... in a bigger context than UNMIK alone. A report by Save the Children shines some light on of the horrific plights of people that are supposed to be protected and served by aid workers and peacekeepers. This ONE was particularly about children, which makes it particularly frightening to imagine. There are also other horrifics going on everyday in such societies being committed by those supposed to be protecting them: Human Trafficking, Rape and Abuse of Women, Financial Mismanagement and Corruption of Different Magnitudes, Coziness with Illegal and Crime Syndicates and Organizations, etc. Shame ... Shame...Shame on US all =>International Community, Aid Workers, Peacekeepers, and the States that protect them!!!
I love whistle-blowers:
May 23, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
Who Will Watch the Peacekeepers?
By MATTHIAS BASANISI
Bern, Switzerland
THE United Nations, facing criticism that it has failed to police itself in Congo, has hit back in recent days. Press officers insist that there is no problem. Based on my own experience, I disagree. The BBC and Human Rights Watch have both brought forward evidence that the United Nations covered up evidence of gold smuggling and arms trafficking by its peacekeepers in Congo. The peacekeepers are said to have had illegal dealings with one of the most murderous militias in the country, where millions have died in one of the bloodiest yet least visible conflicts in the world. Last month, Inga-Britt Ahlenius, the head of the Office of Internal Oversight Services at the United Nations, told the BBC that her investigators drew the right conclusions based on the evidence they found: that there was little that warranted prosecution or further investigation. I wish that were true. I was the investigator in charge of the United Nations team that in 2006 looked into allegations of abuses by Pakistani peacekeepers in Congo and found them credible. But the investigation was taken away from my team after we resisted what we saw as attempts to influence the outcome. My fellow team members and I were appalled to see that the oversight office’s final report was little short of a whitewash. The reports we submitted to the office’s senior management in 2006 included credible information from witnesses confirming illegal deals between Pakistani peacekeepers and warlords from the Front for National Integration, an ethnic militia group notorious for its cruelty even in such a brutal war. We found corroborative information that senior officers of the Pakistani contingent secretly returned seized weapons to two warlords in exchange for gold, and that the Pakistani peacekeepers tipped off two warlords about plans by the United Nations peacekeeping force and the Congolese Army to arrest them. And yet, much of the evidence we uncovered was excluded from the final report released last summer, including corroboration from the warlords themselves. I resigned from the Office of Internal Oversight Services in May 2007. But that does not mean I am alone in my concerns. Former colleagues of mine who recently investigated similar allegations against Indian peacekeepers in Congo are worried that some of their most serious findings will also be ignored and not investigated further. What’s more, two outside management reports have been critical of the oversight office and its work. Ms. Ahlenius, who has been in charge of the office since 2005, says that she agrees with those criticisms. Secretiveness, she told The Washington Post earlier this month, "serves us extremely poorly." Indeed. So why does it continue under her watch? The oversight office hires experienced investigators. Those investigators are required to respect the highest standards of integrity. And yet the office has done little to ensure that management lives up to its own standards. One likely reason for the watered-down reports is that Pakistan and India are the largest contributors of troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions and no one wants to offend them. I met and worked with many of these peacekeepers and found the majority of them to be professional soldiers willing to risk their lives to bring peace to countries like Congo. But if peacekeepers of any nationality are found to have committed serious crimes, the United Nations must say so. The organization cannot close its eyes and ears to evidence of misconduct. Such behavior undermines peacekeeping efforts everywhere. It would be shocking to think that the United Nations’ own investigative body is reluctant to act on evidence of cooperation between peacekeepers and alleged war criminals. The United Nations must be prepared to deal with crimes by peacekeepers in the eastern Congo; it must also be prepared to tell the truth. Matthias Basanisi was the deputy chief investigator with the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services in Congo from 2005 to 2007.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
It pains me to agree with DiCarlo but...
... out of the other 192 (plus 2) countries in the world, The government of Kosovo should have been able to lobby more than just 41 countries for recognition. I mean, many of these countries would happily recognize Kosovo if for no other reason than to put their names in the world press for a couple of hours. Inefficiency, incompetency, ignorance, egotism ... or whatever their reasons might be for their failure to get more recognitions, some people in the government need to start getting flogged to perform. I would personally suggest that Thaci should not be allowed to eat at "Ex" restaurant anymore until the government crosses the "97 countries recognition" threshold.
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US unhappy with Kosovo over recognitions
Macedoniaonline.eu
U.S. criticized Pristina's government over the small number of countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence, attributing this fact to insufficient lobbying efforts. Foreign diplomats told Pristina-based TV Station Kohavision that Washington is unsatisfied with official Pristina's failure to secure recognition of independence by 97 countries. Kosovo needs this number to apply for admission in the United Nations at this year's UN General Assembly. Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of State Rosemary DiCarlo has reportedly conveyed the message of criticism during her recent visit to Pristina. Pristina's TV station reported that the Americans have suggested to the Kosovo's government to seek for assistance from the Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari and his assistant Albert Rohan in the lobbying efforts. Serbia is taking advantage of Pristina's inefficiency, by preparing a resolution against independence, which is expected to be put to vote at the UN General Assembly. As many as 41 countries have recognized Kosovo so far, 20 of which are members of the European Union.
