Heisfrequently compared to JosephStalin. 12 11 10 religious identity; better said–beingcircumcised ornot would determine if you were Muslimornot. formation of on impact huge a had strangelyenough ceremonythat a was it Albanians for but Muslims, by practiced tradition religious a circumcision, the sunet, the was This socialism. or Yugoslavia with to do nothing had which and memories, their in forever remain would that ceremony important another The biggest irony was that almost all the male pupils, that year or two to three years later, would undergo always remain Tito’s pioneers. would They memories. their from wiped be neverwould daythat a be would this pupils of thousands of shirts, red neckerchiefs, and partisan hats with the star, and gathered in the biggest hall of Kosovo, for tens second grade of primary school, pupils were giving the solemn oath of Tito’s pioneers. As they the wore Since white spirit. socialist the in youth the educate to care took state Yugoslav the years, fifty almost For culture andthemilitary. administration, Ottoman literature, in Albanians of contribution the whatsoever of mention any without time avacuum, passed occupation that like Ottoman of centuries five the death came after his that and, book), history the of half (about Skanderbeg’sstandstill battles for special a was there then came, mans Otto- until free were we that impression surreal the was there then Bulgarians, and Serbs then tines, Byzan- the then occupation, Roman under were weyears 1000 about for that people; other with mixed Illyrians indigenous of ancestors were we that learned we schoolbooks the from sphere, national the In capitalism, andendedwithsocialismasatotal realisation of genuine humanfreedom. isation was graphically presented with a timeline that started with slavery, and continued with feudalism, from originate humans monkeys; and that that socialism represents phenomena; the natural peak of human certain progress in for societal organisation. answers Social organ no - had who people primitive by aprimary Iwas while practiceuseless a wasreligion that 1980s, God, no textbookswasthere that school from learned I pupil, school the During any doubt. without ideology, communist promoting as seen ing on the influence that Serbia had in various phases, whilst as concerns society at large, textbooks were depend time, over changed Albanians of identity Kosovo,and historyregardingtextbooks in the School leaving religious institutions marginalised, but yet functional. in the world. Compared with Albania, the attitude toward religion in Yugoslavia was much more tolerant, first the atheist countrydeclaration of the seen: has country other no that something crownedwith was Madrasas are knownto schools focus religiouson education. Historically, many madrasas offered also medi- e.g. secular training, Kanun is the body of traditional (customary/oral) Albanianlaws. It was first codified in the fifteenth century by Lekë Dukagjini(an was rule His 1985. to 1945 from Albania of president first the was ‘j’) as ‘ocean’,pronounced in ‘xh’ as ‘o’ (proun. Hoxha Enver - Considering the Future 58 Considering the Future Considering the Future 59 Considering the Future not gonna leave you alone! I want you to get MAD! I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot – I my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials and I won’t say anything. Just leave us alone!’ Well, I’m living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, ‘Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. everything Let melike have It’s be!… are we world the slowly and tocrazy,anymore.Wehouse, out going the go is in everywheredon’t wesit so supposed it’s way the that’s if as crimes, violent sixty-three and homicides fifteen had we today that us newscaster tells local some while TVs our watching sit we and eat, to unfit is food our and breathe to unfit is air the know We it. to end there’sno and do, who to what anywhere know to nobody seems there’s and street the in wild running are counter.Punks the under gun a keep shopkeepersbust, going nickel’sare a banks buys worth, dollar The job. their losing of scared or work of I don’t have to tell you things are bad. Everybody knows things are bad. It’s a depression. Everybody’s out vars experienced inthelast century. psychological physical and traumasthat layered and Koso transitions culturalby traumasof caused also a values system that is being imposed by globalisation trends, through wild expansion of mass media, but hardeststartthe the transitionalof also period is for Kosovo, the of change due to and very radical rapid With the entrance of NATO forces in June 1999, starts the building of a proper political pluralism. But, this Then thewar andterror started... reality –equallyfictitious,ifall too real. ina were living andAlbanians institutions, parallel with created was state fictitious a where resistance, peaceful of period itself. country the found the was which This in occupation the to factweredue illegal in which of formed, Kosovo were parties political first be- the period, this merely During Albanian. were they institutions, cause government other all from and faculties university and schools from expelled and abused, beaten, tortured, jailed, killed, were Albanians Kosovo years. hundred one for out carried been had that level even exceeding a Serbs Kosovars by 1990s humiliation unparalleledexperiencedthe During dominance. asserting Serbs with of nations, federation artificial an to stateunsustainabledue an with simply but pluralism, party of lack with do to nothing itself had this fact,Yugoslavia In gathermomentum. of tobegan end the and Yugoslavia in system monistic the of end the 1980s, the of end the By and accompanied by increasing demandsto return to theGhegstandard. standard thatmore much opposition is an – present poetry, music, in media other and film, productions, or while working on scientific projects, and in public forums, and the second: an outright rejection of this discussions scholarly during Albania from Albanians towards inferiority of feeling a manifestations: two causing confusion and difficulties in talking –especially in front of the media –and eventually resulting in youngergenerations even today, that, of expense linguistic standards, these with problems have serious Tosk-speaking region. For the sake of national unity, Kosovars accepted the new linguistic standard, at the Kosovo until 1968 – with the Tosk dialect during the regime of Enver Hoxhain whostandard came from Gjirokastra,the – a language Albanian Macedoniaand the of dialect Kosovo, Gheg the from of replacement the was Albania, forAlbanians Northern hadconsequences which nature, another of transition A - But, thebaby will demandmother’s milk...dude Or aFrench pacifier And youcan giveitanArabpacifier And you’re goingto make itrunbefore itlearnsto walk And itcan’t eatachillipepper ... Andthebaby cannot eataroasted chicken Until youunderstand you can’t continue inthis confusion Until they tear youapart anduntil they burnyou How longwillitlast until they breakyoudown The messinyourhead:they havescattered you Your voice iscrushedandyouwant to scream And youneedto breathbecause they arestrangling you For alongtimeyou’ve been inthenoise You’re tired very Both arepullingyouandchoking Two ropestiedroundyourneck Like sheepinthemarket they arecalling youbetween twocivilisations East, west, west oreast Personally, Ihave triedto express ‘Mother’s thisemotionalchaosinasong, Milk’: in different shapesand expressions, mainlythrough violenceandinjustice toward others andourselves. have caused a situation today, in which Kosovo’s citizensdifferent),are methods arethe inonly spirit, a the stateof ofdenial emotionalthe chaos,to whichdue similar areis coming essence, in (who, neoliberals and communists both of materialistic culture imposed wildly the lately and intellectuals, vatedAlbanian moti- ideologically by made was contribution biggest the which to were, we who or are we who about The violent past, fear and uncertainty, massive poverty, identity confusion, and fake historical information going to take thisanymore!’ From film,Network (1976) right now, and go to the up window,get to open it, you and stickwant your head outI and yell: ‘I’mchairs. your as madof as hell, andout I’mup not get to you of all want now.I up get to you want I So, value!’ mad! get got to first you’ve say,that got to is knowYou’ve lifeI has My ‘I’m goddammit! being, human a All street. the in crime the and Russians the and inflation the and depression the about do to what know don’t I write. to you tell to what know wouldn’t I because congressman your to write to you want don’t Considering the Future 60 Considering the Future Considering the Future 61 Considering the Future Considering the Future 62 Considering the Future Fragile Recovery ofCultural Heritage inKosovo Sali Shoshi DEALING WITHTHE PAST Sali Shohi Considering the Future DEALING WITHTHE PAST Sali Shohi 65 Considering the Future this time, the first university Kosovo in the time, this that was returned due to international pressure. The Prizren League Museum exhibits wereMuseum’s taken to BelgradeKosovo where they remain to this day,The war. with the exception ofthe the during vandalised and looted were Museums possible. partial repair only all make value, artistic and historic lost ultimately, and documentation, of lack costs, High significantbuildings other dominant the Islam, to in Albanians among religion Kosovo, metsimilar a fate. and mosques 300 than More 1999. in completely burnt were period, Ottoman the during locals the by Gjakova, built and Peja of bazaars old The villages. and cities in style traditional in built houses of sands Kosovo’s cultural heritage was mercilessly attacked during the 1998-1999 war. Serbian forces burnt thou The situation co-existence, historical events andpersonalities; aplaceofordinary people,citizens. Middle Ages and subsequent periods, showing that Kosovo is a place with traces of ancient civilizations, customsintangible.and throughhave the ancientSites,objects times, buildings, preserved since been Kosovo’s cultural heritage represents a valuable treasure regardless the form it appears in – tangible or Sali Shoshi FRAGILE RECOVERY OFCULTURAL HERITAGE INKOSOVO 4 3 2 1 tal control of the Central Institute in Belgrade, with Kosovo staff holding minor posts. Through the 1990s, the field of cultural heritage. Despite all the advances, the heritage protection sector remained under to- During the 1970s, Kosovo gained the highest level of autonomy within the YugoslavFederationthe within autonomy of level highest the gainedKosovo 1970s, the During Monuments List date from medieval times. identity and culture. Thisis evinced by the fact that the majority of the in buildings the Kosovo Protected the intention of researching and protecting the medieval monuments it considered part of Serbian ethnic with institutions these created Serbia in Kosovo. institutions protection heritage cultural first the lished Cultural heritage was, practically, neglected throughout the twentieth century. In the 1950s, Serbia estab- Albanian past. Kosovo’s of erase evidences to ethnic campaign a demonstratingsiteexistence of the razed its fromand in the1974Yugoslav Constitution. power waned, andinresponse to theCongress ofBerlinwhichwas perceived asathreat to Albaniannational interests. was returned to Kosovo in 2002. The University ofPrishtina was legally established in1969 andoperational by1970. While changes began to take shape in Kosovo throughout the 1970s, the increase in autonomy for Kosovo was formally articulated Ottoman as cultural goals educationaland political, other autonomyand forpressAlbanian to 1878 formedin League Prizren The The Goddess on the Throne is a Neolithic terracotta statue unearthed near Prishtina in 1960. It is used as the symbol of that city and 4 was founded. This is also the time when Kosovars in when began work time the also is This founded.was 2 was completely destroyed Goddess on the Throne 3 . During . - 1 war. One of these restorations on a former president’s uncle’s former a restorations on war.these of One the of end the since Culture, (MCYS) of Sports Ministry and the Youth headed has 2011, until that, party political party figures from Democratic League with of Kosovo associated (LDK-Lidhjaof sites Demokratike restoration the e Kosovës), involve allegations the political well-known Other execution. and planning heritage cultural interfere in agendas political that allegations well-publicisedsurprisingly, are Not there Bektashi Tekke The media also mention the influence of ministers’ regions of origin. A number of buildings, including the During three days of civil riots in March 2004, thirty-five Serbian Orthodox churches were burnt in Kosovo. 9 7 6 5 example istheconstruction oftheclock towers inGjakova buildings that have nothing to do with representation of Kosovo’s cultural heritage. The most sensational newcapital governmentinvestmentsso-called the include of by listsarefinanced thatpriority the to ing or politics than with true cultural heritage protection. The first example is that too often projects belong interests local maygovernment. that have with funds Thereare moredo allocation several of to of kinds Today, one senses a lack of vision for a suitable prioritisation of projects to be implemented by the Kosovo banian experts working inthesector duringtheten-year apartheidperiodundertheMilošević regime. of Al- demotions and expulsions the were either insignificant protection. Not and managementheritage be Aswill field. in this cultural with dealing mechanisms systemforinstitutional a place Kosovoexplained, had in neverfurther tradition or memory institutional an never was there because is This heritage. that anticipates all the resources, including time, required to develop an integrated protection plan concrete of Kosovo’s no is There heritage. cultural a Kosovo of definition the on consensus general no is There Kosovo’s of heritage. cultural future Today, the for a vision elaborate Kosovo’s to failed have institutions rituals, andtraditions. Asa result, muchofthetradition isbeing erased witheachpassing day. writings, dance, and song music, as such Kosovo’sheritagepreserve intangible and protectresearch, to heritage is included on the Protected Heritage List. No Kosovo institution is authorised by the government intangible However, to traditions. relating Albanian nothing Kosovo of ethnos the of study and research intangibleculturalheritage. Kosovo’s establishment primary the InstituteAlbanalogicalresponsible is for tural heritage protection institutions. Furthermore, institutions working with monuments do not address Kosovo.Today, cul sustainable create to failed has war, field heritage the cultural yearsafter twelve the endeavouredthey as experience wasculturalpalpable of todevelop a heritage lack protection system in totallyexcludedbeen liferestored. institutional fromexpertshad be years, their ten to local for Because began institutions 1999 when the war, after later felt, was time of period this of impact debilitating The Serbia maintained complete control over thecultural heritage sector, asitdidinevery otherfield. aged ordestroyed duringtheconflict. http://www.chwb.org/kosovo/english/newschurches.htm Kulla Name ofcityandmunicipality insoutheastern Kosovo Name ofcityandmunicipality insouthwestern Kosovo is the traditionalthe is stone of house western Kosovo. approximately Of 500 existing before the Kosovo war, 450 some were dam- 8 in Gjakova, were renovated during the term a Gjakovar served as the Minister of Culture. 5 and Gjilan and kulla 7 took place in his village, near Istog. near village, his in place took 6 . - - Considering the Future 66 Considering the Future Considering the Future 67 Considering the Future round themonastery aProtected Site. the moment it gained this status, the UN Administration in Kosovo issued an order declaring 800 hectares From List. Heritage UNESCO World the on featured is which Monastery Deçan the being exception only the applied, never almost is rule This ownership. the of regardless building, a surround must perimeter law,protection100-metretothe protected. toAccording50 be a also must monuments environsof The age Councilhasbeenestablished now anditisobliged by thelaw to evaluate the Inventory List. remained unchanged since the 1990s, when it was compiled during the Milošević regime. A Kosovo Herit for these buildings’ evaluations has not been completed. As a result, the Kosovo Cultural Heritage List has required documentation However, the identified. been have buildings 2,800 field, the in analyses From zonesspecial archaeologicaland sitesthat could later evaluatedbe eventuallyprotection.and under put post-war years, these institutions haven’t been able to create a comprehensive list of historical buildings, these all After protection. heritage cultural towards step first its taketo yet has Kosovo that say can we If we claim that creating inventory represents the first step towards protection of these monuments, then Heritage Inventory chaotic environments and continued deterioration ofthe quality of life. ing convicted for engaging in illegal acts. This has contributed to the transformation of Kosovo’s cities into fighters’as participation andthe liberation their to contribution if as – struggle themexempted from be- urban life. Ever so often, when people broke the rules, post-war, they used as a reason ‘their participation disregard manifested havesentiment the is that people regulate in towards those especially regulations, this Nowadays, regulations. and rules all and any above turn, in and, liberatedfeel to people enabled it its subjugation and repression. During the 1990s, civil disobedience was used to respond to the state and with regime Milošević the under repression of years ten their during control its and state the from tion’ In fact, it seems as though the present chaos is an outcome of the people’s sense of psychological ‘libera- centimetre ofspace. construction new the transformedhave