Challenges and Accomplishments in the Western Balkans Impressum Published by Authors Civil Rights Defenders Marijana Camovic Albi Çela For publisher Roni Idrizaj Goran Miletic Vladica Ilic Director for Europe Jovana Jovanovska Kanurkova Diana Malaj Proofreading Antonio Mihajlov Anita Jurisic Blert Morina Svetlana Spasovska Dea Nini Alex Tessin Persic Andrej Nosov Kristina Ozimec Design Lidija Pisker Marko Kovachevski Mila Radulovic Natalija Milenkovic Leila Seper Marigona Shabiu Printed by Vanja Stokic Zeppelin Pro Jelena Vasic CONTENTS HUMAN RIGHTS STRUGGLESHUMAN DURING RIGHTS COVID-19 DURING PANDEMIC COVID-19 PANDEMIC Dea Nini Dea Nini Spring-Winter..........................................................................................................................................................8 2020: Sharing Experience & Finding Resilience Through Activism Leila Seper Leila Seper The.........................................................................................................................................................11 Struggle Continues: Ngos And The Covid-19 Pandemic Lidija Pisker Lidija Pisker Zenica’s.........................................................................................................................................................14 Nas Most Association’s Online Programs Keep Seniors Together Amid Covid-19 Marigona Shabiu Marigona Shabiu Human.........................................................................................................................................................18 Rights Activism In Kosovo In Times Of Covid-19 Mila Radulovic Mila Radulovic The........................................................................................................................................................21 Covid-19 Pandemic Has Hampered Access To Information Vladica Ilic Vladica Ilic Batons........................................................................................................................................................24 And Monologues In Serbia During Covid-19 COMBATING DISCRIMINATIONCOMBATING DISCRIMINATIONACHIEVING EQUALITY ACHIEVING EQUALITY Antonio Mihajlov Antonio Mihajlov Despair,........................................................................................................................................................28 Loss And Failure: The Untold Stories Of Lgbti+ Roma In North Macedonia Blert Morina Blert Morina Lgbti+........................................................................................................................................................30 Movement In Kosovo And Its Progress Throughout The Years Jovana Jovanovska Kanurkova Jovana Jovanovska Kanurkova How........................................................................................................................................................33 Do I Still Believe In Changes Kristina Ozimec Kristina Ozimec Position........................................................................................................................................................36 Of Women Journalists And Possibilities For Moving Forward THE UNMUTED VOICES THE UNMUTED VOICES Albi Çela Albi Çela Defending........................................................................................................................................................40 Human Rights In Albania From Across The Atlantic Diana Malaj Diana Malaj “To........................................................................................................................................................44 Us You Are The Invaders” - The Struggle To Protect The Zall-Gjoçaj National Park In Albania Jelena Vasic Jelena Vasic Investigative........................................................................................................................................................48 Journalism - The Right To Know All Your Rights Andrej Nosov Andrej Nosov Art........................................................................................................................................................50 As A Way Of Facing The Past Marijana Camovic Marijana Camovic How........................................................................................................................................................53 To Achieve Freedom Of Expression In Montenegro - From The Point Of View Of Journalists Roni Idrizaj Roni Idrizaj Resistance........................................................................................................................................................56 Stories From Kosovo - The Roads To Change And Inclusiveness Vanja Stokic Vanja Stokic Freedom........................................................................................................................................................60 Of Peaceful Assembly In Bih - A Case Study From Banja Luka SPRING-WINTER 2020: SHARING EXPERIENCE & partly because of the fear of when I would be ple for food, shelter, and medications. Some able to see my girlfriend again, and partly be- of them, driven by unbearable need, took into FINDING RESILIENCE THROUGH ACTIVISM cause of the anxiety it gives to me going back account the risk of infection and violation of on the same old life with my “not so support- the measures in place, and continued to prac- by Dea Nini ing parents”. It would be many times this year tice sex work. It was terrifying to see peoples’ that I would appreciate the comfort of my despair in the face, knowing that they would into practice the long-awaited launching of situation, having the opportunity to decide have to compromise their health and families strategic litigation for the legal recognition where I wanted to spend the quarantine, and to keep an unsafe job just because it was the 31st of December | 2020 of same-sex civil unions, the change of gen- having the resources to afford it. While many only source of income they had. der marker for trans persons, and parenting other LGBTI youths shared my motives for I went back to my hometown to spend some issues concerning the LGBTIs +. Many of the not wanting to move back with their parents, At first, I did not continue to work as a sex time with my parents. Like many other fam- previously implemented projects that had most of them did not share my opportunity. worker because I was very scared, but then ilies, they have seen very little of me for the already been launched, were well underway. “I did not have the money to pay the rent, past year. New Year at mine looks usually Much was needed to be done, and the motiva- When I returned home it was a complicated so I went back to work and since that day I like simple events of a family gathering and tion towards creating just and better realities situation. I was afraid that my parents would continue to work. I need the money and don`t “ home cooking, but this year, it was just the was felt in the aspirations of every one of “find out if I talked on the phone with my have the luxury of thinking about the fact that three of us, tired, homely and anxious for us. As a group, we were freshly energized to friends. I reduced communication with them I could be infected or punished for violating some change of beat as the TV broadcasted overcome the barriers of communication with when I needed it most. the measures. every minute news of death and statistics of those who couldn`t help but vocalize every confirmed infection cases. Amidst my elderly time that the LGBTI + community cannot be a My colleagues from the Alliance were grandparents’ recovery from a bad case of priority of the Albanian state. I was afraid of my father. He does not accept working hard, being the only sources of COVID-19, which took a huge emotional and gay people. I do not want to lose my family. support for many members of the LGBTI+ physical toll on everyone, it hardly felt like a As January and February went by, I was community. From March to September, the time to celebrate. arranging ways to collect data and report on Alliance and Streha supported with 624 food the real struggles of the community, planning I lost my job and the only help I had, came packages“ around 117 LGBTIs and refunded 52 Seems quite a contrast with my recol- meetings with partner organizations, diplo- from my parents. Many members of the rents. 48 members of the LGBTI community lection of the same day last year. As 2020 was matic and international missions in Tirana, community I know have lost their jobs and were supported with medicines and health entering through the door, my expectations representatives, and experts of the Albanian returned to their hometowns. care services and 765 people were tested and were high and mighty. I had just received one Government, but also detailing the flight and advised on sexually transmitted diseases. of the best and most motivating news of my advocacy work to be done in New York. Since the Alliance was conducting contin- years as an activist, entrusted to conduct uous research, it was quite shocking to find At the time, I was working from home mentored research on the implementation of It was then when a massive mediatic out that 1 out of 4 LGBTI+ youth was forced facing challenges of my own towards the real- Agenda 2030 in Albania, from an LGBTI + per- storm of COVID-19-related news fell upon us. to go back to their homophobic families and ization of the research I was focused on. Being spective. This research would be the first of The neighboring countries were succumbing