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Hot off the Press
U.S. Embassy Issues Denial of Criticism
It has been recently claimed that the U.S. Embassy in Pristina issued a statement denying any criticism leveled against the Kosovo Government by Deputy Assistant Secretary Rosemary DiCarlo. "The Embassy press statement clarifies that DiCarlo "made no such comments.""
God, I sometimes hate diplomats and the press ... who said what?
--------------------
US unhappy with Kosovo over recognitions
Macedoniaonline.eu
U.S. criticized Pristina's government over the small number of countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence, attributing this fact to insufficient lobbying efforts. Foreign diplomats told Pristina-based TV Station Kohavision that Washington is unsatisfied with official Pristina's failure to secure recognition of independence by 97 countries. Kosovo needs this number to apply for admission in the United Nations at this year's UN General Assembly. Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of State Rosemary DiCarlo has reportedly conveyed the message of criticism during her recent visit to Pristina. Pristina's TV station reported that the Americans have suggested to the Kosovo's government to seek for assistance from the Finnish diplomat Martti Ahtisaari and his assistant Albert Rohan in the lobbying efforts. Serbia is taking advantage of Pristina's inefficiency, by preparing a resolution against independence, which is expected to be put to vote at the UN General Assembly. As many as 41 countries have recognized Kosovo so far, 20 of which are members of the European Union.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hot off the Press
U.S. Embassy Issues Denial of Criticism
It has been recently claimed that the U.S. Embassy in Pristina issued a statement denying any criticism leveled against the Kosovo Government by Deputy Assistant Secretary Rosemary DiCarlo. "The Embassy press statement clarifies that DiCarlo "made no such comments.""
God, I sometimes hate diplomats and the press ... who said what?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Have you bought a ticket yet?
Folks, EuroVision is here again. Who is going? I need find a way there. I doubt I can afford the ticket (or that I would torture myself through the terrible songs EV is known for) but it would be nice to go check out all the cute gay guys converging in Beograd. Who knows? I might be able to convince some of them to fact check their sexual preference with me ;) Here is a piece on the prep but not without political bitching, of course.
--------------------------------------
Serbs tune in for Eurosong
Neil MacDonald Belgrade
Source: Financial Times
The lights are hung, the stage is built and the 300 sq m electronic backdrop is ready to project the Eurosong 2008 logo. "It's going to be the greatest show," says Aleksandar Tijanic, general manager of Radio Television Serbia, the state broadcaster, and master of ceremonies for next weekend's Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade. "I hope we can keep it apolitical." Hosting Eurosong will help Serbia improve its image in the European Union, Mr Tijanic says. The chance for the maligned Balkan country to bask in the European spotlight caps the unexpected success of Serbia's pro-EU alliance in parliamentary elections on May 11. Yet there are doubts over whether the former Yugoslav republic will extend a warm welcome to nearly 10,000 tourists and 2,500 journalists who are expected to descend on the capital this week. Nationalist Serbs are still smarting over Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia on February 17. For the organisers, the contest "couldn't have come at a worse time - right after presidential elections, then parliamentary elections, and at the peak of the Kosovo crisis", Mr Tijanic says. "But it's a good test for all of us. Traditional Serbian hospitality will win, and people will feel comfortable in this city." Marija Serifovic's Eurosong victory in Helsinki last year gave Serbia the right to host this year's competition and a chance for some soft diplomacy towards Europe. But Ms Serifovic dabbled in Serb nationalist propaganda, standing next to the nationalist politician Tomislav Nikolic at rallies ahead of his unsuccessful presidential bid. Ms Serifovic subsequently fired her manager and renounced political appearances. "She will sing at the opening," Mr Tijanic says. In February doubts over Belgrade's ability to host the light-hearted Eurosong grew as protesters torched the US embassy in Belgrade. Washington and leading EU countries advised their citizens against travelling to Serbia. Mr Tijanic says the riots did not reflect Belgrade's true character.
Gay organisations - whose constituents are among the greatest fans of the event - recalled how extreme-rightwing thugs wrecked Belgrade's first and only gay pride parade in 2001. Mr Tijanic says Serbia would not tolerate attacks on gays. "I refuse to look at visitors as gay people or straight people. For us, they're participants and guests." The contest will cost 12m ($18.5m, £9.5m), of which the European Broadcasting Union, which runs the 52-year-old show, has contributed 3.5m. But the international exposure from Eurosong will be worth 100m, according to Mr Tijanic. Yet the Kosovo question is never far away. The new breakaway state - whose broadcasters lack EBU membership - cannot send any of its aspiring music idols. This is a relief to Mr Tijanic. "As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather cancel it all than organise Eurosong with Kosovo as a participant."