being Prishtina whereresulted unrestrainedold city in into a suffocates building over every control of lack the and plans urban creating in delays The destruction. this prevent to failed have municipalities Kosovo report. CHwB a to according 2001-2007, period the during houses its traditional of to percent fifty over paid lost has alone being Prishtina of attention city any The standards. and conditions without blocks apartment new for way make to order in destroyed been have houses old Many well. as sites historical affected has Kosovo post-war in boom construction The toration ofcultural heritage sites damaged anddestroyed duringthe1998-1999 war. res- the given be should priority same the saycan weinvolved, but be Kosovo should governmentfunds that and repaired, been have should monuments these that question no is There place. first the in List the repair of these damaged churches, which included some that had never been on the Kosovo Heritage monument restoration of funds towards majority the of allocation the International pressure in resulted - its uniquecultural traditions. bouring country, now has an opportunity to gain from the presence of tourists in neigh- the region a by promoting as Kosovo,tourism; in increase heightened a see we example, for Albania, and Montenegro In Kosovo. in activities for culture the demand affected adversely has marketing efforts and promotion of lack The recreational a activity. or make walk a usually time for people of majority the Sundayswhen on closed is brochure that museum would a be made reading available. while coffee Even of worse, cup contradictory a to have internationaland practices,down the museum sit to able be wouldn’t s/he Museum, Kosovo moreplaces frequented, except events.casesin publicity of eventthe In that wantssomeone to the visit these to make or marketing creativity at effort no is way.traditional There a in organised are Museums tors. visi attracting strategies for any have not do sites these for responsible institutions The all. at managed List. KCCH isalsoresponsible for lobbying andsecuringtheAssembly’s supportfor theheritage field. ProtectedMonuments the on them put to and evaluatesiteshistoricalto KCCH is of task tory.main The is obliga- which and communities, Kosovo’s minority differentrepresenting institutions members, seven institution exist. thecreatedan KosovoAssembly.KCCH, by not is does 2010, establishedin of consists It Kosovo’scooperate with tocooperation practice, this closely Heritage(KCCH). still forCulturalIn Council In Kosovo’s case, there unfortunately exists no such initiative. Historical sites, such as Ulpiana as such sites, Historical initiative. such no existsunfortunatelyKosovo’s there case,In opment resources for theirvicinities. cultural heritage sites for tourism. These historical areas could become important social-economic devel- need to have a pool of professionals we and teams this, of offer cultural to heritage able managers be able to to developorder and In prepare elements. heritage cultural of consisting product cultural a offer to aims industry tourist the of part important an becomes that tourism Cultural tourism. cultural in ested inter visitors of category specific a existsever, there than Now, morevisitors. and public the to sented pre- be should they such, As areas. geographical and history of different periods in multilayered values, different civilisations’ represent they time, same the Athumankind’s past. of proof are monuments The A Cultural-Touristic Product 11 10 percent of Kosovo’s total budget. According to Kosovo’s Law on Cultural Heritage The Ministry manages a budget allocated by the employees.Kosovo 70 government. of This budgeta total represents less with than 0.4 network its within institutions heritage cultural nine has It management. Culture,Youthof Ministry cultural The with heritageinstitution dealing primary the (MCYS)is Sports and Stakeholders Law No.02/L-8,http://www.assembly-kosova.org/common/docs/ligjet/2006_02-L88_en.pdf Ulpiana was aprominent Roman city. Today itisanimportant archaeological site nearPrishtina. 11 , the Ministry is obliged 10 , are not are , - - Considering the Future 68 Considering the Future Considering the Future 69 Considering the Future culture mosaic. Intheend,we must say that themost important stakeholder isthe people. Kosovo’s in itself position sector,to the and for vision a createto helping in least at – role important an given be must culture, and arts many the together brings scholars of Kosovo which institution, This Arts. An important party that has been completely left out of the equation is Kosovo’s Academy of Sciences and ference for Kosovo heldinMay 2005inParis. resultedmanyUNESCOin delayed UNESCO projects committedbeing con the donor those by especially state, has a as recognise Kosovo not does Nations United the bureaucracy,thatfact Its the with coupled sovo.UNESCO, Uniteda as Nations organisation, appeared has extremely activities its inept in in Kosovo. Ko- in sites religious Serb for protection of level high a and self-administration of degree certain a SOC lack of communication with Kosovo’s authorities, the latter has, through the Ahtisaari package, permitted SOC’s Despite Kosovo. of state newborn the Serbia’s with relations and its as such issues on heard itself not only manages the clergy’s monastic activities, but it is also often involved inpolitical debates, making SOC Kosovo. in churches Orthodox to comes it when active very is (SOC) Church Orthodox Serbian The 13 12 Protective Zones Special on Law the approved Assembly Kosovo The more than25buildings. restored having active, very also are Swedes The castle. the restoration of and centretraining a Prizren: since 1999 has been supporting numerous projects. In 2010, it announced two and very important heritage projects cultural in of field the in donor leading the is Union European The apprenticeships. through students supported projects, own its through has, CHwB theories. conservation programon elementary four-yearthe of part itagearchitectureAs generalprofessionalsmoment. very the program,a at is there The Architecture Department of the University of Prishtina is the only education institution producing her ment. Based on findings by CHwB, the municipalities complain about poor support from the central level. zones,opmentmustspecial plans the comply with required as centralbythe levelKosovo the of govern - practice, there is still In no too. close level, cooperation municipal with the the municipal at level such as or the Areas MCYS. The Special municipalities’ treat devel- to municipalities the instructs MESP sites. cal sites. It is tasked with providing balanced spatial development, guaranteeing special treatment of histori- historical of aspects spatial for responsible is (MESP) Planning Spatial and Environment of Ministry The Office’s Liaison Greek the meantime, the In members. its of some from opposition to due established been yet not has IMC MCYS. and Church, Orthodox the as well as OSCE, Europe, of Council the UNESCO, as such Implementing and Monitoring Council (IMC). This council is meant to consist of international institutions, status,special the monitoredKosovobya importantin enjoyhistoricalcommunity zonesSerbian for the As Greece doesnotrecognise Kosovo’s independence, itdoesnotmaintain an embassy in Kosovo. 2008/03-L039, http://kuvendikosoves.org/?cid=2,191,248 13 Chargé d’Affaires informally actsasamediator between theparties. 12 in 2008. According to this law,this 45 to According 2008. in - - Kosovo and south-eastern Albania, areas known as ‘rebel’ regions during Ottoman rule that made Otto- made that rule Ottoman during regions ‘rebel’ as known areas Albania, south-eastern and Kosovo 14 The Understanding room for thenew houses–75square metres, according to UNHCR make to order in remains,stonewall the removinggardens, their ‘cleanup’ of to made owners were houses The these projects. reconstruction in remains houses’ old the integrate would that policy no was there reconstruction war. effort, the the During during damaged been had that houses old the of mains re- the preserve post-war and international organisationsprotect the to emergencyphase, failed During Need for Housingversus Preserving theOld ples are doingeverything intheirpowers to something from theiridentity inthe wake ofglobalisation. heritagespiritual of that crisis hastened is by globalisation Meanwhile, dynamics. many nations peo- and global models that are easy to adopt and that gradually dominate the local culture. This represents a sort of ‘import’ efficient an enabled have cultures, other contacting of possibilities the as well as homeland, tothe connection and their staff, of migration numbers Kosovars’ great with organisations international of influx the and liberation Kosovo’s Kosovo. over ‘blowing’ is that wind globalisation the to lost being are rituals Kosovo other many weddings, with As world. the around weddings to wedding Kosovo a of features similar now the and standardisation the illustrate to order in here