1. Edona Maloku, RIT Kosovo Donjeta Demolli, City of Kamenica, Kosovo
Shared Education Initiatives in Other Divided Contexts: The Case of Kosovo
Edona Maloku, RIT Kosovo Donjeta Demolli, City of Kamenica, Kosovo
SELF Annual Conference, Belfast, September 2019

2. Kosovo: Background
Vibrant country, youngest population in Europe (over 50% are under 25 years old!)
BUT
With a troubled past
Previously part of former Yugoslavia
Conflict in ; international military NATO intervention and a United Nations Protectorate
Main conflicting groups: Albanian majority seeking independence and Serb minority against it
Over 13,000 victims (1,600 are still missing), around 1 mil became refugees at the time
Declared independence in 2008
Source:

3. Ethnic groups have polarizing attitudes about independence
Kosovo’s state flag (brings forward a new identity)
87% of the population
7% of the population
A Kosovar Albanian waves an Albanian flag as celebrates the independence of Kosovo in the capital Pristina (© Getty images, 2008)
Kosovar Serbs protest with Serbian flags in North Mitrovica against the declaration of independence of Kosovo (© Getty images, 2008)

4. 11 years post-independence: Where are we at?
Ethnic identity remains a key dividing aspect of the groups
Rigid interethnic relations:
Lack of contact
Unwilling to even establish contact
Negative intergroup attitudes
Competitive victimhood
High perceptions of conflict (among children)
Children’s ethnic categorization starts as early as 6 years old
(Andrighetto et al. 2012; Maloku et al.2016,2017,2018) ?

5. Kosovo’s Education System Reflects the Divide
Segregated along ethnic lines for 3 decades now
Started in 1990s when the Albanian majority was forbidden to use public schools
A parallel system organized in home-schools was set in place and a separate Albanian curricula was established by Albanians
Serb children followed Serbia’s state curricula and used school facilities.
Both removed each other’s language from their educational programmes  remains so even today, language is an added barrier
Although now both communities have access to school facilities, education remains separate and perpetuates division  Serbs follow a Serbian State education system, Albanians follow a Kosovo state education system

6. Shared Education Initiative in Kosovo
Biggest challenge  To gain support (political) to promote a Shared Education Model for Kosovo, but a momentum has been created: two courageous supporters
Former Kosovo President, Atifete Jahjaga ( )
Jahjaga Foundation
Qëndron Kastrati, Mayor of Kamenica, ethnically mixed municipality

7. “Kosovo’s youngest mayor seeks to bridge ethnic divide” Financial Times, 2018

8. First event: January 2019
Over 35 academics, policy-makers and practitioners in Prishtina
Kosovo,
Northern Ireland
North Macedonia
… to forge relationships
and facilitate in the development of the Shared Education (SE) Model in Kosovo
… City of Kamenica has agreed to work with us on advocating for it and getting financial support
© RIT Kosovo

9. City of Kamenica Covers 423 km²; 56 villages
Total population is around 30,000.
Warm hospitable people
Big diaspora
©Arian Mavriqi
©Arian Mavriqi
Extremely low crime rates
Known for progress on
inter-ethnic relations
95% alb; 4% srb; 1% others.
High unemployment rate

10. The Municipality Headed by Mayor Qëndron Kastrati
Social Democratic Party - PSD
First term as mayor with 55.6% of votes
2017 municipal elections.
Deputy Mayor Bojan Stamenkovic
11 municipal departments.
Six (6) departments are run by women
Department of Finances is run by a young roma

11. Troubled Past – Optimistic Future
Painful war – just like any war.
Long road ahead to improve mutual relations
Go beyond formal settlements
Act immediately &
by day-to-day actions
Better relations than anywhere else in Kosovo

12. Current Situation Mixed Neighborhoods Joint market
Interactions - mostly when necessary
Municipality is committed
to tackle the lack of integration
Education is top priority
Around 4,482 pupils
(3,999 Kosovo Albanian
423 Kosovo Serbs, 60 Kosovo Roma)
Do not share curriculum
or learning environment

13. One Step at a Time Aspiration
Proposal to fund a new school facility for all
Joint extracurricular activities
Albanian & Serbian Language Courses

14. Shared Education Local and grassroots initiatives – more sustainable
Northern Ireland’s Experience – incredibly valuable
Institutional  Legislative character
Importance of cooperating with Ms. Maloku (RIT)
Funding  Challenge

15. THANK YOU FOR BEING AN INSPIRATION TO US!
Edona Maloku, RIT Kosovo
Donjeta Demolli, City of Kamenica, Kosovo
SELF Annual Conference, Belfast, September 2019