--------------------------------------
Serbs tune in for Eurosong
Neil MacDonald Belgrade
Source: Financial Times
The lights are hung, the stage is built and the 300 sq m electronic backdrop is ready to project the Eurosong 2008 logo. "It's going to be the greatest show," says Aleksandar Tijanic, general manager of Radio Television Serbia, the state broadcaster, and master of ceremonies for next weekend's Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade. "I hope we can keep it apolitical." Hosting Eurosong will help Serbia improve its image in the European Union, Mr Tijanic says. The chance for the maligned Balkan country to bask in the European spotlight caps the unexpected success of Serbia's pro-EU alliance in parliamentary elections on May 11. Yet there are doubts over whether the former Yugoslav republic will extend a warm welcome to nearly 10,000 tourists and 2,500 journalists who are expected to descend on the capital this week. Nationalist Serbs are still smarting over Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia on February 17. For the organisers, the contest "couldn't have come at a worse time - right after presidential elections, then parliamentary elections, and at the peak of the Kosovo crisis", Mr Tijanic says. "But it's a good test for all of us. Traditional Serbian hospitality will win, and people will feel comfortable in this city." Marija Serifovic's Eurosong victory in Helsinki last year gave Serbia the right to host this year's competition and a chance for some soft diplomacy towards Europe. But Ms Serifovic dabbled in Serb nationalist propaganda, standing next to the nationalist politician Tomislav Nikolic at rallies ahead of his unsuccessful presidential bid. Ms Serifovic subsequently fired her manager and renounced political appearances. "She will sing at the opening," Mr Tijanic says. In February doubts over Belgrade's ability to host the light-hearted Eurosong grew as protesters torched the US embassy in Belgrade. Washington and leading EU countries advised their citizens against travelling to Serbia. Mr Tijanic says the riots did not reflect Belgrade's true character.
Gay organisations - whose constituents are among the greatest fans of the event - recalled how extreme-rightwing thugs wrecked Belgrade's first and only gay pride parade in 2001. Mr Tijanic says Serbia would not tolerate attacks on gays. "I refuse to look at visitors as gay people or straight people. For us, they're participants and guests." The contest will cost 12m ($18.5m, £9.5m), of which the European Broadcasting Union, which runs the 52-year-old show, has contributed 3.5m. But the international exposure from Eurosong will be worth 100m, according to Mr Tijanic. Yet the Kosovo question is never far away. The new breakaway state - whose broadcasters lack EBU membership - cannot send any of its aspiring music idols. This is a relief to Mr Tijanic. "As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather cancel it all than organise Eurosong with Kosovo as a participant."
Monday, May 12, 2008
Mali
A friend of mine recently went to Mali and sent me these pics. With his permission, I want to share these with you ... beautiful pics....thanks 'k.
Friday, May 9, 2008
My apologies ....
... for the long absence. I have been taking care of family issues and have been a little ill. Yes, a little water has gone under the bridge since when I was here last but I will make it up to you all as I have some incredible pictures from Mali that a friend took on his recent trip. More to come soon :) Serbian elections this weekend; protest in Pristina today against the elections taking place in Kosovo ... despite all of these, one cannot help but feel bored by all of these.
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If interested in reading about my country: America, Land of the Free (No more???)
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If interested in reading about my country: America, Land of the Free (No more???)
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Newly independent Kosovo adopts constitution - WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!!!
PRISTINA, April 9, 2008 (AFP) - Kosovo's parliament voted unanimously on Wednesday to adopt the Balkan state's first constitution after it unilaterally declared independence from Serbia. "By passing this constitution, we are setting the foundations to build Kosovo as a democratic and sovereign state," parliament speaker Jakup Krasniqi said. The constitution, which is to come into effect on June 15, was approved by all 107 deputies present at a special session of the parliament, which is dominated by ethnic Albanians. Its adoption enables Kosovo's institutions to take over from a mission of the United Nations (UNMIK) which has administered the disputed territory since the end of its 1998-1999 conflict. The move also paves the way for the complete deployment of the European Union's 2,000-strong peace and justice mission to Kosovo, dubbed EULEX, which is to oversee Kosovo's "supervised" independence. Kosovo's parliament unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on February 17. It has since been recognised by 38 countries, including the United States and most of the European Union. "The constitution is our will and legitimacy. It is a seal of the state of Kosovo," Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told parliament. "This is another historic step forward in building of our stable state and democratic governance in an independent, sovereign and proud Kosovo," said the ethnic Albanian leader. Backed by traditional ally Russia, Serbia, which views Kosovo as its historic heartland, has rejected the independence declaration, saying it violates international law. Kosovo -- a mountainous territory with some 1.8 million people, 90 percent of them ethnic Albanians -- would be a parliamentary republic and "citizens' state," according to the text of the constitution. "The Republic of Kosovo is a secular state and is neutral in matters of religious beliefs," it said, adding that the "official languages in the Republic of Kosovo are Albanian and Serbian." The constitution guarantees the rights and protection of minorities, notably Serbs who have rejected Kosovo's independence. "Serbs are the citizens of Kosovo. This constitution is also theirs," president Fatmir Sejidu told reporters after the charter was adopted. "We want them to be an important foundation and a bridge for the future better relations with the state of Serbia." The plan for Kosovo's "internationally supervised independence" was devised by special UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari last year after failed talks between Belgrade and Pristina on Kosovo's status.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Haradinaj is acquitted ...