mentioned is wedding The their families. and newlyweds the for occasion memorable and special a it making groom’shouse the at placed took wedding traditional a restaurant whereas same very the at different weddings ten to invited be can son the bride and groom do a tour of the place before they are seated in a designated spot. These days a per elements, Balkan with music folkrestaurant. of the Tosounds of the hall main the in together sit guests The advance. in booked well be must entertainment also the before, whilst month a sent invitations are organisedrestaurants.big in Everythingsynchronised is toperfection. advance;Reservations in done are the ceremony of wedding tion that has completely lost traditional its elements. Nowadays, weddings are a standardisa see we example, For Kosovo, too. in appear to begun have globalisation of signs first The Globalisation –LosingtheSpiritualHeritage pass itonto future generations. to obligation an have they that and history centuries-long a of descendants are they feel to need They The UNRefugee Agency (TheOfficeoftheUnited Nations HighCommissioner for Refugees, found.1950) kulla is a product of the social context of 18 of context social the of product a is Kullas asaSymbol ofResistance th and 19 and th century Kosovo. They wer built in western in built wer They Kosovo. century 14 standards. - - Considering the Future 70 Considering the Future Considering the Future 71 Considering the Future ern state ofTurkey to ‘return’ Kosovo ‘Turks’ to Turkey iswell known mia roots. A brilliant example of this was the St Friday Church in Prizren, known by the locals as the Juma Xha- Cultural heritage was also a victim of these actions, which had to ‘return‘ Kosovo to its medieval Byzantine Kosovo. The signing of agreements between the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes Croats,and Serbs, of Kingdom the betweenagreements of signing Kosovo.The leave should that considered even Turks were they Indeed, the Turks. with cooperating of accused they whom population Muslim Albanian the towards action punitive by followed was This Serbs. the to land to beknown in 1923asTurkey. come would in what Empire, Ottoman to the of Albanians emigration a huge of wave in resulting 1918-20 during flee to Albanians It became officiallyknown astheKingdom of Yugoslavia in1928. later by Belgrade. 18 17 16 15 1913 Kosovoin in arrival their lauded Serbs The Cultural Heritage’s Fate after the Fall oftheOttoman Empire tion Army (KLA). in these regions, as well as the kullas of Zahir Pajaziti and Ahmet Delia, both soldiers in the Kosovo Libera - war memorials. An illustrative example is also the Gllogjan in replicated day this to are loopholes, and windows arched as such elements, distinctive its and house ‘we defend our ‘Albaniansaying The 1998-1999 war. Moreover,film. and the television scenes, a backdropfrequent as served and identified Albanians musicalwhich symbols for with the among place The Albanians. Kosovo for renaissance national and cultural a markedTito’s period Yugoslavia.within statusautonomousThis strengthenedKosovoits 1970s, the In ‘the elders’. or wise’ as ‘the known by men led space and organisation a tribal oda, the was ‘law’ this of institution were‘self-governed’ oral,by customary, unwritten law, main the Dukagjini while Lek Code, the as known law, regions of these rule of lack this of Because impossible. almost regions these over jurisdiction man When heritage protection institutions were established after World WarII,during communist rule, they this time,agreat numberofmosques were completely destroyed. During church. a restoredto Serbs it 1920s, the In rule. Ottoman during transformedmosque was a into Friday Mosque Kosovoof forcedarmythousands Serbian the 1918; in Slovenes Croats,and Serbs, of KingdomincorporatedKosovo wasthe into The Corfu Declaration of 1917 called for the establishment of a unified Yugoslav State, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. 1913 brought the close of the Balkan Wars during which Serbian colonisation began; the colonisation was intensified several years 18 . This Orthodox Church, called Leviska, was built on the foundation of an early-Christianfoundation an the Orthodox of churchChurch, and Leviska,on This called wasbuilt . kullas kulla and we will not abandon them’ means that we will not abandon our land. The stone ’, used very often during these times, symbolises the Albanians’ land. Similarly land. Albanians’ the symbolises times, these during ’,often very used kulla became a symbol for the Albanian resistance during the resistanceduring Albanian the forsymbol a became 15 as ‘liberation’ of Kosovo and the return of their sacred their of return the ‘liberation’ and Kosovo of as kulla kulla construction, as a memorial for the fallen was one of the symbols that found its found that symbols the of one was 17 . 16 and the mod the and - years of discrimination, Albanians became a part of the administration. This was a challenge that was that greatly undervalued by thoseresponsible.a challenge Learningfrom othercountries’ experiences, theinternational was This administration. the of part a became Albanians discrimination, of years war, the of administration. end internationalassistedcreating local in the ten After After the community community was the restoration ofsixtraditional housesindifferent partsof Kosovo. international the by supported first projects the of one though priorities, of list the on low washeritage cultural situation, extreme the Given reconstruction. traumas, war with dealing aid, humanitarian e.g. an international agreement and the intention was to help Kosovar society with the rehabilitation process, internationalthe arrivalof The post-war marks the community presence Its secured period. was through cultural heritage was anintentional target for destruction. that say can we this, all Considering fate. similar a suffered complex League Prizren the and Nivokaz, of ings. The most extreme was the Gjakova Bazaar that was completely burnt. Peja Bazaar, the historic village destroyed build of thousands report calculations destroyed. Some were sites historical Entire for buildings. especially heritage, cultural for event sad a was war 1998-1999 after. The and before periods over times medieval by prioritising to that testifies List Heritage Cultural The heritage. cultural for priorities state’sthe determine to authority full had experts Serb appointed newly The powers. decision-making the expulsion of all Albanian experts from cultural institutions or the stripping of their responsibilities and status. The suppression of the 1974 autonomy1974 the of suppression The with Slavic Orthodox religion and culture. fact, the Central Institute in Belgrade that controlled in all was, activities it related but responsibilities, to culturaldefining monumentsin identified complicated fairly was systemlegal The cultures. other the all dominate should OrthodoxChurch Serbian cultural elements the related and to national whereterritory asa saw Kosovo still authorities Serbian different fate. a suffered sector heritage culturalHowever, the granted by the1974Yugoslav Constitution. The Prishtina. of Kosovo’s build first would generations the who produced self-governancePrishtina University Universityof system, the of establishment the in resulting Kosovo, in education higher pioneer tions of Kosovo students started studying in prestigious Yugoslav universities. This generation would later genera - first the period, this During Albanians. Kosovo for renaissance national a marked Seventies The tecture buildingblocks. Themotto was: buildthenew –destroy theold. started. Old Prishtina was almost completely destroyed, making way for period the socialist realist Ottoman style of archi the from dating sites historical destroy to a campaign time this during because partial Itwas approach. and partial adiscriminating with albeit heritage, Kosovo’s for protection in institutional steps first the marked time of period this Nevertheless, institutions. Serb the of branches as served 19 In 1989 Slobodan Milošević and the Serbian parliament usurped the 1974 Yugoslav1974 the and revokedusurped Constitution parliament Serbian Kosovo’sthe and Milošević Slobodan autonomy1989 In 19 in 1990-1991 led to the homogenisation of the institutions and institutions the homogenisation of the to led 1990-1991 in - - Considering the Future 72 Considering the Future Considering the Future 73 Considering the Future 20 TeutafollowingdefeatQueen rule, the Illyrian the of and portrays many aspects of the life of the tribe of Dardania and this Illyrian tribe’s period under Roman times Roman from dates Ulpiana and years, 6,000 some back dates Throne the on Goddess the ample, ex For times. ancient early and Neolithic of traces shows Evidence Kosovo’sancient. is heritagecultural Conclusion their fear ofthe‘Kosovarisation’ tendencies towards themedieval Orthodox heritage. to get the approval from the minority communities, especially the Serbian community, who often declare order in done been has seems, it different This, to groups. ethnic belongs it time, same one’s,the at but every is Kosovo’s heritage Heritage, Cultural on Law the to According affairs. heritage cultural towards After Kosovo’s declaration ofindependencethere isanopportunity toembarkupona new path result, specialtreatment was requested andgranted intheFifthAnnex oftheAhtisaari Package. a As Kosovo’soverenvironmentmonuments. friendly forSerbian providea not status:Kosovothatdoes ments in Kosovo. And, perhaps, this was the argument used by the Serbian delegation during negotiations subsequentmomentthatinfluenced develop deciding thodoxwerewasa religiousbuildings burnt.This controlled riots when three children died in Mitrovica; nineteen people were killed and many Serbian Or un demonstrations became Confrontation and traumatic. was unrest 2004 March the before,noted As employees working incultural heritage institutions, the results remainpoor. staff and corruption. Not even the heritage sector is immune to these phenomena. Despite more than 70 unqualified suffers from administration local the that said is it reports, credible per to According formance. poor and motivation of lack in results management poor and pay Low situation. unfavourable an institutions focused on local capacity-building activities. However, tothis day, twelve years after, we have not yet been able to find a reference point or a common value that would make both proud of their pasts. have Serbs century, twentieth and the Albanians of dramatic history the of Becauseheritage. Serbian of that Kosovo pre-dates the Middle Ages and thereby disproves the Serbian claim that Kosovo is the cradle er historical periods, especially antiquity for, as they assert, studying this period strengthens the argument consider themselves as descendants of ancient Illyrians. Therefore, Albanian experts tend to focus on oth part of the state of Raška and at the same time ’the cradle of Serb culture‘. Albanians, on the other hand, During the twentieth century, Serbs present medieval times as very important in proving that Kosovo was value. common a than ratherelement divisive a as heritage consider Serbs and Albanians Nevertheless, brings thefirst traces oftheOttoman period,which continues untilthe twentieth century. century fifteenth The Brdo. Novo as such ruins, fortress as well as churches and monasteries Orthodox Queen Teuta ruled during230-228B.C.E. 20 . Medieval have . times lefttheir intraces Kosovo in ------Considering the Future 74 Considering the Future Memorials and Dealing withthePast Valon Gërmizaj Considering the Future 77 Considering the Future MEMORIALS ANDDEALINGWITHTHEPAST common memorialcemeteries are located. these which by road main the pass frequently who members, family the from tears and sufferings ness, sad- rekindle them of all as cemeteries, memorial common with necessarily not different ways, in done be martyrs commemorationcan fartheraway. of the appear thatmakes him said and cemetery also She memorial common the at grandfathervanishes her to closeness of feeling The place. burial family a ing also said that the feeling She is not the same buried. when visiting a commondeceased memorial cemetery astheir opposed to visit want they where decide to right the have should members family martyrs’ because not even her grandfather would want that, according to her. During the discussion, she says that buried in the village cemetery (close to other family members) and not the common memorial cemetery, A 32-year old woman, who lost her grandfather during the war, says it is important that her grandfather is – thewife, mother, father andsoon. members family other near cemeteries, family the in rest to laid victims war the having not in pain their expressed often have members familyprocedure, typical a like seems this Although village. the in etery cem memorial common the in buried and family the by more once taken is victim the of war,body the of the end At the conditions. undignified in victim the villagers bury surviving familymembersor village, police or paramilitary forces during the war in Kosovo. After the perpetrators withdraw from that town or military,Yugoslav the by killed and family her or his from taken person a have initially, instance,we For during thewar. killed member family a of reburial the from anguish repeated the is cemeteries memorial common the discussing while most encounteredthe is that phenomenon The cemeteries. memorial common the ing Conversations with the surviving wider-family members of the massacred reveal new meanings surround the common memorial cemeteries markingtheirsacrifice. and monuments, plaques create who the statues, people commemoration the mannersof relating by to issues specific the on concentrates it war. Instead, the during themselves sacrificed who people the of the fightersof who were any in not piecedoes This killed. way try to thelives,explain beliefs actions and Therefore, of war,victims researchthis civilian of focusesmemorials on monuments memorial as as well past and the honouring of victims and martyrs through memorials represents a sensitive act for a society. differentby asharedevents have inhumane that The of the explanation been remindersexperienced. of Dealing with the past or the spiritual ruins of a society that has survived a war continues to be shadowed Valon Gërmizaj - - - of New York’s Memorial MuseumSite. sion by the selection committee and New Yorkers. Thus, it was awarded the right to plan the development was Studio genuinelyLibeskind linked pasttragedythe the with and wasit preferred9/11 the of submis from proposal the Since Zero.Ground for proposal own its with compete toasked was Studio Libeskind the time, same the at proposals; their competitors askedresubmit were to the demand, popular to Due kind: 31) hopeful.’is (Libes that something need vulnerability,we into And insight tragedy,loss. spiritual our and Libeskind raised the issue of remembrance. He then added that it was when necessary, and public, ‘a made dramatic,were Zero Ground unexpected, rebuild to plans first the when 2002 August was It concepts. evaluator,GroundZero’sthe of purpose an the developmentpresentdayabout that those of minds the in as doubts put who, Libeskind, Daniel architect, Museum Jewish Berlin the of words the were These same asitwas before? ... Oneneedsamore profound indication ofmemory.’ (Libeskind2005:30,31) the be Thatwill everythinghappened? whathas toof erase it memory goalhere?Is the the ... be should and relevant authorities, one of the evaluation committee members raised the following questions, ‘What of residents full ahall afterwards; happened before participants organiserscompetition and the to blow Hadid, Richard Meier, Rem Koolhaas, New Yorkers did not like the suggestions for Ground Zero.Towers’ destruction the This tough Twin after Zero from September 11 terrorist attacks. New Despite Ground the participation of renowned York’s world architects such as Zaha to rebuild competition the with case the necessary. is was That needed was that sacrifice the and past the on renewal.Focusing and membrance re- both incorporates that a vision represents perhaps memorials of presence the societies, different In the samefeeling asthey dowhenvisitingtheirloved ones at the family gravesites. experience not do members branding. Family or consumption mass of products into them turning bers, between them – a gap not experienced by others. In a way, the memorial cemetery alienates family mem In terms ofthedegree betweenof closeness the family membersthe memorials,there and is aclear gap the victims. would have otherwise more powerfully reflected the values, memories, and aspirations of the families of itedforopen not and review.public Theyprovide not did any forspace more expressionmeaningful that lim very were they place did take they and when rare were Competitions victims. the commemorating appropriatewayof most the choose to right the of deprived been havemembersfamily the result, a As The design and construction process of memorials in Kosovo has not endured the competition procedure. out any helpfrom thecentral orlocal government ofthetime. with themselves, villagers of the initiative voluntary a was cemetery memorial common the of creation day of the year 1999. While the tragedy in his village was caused by general events all around Kosovo, the fatefulthe on area that in killed martyrs the for cemetery memorial common a build to decided munity A man, 67 years old, who lost 13 members of his extended family, tells that after the war the village com------ Considering the Future 78 Considering the Future Considering the Future 79 Considering the Future resent victory or defeat, the end of a war or of injustice, or glorification or honouring of the sacrifice of sacrifice of the or honouring glorification or injustice, of or war a of end defeat,the or victory resent always They varioussocieties. in memorials of rep- reviewtoimpact the done been has lot past,a the In where thepast isnotrewound (reconstructed), butinstead marked (partiallysupplemented). towards post-war architecture has been taken, for Woods has offered a new way of dealing with the past approacha new first time the Forwounds. war the carryhave toSarajevo, not of do themselves,people Covering war-wounded buildings accentuates the remembrance of war, so that in a way, for example, the ings tell about,restoring themto thestate they were before thewar. ing’s nature? In different parts of the world, post-war societies continuously deny the past that the build build the in not is what implement to try continuously people do why state,then previous its to return But if stone in the caseor the building, of Sarajevo, doesn’t have a natural self-healing power and cannot him to repair thewounds ofbodyorsoul,created by inhumaneactionsduring war. enabling power self-healing a has hand, other the on person, a whereas state, initial its to return never ity or inability of these two elements to return to their previous state. When a stone cracks or breaks it can However, there is a local perception that the, ‘human being is stronger than stone’ and it refers to the abil where war wounds are still fresh, dealingwiththepast ismuchharder thandealingwiththefuture. 