The least they could have done was find him guilty of bad taste. I detest that horrendous monstrosity of an observatory he calls a mansion built illegally on Prishtin"ian" hills. [What? You were expecting some deep analysis of this issue from me? Like I have nothing better to do with my time :P]
On to something more important: an advertisement to volunteer with young Kosovans in Pristina:
Would you like to get to know members of the youngest population in Europe, and see Kosovo through new eyes? Pupils in Kosovo's urban schools attend classes in shifts. In large classes, attending school for only a few hours a day, they have little opportunity for attention from their teachers, and when it comes to learning English, almost no access to native speakers as role models for their language learning.
Would you like to help? Are you a native English speaker? Could you give up a few hours a week for a 5 week project to support Kosovan kids' learning of English in after-school clubs? We are setting up a pilot project for volunteers to work in pairs running bi-weekly after-school English clubs with groups of up to twelve 10-year-olds in a school in Pristina. No previous experience of teaching English is required - we will run a few training sessions in advance of the project starting, offer the necessary resources, and be available for support during the 5 weeks that the project runs. Depending on the interest in our after school clubs, and the success of the project for the children, volunteers and school, we hope to extend the project with more volunteers and more schools in the autumn term.
Volunteers will need to be available for training on Friday 18 April, Wednesday 23 April and Friday 25 April from 2 - 5pm and for one further session during the week of 5 May. Beyond that, the commitment can be flexible. If you have questions about the project, please contact us (elizabethgowing@hotmail.com).
On to something more important: an advertisement to volunteer with young Kosovans in Pristina:
Would you like to get to know members of the youngest population in Europe, and see Kosovo through new eyes? Pupils in Kosovo's urban schools attend classes in shifts. In large classes, attending school for only a few hours a day, they have little opportunity for attention from their teachers, and when it comes to learning English, almost no access to native speakers as role models for their language learning.
Would you like to help? Are you a native English speaker? Could you give up a few hours a week for a 5 week project to support Kosovan kids' learning of English in after-school clubs? We are setting up a pilot project for volunteers to work in pairs running bi-weekly after-school English clubs with groups of up to twelve 10-year-olds in a school in Pristina. No previous experience of teaching English is required - we will run a few training sessions in advance of the project starting, offer the necessary resources, and be available for support during the 5 weeks that the project runs. Depending on the interest in our after school clubs, and the success of the project for the children, volunteers and school, we hope to extend the project with more volunteers and more schools in the autumn term.
Volunteers will need to be available for training on Friday 18 April, Wednesday 23 April and Friday 25 April from 2 - 5pm and for one further session during the week of 5 May. Beyond that, the commitment can be flexible. If you have questions about the project, please contact us (elizabethgowing@hotmail.com).
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Kosovo is burning????
I do not think so but it was interesting to see UNMIK flexing some military muscles this past week to dire consequences. Also interesting to note that none of the elites from any side gets hurt in these incidents, it's always blue collared young people getting the shaft and bullets. I would like to see Kostunica or Krasniqi go sleep on the streets and get stones and bullets rained on them ... mofos. In case you missed it, here you go. Since then, an UNMIK police officer from Ukraine has passed away and a Serb man is in critical condition from a bullet in his head (plus plenty others wounded on both sides, some critically).
An interesting side story, what has bread got to do with nationality? everything apparently ... in Serbia.
03/20/2008 Serbian president Tadic urges probe into calls for boycott of Albanian-owned bakeries (Ap)
BELGRADE, Serbia_Serbia's President Boris Tadic is demanding that police find out who is behind calls to boycott Albanian-owned bakeries in response to Kosovo's declaration of independence. Tadic is critical of what he termed "chauvinist actions" against Serbia's ethnic Albanian citizens. He says each citizen has the same rights regardless of ethnic or religious background. Serbian nationalists have handed out free bread in front of Albanian-owned bakeries in the northern city of Sombor and other towns since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17. On Thursday, leaflets urging a new boycott of Albanian shops are appearing. Kosovo is considered Serbia's medieval heartland, but is dominated by separatist ethnic Albanians.
HAPPY EASTER ... if you celebrate it. Let peace reign, people!!!
An interesting side story, what has bread got to do with nationality? everything apparently ... in Serbia.
03/20/2008 Serbian president Tadic urges probe into calls for boycott of Albanian-owned bakeries (Ap)
BELGRADE, Serbia_Serbia's President Boris Tadic is demanding that police find out who is behind calls to boycott Albanian-owned bakeries in response to Kosovo's declaration of independence. Tadic is critical of what he termed "chauvinist actions" against Serbia's ethnic Albanian citizens. He says each citizen has the same rights regardless of ethnic or religious background. Serbian nationalists have handed out free bread in front of Albanian-owned bakeries in the northern city of Sombor and other towns since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Feb. 17. On Thursday, leaflets urging a new boycott of Albanian shops are appearing. Kosovo is considered Serbia's medieval heartland, but is dominated by separatist ethnic Albanians.