19) Buildings can withstand war wounds because they don’t have feelings. On the other hand, in a society ent to the ones used to originally construct the building. Woods calls these wounds, scars or cuts. (Woods: struction and restoration damages, of Woods proposes covering with them construction materials differ war-damagedthe wayscompletematerialInsteadin about damagesof reconthe buildings. patchto up talks he pro-posals his In approach. distinct his through occurrences past of embracing for calls Woods tion of tourists.’ (Woods 1993:10) the form of replacing what has been damaged or destroyed, it ends as parody, worthy only of the admira- in occurred has fabric war-devastated urban restoration of the ‘Wherever that, states He state. original their to back buildings war-damaged the bringing and rebuilding from away moving suggests Sarajevo, post-war for pro-posals of preparation and research his during Woods, Lebbeus architect American The will rather but past, rejoice inthefuturethe withthislocation –instead of reflecting thehorrorto – representingreturn lifeandpeace. not will society that message a sending life, of sources and signs by formsareathe into wherespot a past the always is present. However, Groundthe Zero area embracedis The trauma that New Yorkers went through resurfaces every 9/11 anniversary. Libeskind’s proposal trans- memories ofthousandsdeaths duringthat fateful September, represents a sourcebitter oflife. the rekindling of instead that, area green Twin a original and trees the by surroundedof waterfallscreate footprintTowers to the uses proposal the contrary, the Towers.On Twin the to similar ings build rebuildto not was aim However,the past, the on based proposalwas Studio Libeskind the though ------1 Kumrovec in happened This removal. its memorial: a of struction con accompanies eventually that phenomenon the account takeinto we if valid especially is claim This in order to beable to live withnew circumstances. now, change, the embracing for and past be past the letting forcall they when of speak Olin and Nelson mind that a fighter fights to bring about change, then we understand the purpose of a memorial and what nate a certain way of life during a certain period, in order to start a new sequence of events. If we bear in termi to order in done is oneself of sacrifice The past? the from stripped future, new a for opportunity Whya person does sacrifice oneself, not if for overcoming situation, social aserious in order to create an sacrifice we are commemorating? the behind inspiration the was what simply: Said themselves. sacrifice to people of number a a or person pushes that reasoning the account into to take essential also is it martyrdom, upon reflecting When The MemorialandtheMartyr it may relate to allofthevictims,both combatant andcivilian. abovementionedThe approaches represent perspectivesvaluable towards amemorial’s defining as role, repaying ormakingthepast, apast. representing, determining, commemorating, of purpose the serving as memorials see Olin and Nelson to make thepast, past.’ (Nelson&Olin2003:2) past to the present and future, to emphasize one narrative of the past at the expense of others, or simply the purpose monuments tend to satisfy: ‘… the desire to commemorate, to mark a place, to represent the of definition a giveMargaret Olin and Nelson S. writersRobert Unmade, Memory,and and Made ments the lack of understanding of the desired reality it aims to represent. In the introduction to the book Monu clear,be tomayunclear, inconsistentsociety.due impact toor The conveymessagesdiverse Memorials sacrifice –whereas itshouldbethememorialitselfthat recalls andpays tribute to thesacrifice. life. Often it is only the speeches at an annual commemoration at a memorial site that recalls the victim’s supposed to give to society, inorder to make way for new socialbeliefs –whether benignordestructive. were they inspiration the and represent they what in people’s belief diminishing at aims destruction or Although statues are very authoritative and can commemorate a certain person or a group, their removal more recently, inGori, Georgia, aStalin statue was removed in2010,on28June. statue was destroyed; then in Baghdad on 9 April 2003, Saddam Hussein’s statue was brought down; and Kumrovec, Croatia is thebirthplaceofJosipBroz Tito, president of Yugoslavia (1953-1980). 1 , where, on 27 December 1994, Tito’s1994, December 27 on where, , - - - Considering the Future 80 Considering the Future Considering the Future 81 Considering the Future statue inPrishtina. PajazitiZahir the and Gjilan statuein Ramadani Agim the with case the is as designs, memorials’ in seen This inattentiveness in including the subject’s special features and change. the lack of allusion social to future signal changes is not do they and onlookers to martyrs the of qualities other anyconvey not do als Apart from representing their physical appearance such as height, width, blood veins, etc. these memori- memorial appears too sterile, soulless, and lacking the qualities to mark a martyr’s sacrifice, life and work. books, songs and films. While books, songs or documentaries inspire certain emotions in society, the solid cemeteries, after the war in Kosovo, many martyrs were commemorated in other ways, including through It is worth mentioning that apart from commemoration through statues and monu-mental memorials and pre-eminence inthesociety. their mark and belonging their express to order in groups certain of needs political immediate the isfy feelingstowardMoreover,future. the sat they lookedwereterms, simpler theynot after In as required. to inspire or convey the personal qualities of the people they were dedicated to, and to stimulate certain that failed memorials many produced war the after like. Euphoria the commemoration and ceremonies, fully. There is serious lack of attentiveness in the process of memorials’ design, family inclusion, organising On-going research in post-war Kosovo recounts the exact same thing, though perhaps thus far unsuccess political goals ofcertain parties foracceptance bythepublicinacertain period. the serving beliefs, social of tool a represent largely way,memorials society.This that of future the ing bring the past closer to us, also are there to alert or inspire society on the changes associated with build Ultimately, double-faceted to serving their of existence (construction/destruction), in instead memorials and thefuture they envisaged for Europe andtheentire world. Liebknecht,and commemorativeits nature subject and obstacle an was Nazi the to thatregime followed Therefore, knowing that this memorial was impartial in its design, but based on the beliefs of Luxemburg used bricks that were reminiscent of the wall in front of which the couple was executed. (Sudjic 2005: 25) memorial consisting a of many created boxes, Mies which symbolised Liebknecht, the coffins and of the dead. Luxemburg The boxes of were madeattributes from physical the represent to choosing of Instead pled by theNazisin1933.(Werner 2000:20) in 1926 by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, was not based on their physical attributes, it was still top 2 Eventhe thoughmemorialdedicated to Rosa Luxemburg Rosa Luxemberg andKarl Liebknecht were co-founders oftheSpartacist League andtheGermanCommunity Party. 