HAPPY EASTER ... if you celebrate it. Let peace reign, people!!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Yeah, another story from Kosova ...
For those who might be tired of these stories, you might want to switch off a little, I love these interesting stories of people in this new country. Here is another one:
An American – university – in Kosovo
By Robert Marquand Tue Mar 11, 4:00 AM ET
The Christian Science Monitor
A few years ago, Chris Hall was a state senator from midcoast Maine. He had quit a job as a steel and mining executive, deciding "never again" to do the weekly commute from Portland to New York. But a defeat in 2004 opened the door for Mr. Hall to become the first president of one of the more unusual colleges in Europe: the American University in Kosovo.
After decades of repression and war, Kosovo's schools were in tatters. A privileged few studied abroad. But AUK, formed three years ago with funds from the Albanian diaspora and the only multiethnic private college here, aspires to help the somewhat battered new state build its next generation of leaders. It's a mission the Oxford-educated Hall deeply believes in.
Kosovo's declaration of independence on Feb. 17 may have brought angry protests from Serbs 30 miles away on the Ibar River, but Hall has a college to run. He sits in on statistics classes, juggles scholarships and budgets, coordinates with Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology, which grants AUK degrees, and hires Fulbright scholars.
He's added a public policy program to what is now a business degree and helped create one of the freest weekly political forums in Pristina, albeit one in English. He wants the small school to breathe the values of civil society and intelligent democratic sentiments.
Just last week, Hall was in Chicago signing a partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology for an AUK master's in law, which will be the only such degree offered in Kosovo.
Most important, Hall and many students say, AUK offers Kosovar youths a school where they encounter Western-style debates, interaction, and educational standards.
Student Tefta Kelmendi first considered going abroad for college, since there were "many other possibilities offered to Kosovar students for study abroad and scholarships," she says. But AUK allowed her to "be part of all these significant changes that are taking place" in Kosovo, so she stayed.
The college opened in 2003 in a crowded house with few facilities. But two years ago, AUK moved to a small complex in a hilly suburb, with lecture halls, information-technology facilities, and a cafeteria-cum-student hangout. Some 34 professors – from the Balkans as well asthe US – staff the school. Enrollment is 450, but Hall and company plan for 600. Last year, the school celebrated its first graduating class, of 57.
Of those, more than 40 now work in Kosovo, a point of pride for Hall and the AUK board, whose members include prominent American Albanians like businessman Richard Lukaj and Ron Cami, a partner of the New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Students come mostly from the Albanian diaspora in 11 other countries, including Syria, Nigeria, and Algeria. Four Serbian students attend – and have not left despite Kosovo's declaration of independence.
AUK is "a success story in a part of the world with few success stories at this point," says Louis Sell, a former US diplomat and an AUK board member who helped bring Hall to the school. Mr. Sell feels that after Kosovo's declaration of independence, a school of public service at AUK will make a contribution. The school is seeking $3 million in scholarships as part of a larger Kosovo package now before Congress. Kosovo "is a part of Europe that is nominally Islamic, but overwhelmingly pro-American. The US has been quite cautious in the money it gives. But we hope that is changing," Sell adds.
After Hall lost his senate seat in 2004, he ran into Sell, who lives nearby. Sell knew that Hall, a Briton turned naturalized American, had a longstanding interest in the Balkans. Hall was in one of the first tour groups to enter Albania in 1990 after it had been closed for decades. Sell, with other US diplomats, had worked with the Fund for the Reconstruction of Kosovo, made up of Albanians, to establish a nonprofit college in Pristina with $4 million left over from the monies collected from the diaspora.
Hall, who was going to be in Belgrade, agreed to pop down to Pristina. While the college was "this overstuffed house on a hill," as Hall recalls, he was "deeply impressed" with students. "They don't have the worldliness you find in so many American kids of this generation," he says.
Before 1999, Kosovar students lived in a virtual police state under the Serbs. After NATO intervention, they were going to schools that "suffered every conceivable form of setback. But Hall found "a degree of idealism and passion for learning that I had not expected.... [We] don't have the drugs and crime you would expect, either."
Hall taught public policy courses for two years, then agreed to be president in the summer of 2007. That meant living away from his wife, Jackie Wardell, who heads a staff of 80 at a community bank on the Maine coast that does a small business lending to women and minorities.
"We thought about it long and hard. It took a lot of searching," Hall says, adding that his administration's motto in working out knots and kinks in a highly sensitive locale is "to be diplomats – friends with everybody and allies of nobody."
"Kosovo has a population of incredible talent and energy; I wouldn't be here if I weren't optimistic," he says. Some of his biggest battles in what he calls "management by walking around" is raising faculty expectations of students: "I don't want to hear that we have to go easy because these are poor Kosovars. They have the talent to be every bit as good as RIT students."
Robert McCloud, an IT professor here on a Fulbright from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, describes Kosovo youths as a bright and innovative generation who haven't been exposed to enough differing ways of thinking. But being isolated, he says, "They are much too self-taught." he says. In his graphics classes he tries to get them to expand into different types of software. "Everything is done in Photoshop. They buy the software for $1.50. So finally I tell them, don't show me any more Photoshop!"
For Hall, AUK's success is measured by the help it offers the new state. With a pedigree name (American University) and English fluency requirement, in gritty Pristina the school has a reputation as elite. Only about 20 percent of students are on scholarship, and the tuition is $4,000 a year, hefty by Kosovo standards. Still, an AUK degree is not "a passport out of town," Hall says.
Hall, who deeply loves Maine and its people, says he is giving AUK "three years, about right for this kind of commitment."
An American – university – in Kosovo
By Robert Marquand Tue Mar 11, 4:00 AM ET
The Christian Science Monitor
A few years ago, Chris Hall was a state senator from midcoast Maine. He had quit a job as a steel and mining executive, deciding "never again" to do the weekly commute from Portland to New York. But a defeat in 2004 opened the door for Mr. Hall to become the first president of one of the more unusual colleges in Europe: the American University in Kosovo.
After decades of repression and war, Kosovo's schools were in tatters. A privileged few studied abroad. But AUK, formed three years ago with funds from the Albanian diaspora and the only multiethnic private college here, aspires to help the somewhat battered new state build its next generation of leaders. It's a mission the Oxford-educated Hall deeply believes in.
Kosovo's declaration of independence on Feb. 17 may have brought angry protests from Serbs 30 miles away on the Ibar River, but Hall has a college to run. He sits in on statistics classes, juggles scholarships and budgets, coordinates with Rochester (N.Y.) Institute of Technology, which grants AUK degrees, and hires Fulbright scholars.
He's added a public policy program to what is now a business degree and helped create one of the freest weekly political forums in Pristina, albeit one in English. He wants the small school to breathe the values of civil society and intelligent democratic sentiments.
Just last week, Hall was in Chicago signing a partnership with the Illinois Institute of Technology for an AUK master's in law, which will be the only such degree offered in Kosovo.
Most important, Hall and many students say, AUK offers Kosovar youths a school where they encounter Western-style debates, interaction, and educational standards.
Student Tefta Kelmendi first considered going abroad for college, since there were "many other possibilities offered to Kosovar students for study abroad and scholarships," she says. But AUK allowed her to "be part of all these significant changes that are taking place" in Kosovo, so she stayed.
The college opened in 2003 in a crowded house with few facilities. But two years ago, AUK moved to a small complex in a hilly suburb, with lecture halls, information-technology facilities, and a cafeteria-cum-student hangout. Some 34 professors – from the Balkans as well asthe US – staff the school. Enrollment is 450, but Hall and company plan for 600. Last year, the school celebrated its first graduating class, of 57.
Of those, more than 40 now work in Kosovo, a point of pride for Hall and the AUK board, whose members include prominent American Albanians like businessman Richard Lukaj and Ron Cami, a partner of the New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore. Students come mostly from the Albanian diaspora in 11 other countries, including Syria, Nigeria, and Algeria. Four Serbian students attend – and have not left despite Kosovo's declaration of independence.
AUK is "a success story in a part of the world with few success stories at this point," says Louis Sell, a former US diplomat and an AUK board member who helped bring Hall to the school. Mr. Sell feels that after Kosovo's declaration of independence, a school of public service at AUK will make a contribution. The school is seeking $3 million in scholarships as part of a larger Kosovo package now before Congress. Kosovo "is a part of Europe that is nominally Islamic, but overwhelmingly pro-American. The US has been quite cautious in the money it gives. But we hope that is changing," Sell adds.
After Hall lost his senate seat in 2004, he ran into Sell, who lives nearby. Sell knew that Hall, a Briton turned naturalized American, had a longstanding interest in the Balkans. Hall was in one of the first tour groups to enter Albania in 1990 after it had been closed for decades. Sell, with other US diplomats, had worked with the Fund for the Reconstruction of Kosovo, made up of Albanians, to establish a nonprofit college in Pristina with $4 million left over from the monies collected from the diaspora.
Hall, who was going to be in Belgrade, agreed to pop down to Pristina. While the college was "this overstuffed house on a hill," as Hall recalls, he was "deeply impressed" with students. "They don't have the worldliness you find in so many American kids of this generation," he says.
Before 1999, Kosovar students lived in a virtual police state under the Serbs. After NATO intervention, they were going to schools that "suffered every conceivable form of setback. But Hall found "a degree of idealism and passion for learning that I had not expected.... [We] don't have the drugs and crime you would expect, either."
Hall taught public policy courses for two years, then agreed to be president in the summer of 2007. That meant living away from his wife, Jackie Wardell, who heads a staff of 80 at a community bank on the Maine coast that does a small business lending to women and minorities.
"We thought about it long and hard. It took a lot of searching," Hall says, adding that his administration's motto in working out knots and kinks in a highly sensitive locale is "to be diplomats – friends with everybody and allies of nobody."
"Kosovo has a population of incredible talent and energy; I wouldn't be here if I weren't optimistic," he says. Some of his biggest battles in what he calls "management by walking around" is raising faculty expectations of students: "I don't want to hear that we have to go easy because these are poor Kosovars. They have the talent to be every bit as good as RIT students."