2 andfellow revolutionary, Karl Liebknecht, built - - - - to end that reality, asasignthat thenthememorial shouldserve announcesasocialchange. humiliation and restrictions life its in a and courageous group takes decides fightin and to arms up order hatred,experienced has society a circumstances.If new embrace and behind past the leaveto is morial me war, society, a the in in of changes way fighter open dies the role to order a to Knowing then that in to adegrading way oflife, inorder to openadoortowards anew life. response a submissive defeat to decides fighter The past? humiliating and in-humane an of experiences sacrifice himself or herself if not for creating conditions for a better future free from being haunted bythe to willing a fighter is why But past. the in made sacrifices the about generations futuretory,inform and a vic- or loss marks that a place void, create the mark to need different the In serve memorials societies, Kosovo society after the war, which was what themartyrs Pajaziti andRamadani gave theirlives for. in change announce renew, or convey not do and Tito’s monument for used style the resemble Pajaziti Zahir and Ramadani Agim to dedicated memorials the Yugoslavia, of days the from inherited was style nurtured during Tito’s generation in Yugoslavia’s state building and governance. Because memorial design However, in reality, Ramadani and Pajaziti sacrificed themselves for freedom from injustices and mistakes ofthese personalities. qualities human and common suggest similarities materialspositions the tion and gest that Ramadani, Tito and Pajaziti were co-fighters with a common enemy. The design approach, erec sug- designs their memorials, these in featured personalities three the of sacrifices and goals work, the context, historical and information background sufficient have not does who onlooker ordinary the For Fig.1AgimRamadaniFig.2JosipBr oz Tito Fig.3Zahir Pajaziti - - Considering the Future 82 Considering the Future Considering the Future 83 Considering the Future Woods, Lebbeus, Werner, Blaser, Sudjic, Deyan, TheEdifice Complex: How theRichand Powerful Shapethe World, (London:Penguin Press, 2005) Nelson, Robert S.&Margaret Olin,Eds, Monuments (Chicago andMemory andLondon:TheUniversity ofChicago Press, 2003) Libeskind, Daniel, References allow suchsacrifice to occuragain anddemandapeaceful world. not will they that hope in to, look generationswe future that the However,to lost is it importantlymost ily, andto allofus. hopes and fears – the full humanity of the martyr’s spirit that was lost – is somehow lost again to the the student, fam- a or friend father, child, a spouse, of portrait the but life, a in moment particular a capture Kalashnikovmay a with soar.statue to The it free or granite, as solid as memory make can Monuments will collectively aspire to make impossible theneed for suchindividualsacrifices tooccur again. is crucial to the reconciliation process so that future generations will be informed – indeed terrified –and the truth regarding the horrific events that had happened, so that the agonising violence is exposed. This provokewould forgivingreconcilingthe contributemakespicturecanthatprocess. and They a to known that experiences horrific remembering and understanding generations future and present to contribute capture the circumstances and the crucial moment of sacrifice? Monuments and memorials, at their best, ments, have been ignored. What is the point of remembering one’s sacrifice with a monument if it fails monu to of the erection the behind reasons actual the sacrifice, their of experiences horrific The Kosovo. post-war in occur not However, did monuments. this in reflected be somehow can ended abruptly lives of promise the hold, we pride the experience, we grief The manifestations. commemorative bronze or marble granite, these in conveyed is perpetrated violence of level the nor victims the of humanity full the Neither Kosovo. post-war in created memorials the in reflected barely is regime Milošević ruthless by the imposed conditions living unbearable the and discrimination end to made martyrs sacrifices The Conclusions Mies vanderRohe (Berlin:Birkhauser, 1997) War andArchitecture, Breaking Ground,(London:Penguin Books, 2005) (New York: Princeton, 1993) - capable ofprojectingitsfuture.’ be will society,which – visionary a – open an with and prejudices, society,without healthy a educate to instrument an view, as history let’s use Then, this event. same the about on different views the acknowledge mustBased we truth. the know to be should aim the that assume we past the with dealing Whilst that even ifthe“taboo” topics arediscussed, thediscussionisconstructive. so emotions without and arguments on based be should past] the with dealing [about ‘... discussion The History Teaching andDealingwiththePast (30April2011) both thesefeatures difficult –althoughitisvery toincludethembothinthesamemonument.‘ inspiration. encourage to also but reminder I believe that architects and artists who a make a monument should ensure that the monument always has be to properties: two these have must monument ‘The execution ofsomeone.’ the during used violence of act an commemorates only not and nation, a as proud feel you makes that ‘... A monument [should be] more inspiring; [it should be] a monument that motivates for a brighter future, Memorials andDealingwiththePast (28April2011) supplemental material for reflection as you read the articles. conversation and discourse. Below are some initial comments collected during these public discussions as further to indispensible as see we that suggestions and comments eliciting are we book, this the of reading and debates these Through Kosovo. in circles, other and professional, of range expanding ever an involving past the about debate deeper and broader encourage to seeks end,forumZFD this To fields. findings, dilemmas and challenges in their thinking about dealing with the past with colleagues from their their shareauthorscould environment which providean toin was discussions public the of purpose The constraints. time to due organise to possible not were discussions public two whereas organised, were planned a public public discussion for each article in this book. During April and May of 2011, five debates component,Thinkers ForumPast’, the the within with ‘Dealing project, the of part As Launching theDebates Considering theFuture: Perspectives onDealingwiththePast – Collective comments fromthepanelofdiscussants Shpresa Bajqinovci ZFD initially forumZFD Bekim Blakaj Considering the Future 84 Considering the Future Considering the Future 85 Considering the Future be kept atadistance.’ might have been. When dealing with the past through literature, romantic clichés and glorification should cism. Kosovo literature treats the past more in an epic spirit and makes it somehow more abstract than it Romanti- of spirit the in treated largely is past this but past, the about lot a speaksKosovo in ‘Literature Literature andDealingwiththePast (16May 2011) customs.’ rituals, costumes, national of diversity the heroes, of songs epic e.g. heritage, preserved and rich a have we nation a as that think I because importance more given be should heritage (non-material) ‘Spiritual Cultural Heritage andDealingwiththePast (10May 2011) they are“ours”.’ audience – and not bend over backwards at any cost for “native” plays merely due tocultivated the topic orand because select a with resonate will that and appreciated, are that those – work best the stage to care take should Theatre National The values... greatestworld’s the enjoy to opportunity the audiences behalf of false patriotism we enclose ourselves in a local shell and please ourselves without giving theatre on that be not should it as literature, world of pillars other anyShakespeare, or Ibsenof plays the before precedence takeenvironment our from texts average or poor that example, forsay, to right not is ‘...It Theatre andDealingwiththePast (5May 2011) GaniMehmetaj Ardian Haxhaj Naim Uka Contact: [email protected] in the field of contemporary history and the teaching of history with dealing with the past one of his foci. primarily are interests his and Europe History of of Teachers Association the EUROCLIO, of member a is in tion Kosovo. Salihu Mr 2008 co-founded In Association the Historyof Teachers of Kosovo He (SHMHK). pre-universityeducafortextbooks- severalhistory of co-author a also is He projects. regional various of tor for Curriculum Development. He has written various papers focusing on history and education as part Kosovo’sworkingin been has he 2000 Ministryfor Education, and Science Sec- (MEST) the Technology in history,teacherof a careerbeganas his he 1997 Tirana.since In in and Studies CentreAlbanology the of losophy (Department of History). Currently he is a doctoral student in the field of contemporary history at Born in 1972, Mr Salihu received his BA and MA in history from the University of Prishtina’s Faculty of Phi- Arbër Salihu Contributors a group of American university institutions. He is co-founder of the Mind & Body Self-Awareness& Body Raising Mind the co-founder of is He universityinstitutions. American of group a laborative’ that was developed by the University of Prishtina, the American Family Therapy Academy, and co-directorStressis He Studies. internationalan of project, ‘Kosovar ProfessionalFamily Educational Col for Traumatic Society International the and Association, Psychiatric European Academy,the Therapy ily American Fam - the of member a is He OrganisationWorld (WHO). Health the with health mental on ant DirectorDepartmentforthe of Strategic Kosovoof consultHealth a Managementof Ministryand at the Mental HealthReformKosovo in of theNationalChair and Mental Dr. HealthCouncil. Agani isthe former for Plan Strategic the of author an is He Prishtina. of University the Neuropsychiatry,at of both fessor Kosovo’sin Health Ministerof is Psychodynamics,He Assistantlecturerin an governmentProa and and - Ferid Agani, MD, MA, is a doctoral candidate in neuropsychiatry. He was born in 1959 in Prishtina, Kosovo. Ferid Agani Contact: [email protected] poetry isto bepublishedsooninKosovo. ‘ compilation, the in and Prishtina, in published magazine MM including magazines, inliterary several published been have creations artistic other and poems His of University the at Literature and Prishtina. SinceLanguage 1999, he has been involved inEnglish various social reconstruction initiativesstudied in post-war He Kosovo. 