Robert McCloud, an IT professor here on a Fulbright from Sacred Heart University in Connecticut, describes Kosovo youths as a bright and innovative generation who haven't been exposed to enough differing ways of thinking. But being isolated, he says, "They are much too self-taught." he says. In his graphics classes he tries to get them to expand into different types of software. "Everything is done in Photoshop. They buy the software for $1.50. So finally I tell them, don't show me any more Photoshop!"
For Hall, AUK's success is measured by the help it offers the new state. With a pedigree name (American University) and English fluency requirement, in gritty Pristina the school has a reputation as elite. Only about 20 percent of students are on scholarship, and the tuition is $4,000 a year, hefty by Kosovo standards. Still, an AUK degree is not "a passport out of town," Hall says.
Hall, who deeply loves Maine and its people, says he is giving AUK "three years, about right for this kind of commitment."
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Happy International Women Day
Kosovo's women suffer
Stemming domestic violence and human trafficking remains a challenge in the newly independent nation.
By Tracy WilkinsonLos Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 10, 2008PRISTINA, KOSOVO — She purses her lips in a "tsk-tsk" when asked difficult questions. Questions about her life, about the husband who beats her, the father who denies her an inheritance and a place to live.Slightly hunchbacked, her thin frame barely fills the several layers of donated clothing she wears. At 26, she looks 15. She has three children and an elementary-school education. When she showed up at the door of a women's shelter here, purple bruises blotched her face and framed her shattered, crooked nose. Chunks of her hair had been ripped out."I've been beaten a lot," said Fatima. "They beat me so badly the last time, I could not care for my children." In the last couple of years, she says, she has spent more time at the shelter, hiding, than in her husband's house. It is only a slight exaggeration.Fatima is actually luckier than many women in Kosovo, a harsh region weighted by twin burdens of poverty and unenlightened tradition. A United Nations study in 2000 estimated that one-fourth of the female population of Kosovo suffered physical or psychological abuse; Kosovo police last year recorded 1,077 cases of domestic violence.Fatima and her children were able to escape to a shelter, one of a dozen or so that now operate here. It has given her refuge from the violent men of her family and an alternative to an even darker fate: being sold into the expansive networks that traffic women like chattel in this part of the world. But for every woman in Kosovo who is saved, an untold number do not make it, according to women's advocates and social workers.Dominated by ethnic Albanians, Kosovo broke away from Serbia last month, proclaiming itself an independent nation, with fervent backing from Washington. Among Kosovo's many challenges, from building state institutions to combating rampant corruption, is improving its historically unjust and often criminal treatment of women. Like much of the surrounding, rugged Balkans, Kosovo has long served as a notorious transit point for the international trafficking of women, mostly from Eastern Europe, who are forced into prostitution or slavery.After a brutal crackdown by Slobodan Milosevic in 1999, Kosovo came under the stewardship of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations. During the years since, Kosovo evolved from a transit point into both a source of and destination for trafficked women. Often, Kosovo officials and former guerrilla commanders were complicit in the lucrative trade -- and the resident international community, including peacekeepers and civilian consultants, its market. Unemployment problemThe question now is whether independence, which is still in an embryonic stage and not universally recognized, will result in a change of status for women and eradication of the trafficking networks. Or whether organized criminal gangs, with allies in the new government, will be given an even freer hand."The first thing our government must do, and they've promised a lot, is to fight unemployment. The violence is linked directly to economic conditions," said Naime Sherifa, director of the Center for the Protection of Women and Children in Pristina, the first such organization here. "People are very tired of being poor."Tired, she said, and ready to explode. Roughly half of Kosovo's generally young population is out of work; the World Bank and other experts believe it could take a decade to dramatically reduce unemployment. Poverty strains Kosovo's families, which tend to be large. Add to that the dislocations of war: Thousands of people were killed and entire villages razed, their residents forced to move to urban areas. There, many live in cramped conditions, disoriented, unsettled in an unfamiliar environment.The breakdown of family structure and the transfer of populations to cities created an anonymity in Kosovo society that did not exist before the war; as one consequence, it left women vulnerable to traffickers and other abuse, said Wanda Troszczynska, a Kosovo specialist with the New York-based Human Rights Watch.Women used to be relegated to restrictive lives at home, guarded behind the high-walled compounds that traditionally housed extended ethnic Albanian families, or clans. It wasn't freedom, but it was out of the reach of outside exploitation. Traffickers brought women from elsewhere, such as Moldova and Romania, initially to be shuttled to Italy or other parts of Europe and, after the war, to remain in Kosovo to "service" a growing international population.Eventually, more and more Kosovo women, ripped from their traditional home life, also fell prey to traffickers and found themselves lured by promises of work, marriage or their own cellphone, only to end up in seedy bars, strip joints and brothels.Need to enforce lawsIn their long march to prove themselves ready to run a state, Kosovo Albanians set up a police force under United Nations tutelage that gradually took up the mission of raiding bars and rescuing victims of sexual exploitation. In 2006, the Kosovo police conducted 99 raids, arrested 28 suspected traffickers and "identified" 50 victims, according