1975. July in born was Hoxha Ballsor Ballsor Hoxha From Prishtina with Love with Prishtina From ’. of first collection His - - Considering the Future 86 Considering the Future Considering the Future 87 Considering the Future der Liebe ( der play,theatre His books, Begolli. Faruk several late actor,Kosovothe of renowned the author on work the a including is He magazines. and journals international and local in published been have that on theatre essays and articles of dozens authored has He festivals. film several of repertoire play for Mr.Kosovo. of Theatre screenNational - Neziraj the wrote the in 2007 in premiered it and plays,theatre play,His companies. theatre European prominent cooperated with has he addition, In languages. other among Croatian, and Slovenian, Macedonian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Rumanian, Spanish, German, French, English, in published been have plays theatre His States. United the in and countries, European other Kosovo, in performed 15 theatre that were plays than written more He has of Theatre Kosovo. National the Director of Artistic former the is He Kosovo.fromscreenwriter and prose dramaturge,and a is 1977, in born Neziraj,Jeton Jeton Neziraj Contact: [email protected] also aco-founder. the nongovernmental professional and association, Institute for MentalD.C.) Health (Washington, Recovery of Kosovo of which he is Medicine Mind-Body for Center the with cooperation in Kosovo in Project Contact: [email protected] tre company, Qendra Multimedia, focusing ondramaturgy and contemporary theatre. Theater – Aktuelle Stücke 21, by Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag. Mr. Neziraj is founder and leader of the thea- rebellion. The singing is in the Gheg dialect of the Albanian language to rhythms and sounds representasounds rhythmstolanguageand Albanian the - of dialect Gheg the in is singing rebellion.The Jericho’soutrage1997. with Jericho,and since rich arecharacterised band, lyrics vocalistsongs the by in beyond, Petrit Çarkaxhiu and is best Kosovo known as in an author, audience wider a moderator the at Prishtina. Radio To Blue Sky,in and NIPON especially as company,lead Studio the with works and 2008 in Petrit Çarkaxhiu was born in Prishtina, in 1977. He graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in Prishtina Petrit Çarkaxhiu Families Speak volume, the for team editorial an of member and advisor historyoral an Kosovo where she has been working in the education, culture, and youth sectors. Most recently, she was in living been has she 1997 epistemologist.Since an culturalhistorianand and social a KarmitZysmanis Karmit Zysman Border Donkeys , a feature-length film that premiered in October 2010 and is currently part of the WarLove of Times in , publishedin2006. Sleeping Lisa Sleeping ) was published last year in a German anthology of theatreanthologyof German plays,lasta yearwas published in ) won first prize in the Buzuku Publishing House’s national contest for contest national House’s Publishing Buzuku the in prize first won Hear What We Are Saying: the Saying: WeAre What Hear Krieg in Zeiten in Krieg Theater Contact: [email protected] in Prishtina. bljana, Istanbul, and Tirana; in 2002 it won first place in a Rhythm and Pop Concert, organised by the BBC Lju London, in concerts held has Jericho release. imminent for scheduled is album second Their videos. music five and singles eight album, studio ‘gheg-rock’. a produced as, now, has music Until Jericho their describe members band energetic The folkloric-inspired its rock. with particularly ratherunique is music Jericho’s Machine, the Rage of Against Kosovo’stive with compared sometimes While traditional music. Contact: [email protected] spatial development in Kosovo withseveral foundations. on consultant a is He Planning. programmeSpatial ArchitectureforArts and University’s renof Bachelor Statethe and University Tetovoof coordinatorthe is and (Macedonia), forKosovo’s with curriculum Priz- (Prishtina) University AAB of Arts Applied of Faculty the at teaches Gërmizaj Kosovo,Mr In years.seven for field that in worked he where London in Architecture in studies his Kosovo’.completed for He tions non-governmentalorganisation, Solu a + Spatial of director the ‘Alternative Urbanism Valonis Gërmizaj Valon Gërmizaj Contact: [email protected] European Heritage Network, anon-governmental organisation. Southeast the to and (2009), Denmark Welfarein Social of Ministry the at Vancouver(2006), in Forum regional networks devoted to cultural heritage. He presented his work and experience at the Urban World promoting cultural heritage in Kosovo and the Balkan region. Mr. Shoshi has participated in initiatives and organisation, Cultural Heritage without Borders (CHwB). Since 2001 CHwB has focused on conserving and tecting cultural heritage in Kosovo. He is the director of the Kosovo office and programme of the Swedish architectan active participantan inShoshi, and Sali Kosovo society, civil dedicated is of the cause to pro- Sali Shoshi - - Considering the Future 88 Considering the Future Considering the Future 89 Considering the Future forumZFD lenged thethinkingofpeopleinvolved. chal continuously has that experience enormous and mind sharp her is It whole. a as project DwP the anthology,of this but of only not Godmother’ Prof.‘the Zysman,to Karmit lot a owesKosovo forum ZFD mendation. It istheir attentiveness anddedication thathasenabled thisbook to reach you. Finally,management overallthe of process particular Ferizideserves bySharri com- Abdullah Nehari and ing inAlbanian,theoriginallanguage oftheauthors. Rand Engel helped ensure that the English translation resonates with the vitality conveyed to those read- and co-editing allarticles, together with Karmit Zysman. Ballsor Hoxha had a double role, contributing to the anthology with his reflections on DwP and Literature, this bookwithherartistic impression ofthe topics. websiteKosovo(www.dwp-kosovo.info)DwP the organising e-debatesin enriched Felber Viola Jane and and to ensure that the process maintained its appropriate rhythm. Daniel Bernhardt has been working on togethergroup the bring toassistance his investedin he energy enormous and diligence thankedfor be whom with people many forumZFD spoke the during the early stages to of the project. A due former is also gratitude Special respect. utmost and the recognition deserve highest anthology this to contributors the First, contribution. people and many commitment are their there for and thank ambitious to been have project and book this of intent and goals initial The Acknowledgements forumZFD colleague, Martin Quack, is to - Forum Ziviler Friedensdienst e. V. The Forum Civil Peace Service (forumZFD) was founded in 1996 to create an effective alternative to violence in socie- ties and between states. Its aim is to work at the civil society level to enable societies to co-exist peacefully in a globalised world, using active, non-violent approaches to conflict reso- lution based on dialogue, arbitration and reconciliation. In line with the ‘peace needs experts’ principle, our Academy for Conflict Transformation trains people to become qualified peace consultants who we and other peace building and de- velopment organisations place on long-term assignments in conflict areas around the world. We are currently engaged in projects in the Middle East, the Western Balkans, the Philippines and in Germany. We also advise various development cooperation projects on conflict- sensitive approaches. Our work forms part of a global effort to create realistic alternatives to military conflict resolution. forumZFD is one of the co-founders of the European Network for Civil Peace Services (EN.CPS) and is a member of the glob- al organisation Nonviolent Peaceforce. In Germany we organise exhibitions, peace runs, lectures and film screenings to promote professional non-violent con- flict resolution. In early 2007 the Forum Civil Peace Service was recognised by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and De- velopment as a development service organisation under Sec- tion 2 of the German Development Workers Act.