to statistics provided by the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.By all accounts, the work by the Kosovo police is an improvement but targets only the tip of the iceberg.More insidious than the trafficking are the domestic abuse cases. Perhaps tens of thousands of women suffer violence at home or the denial of basic rights, according to human rights activists and social workers. Experts say the problem crosses ethnic lines -- Albanians, Serbs, Roma and others are victims -- and remains vastly underreported. Igballe Rogova, head of the Kosova Women's Network, an umbrella coalition of about 40 groups, said she was hopeful the government, with the independence issue more or less settled, could put into practice laws that exist on paper."Today we have really incredibly good mechanisms on gender equality," she told a European Parliament committee on women's issues in Brussels late last month. "We have a law on gender equality, we have an office on gender equality at the prime minister level and, in every ministry, gender equality officers. We are not happy with the implementation of these mechanisms, but we are very optimistic." Sherifa said laws grant women the rights to own and inherit property on the same terms as men. But it often does not happen that way.In the case of Fatima, for example, her father owns nearly nine acres of land, which he has divided among her brothers. But he refuses to give Fatima any, forcing her to live with her husband and children in her father-in-law's tiny house. Seven people live, cramped and unhappily, in the two-room shack.Both her husband and her father-in-law beat her, Fatima said. Her "offenses" ranged from asking for money to buy medicine for a sick child, or asking for food. Sometimes, she said, she goes days without eating. Fatima has ended up in the shelter three times in the last two years, each time after a beating so severe she could not stand the pain any longer.Haven for abusedThe shelter, run by Sherifa's organization, was the first one in Kosovo. It is a three-story house behind a gate on a quiet street of Pristina. Police patrol it regularly. (The Times was granted rare access to the shelter and its residents on the condition that neither the location nor the victims be identified. "Fatima" is a pseudonym.) The good news in Fatima's story is that when, bruised and bloodied, she called the police, they came. They took her to the shelter. She returned to the family after the men were briefly detained by the police and ordered not to touch her again. Now, however, it is clear the intervention has failed, Sherifa said, and she will look for a permanent place for Fatima and her children to live.More than anything, Fatima seems weary. "I just feel sorry for my children," she said. "They see all this violence all the time. I'm afraid it will affect them." The bad news is the shelters are full, unable to meet the demand; abusers are rarely prosecuted, witnesses too terrified to come forward.Said Sherifa: "This is something we, and the next generation, will have to work on."
Stemming domestic violence and human trafficking remains a challenge in the newly independent nation.
By Tracy WilkinsonLos Angeles Times Staff Writer
March 10, 2008PRISTINA, KOSOVO — She purses her lips in a "tsk-tsk" when asked difficult questions. Questions about her life, about the husband who beats her, the father who denies her an inheritance and a place to live.Slightly hunchbacked, her thin frame barely fills the several layers of donated clothing she wears. At 26, she looks 15. She has three children and an elementary-school education. When she showed up at the door of a women's shelter here, purple bruises blotched her face and framed her shattered, crooked nose. Chunks of her hair had been ripped out."I've been beaten a lot," said Fatima. "They beat me so badly the last time, I could not care for my children." In the last couple of years, she says, she has spent more time at the shelter, hiding, than in her husband's house. It is only a slight exaggeration.Fatima is actually luckier than many women in Kosovo, a harsh region weighted by twin burdens of poverty and unenlightened tradition. A United Nations study in 2000 estimated that one-fourth of the female population of Kosovo suffered physical or psychological abuse; Kosovo police last year recorded 1,077 cases of domestic violence.Fatima and her children were able to escape to a shelter, one of a dozen or so that now operate here. It has given her refuge from the violent men of her family and an alternative to an even darker fate: being sold into the expansive networks that traffic women like chattel in this part of the world. But for every woman in Kosovo who is saved, an untold number do not make it, according to women's advocates and social workers.Dominated by ethnic Albanians, Kosovo broke away from Serbia last month, proclaiming itself an independent nation, with fervent backing from Washington. Among Kosovo's many challenges, from building state institutions to combating rampant corruption, is improving its historically unjust and often criminal treatment of women. Like much of the surrounding, rugged Balkans, Kosovo has long served as a notorious transit point for the international trafficking of women, mostly from Eastern Europe, who are forced into prostitution or slavery.After a brutal crackdown by Slobodan Milosevic in 1999, Kosovo came under the stewardship of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations. During the years since, Kosovo evolved from a transit point into both a source of and destination for trafficked women. Often, Kosovo officials and former guerrilla commanders were complicit in the lucrative trade -- and the resident international community, including peacekeepers and civilian consultants, its market. Unemployment problemThe question now is whether independence, which is still in an embryonic stage and not universally recognized, will result in a change of status for women and eradication of the trafficking networks. Or whether organized criminal gangs, with allies in the new government, will be given an even freer hand."The first thing our government must do, and they've promised a lot, is to fight unemployment. The violence is linked directly to economic conditions," said Naime Sherifa, director of the Center for the Protection of Women and Children in Pristina, the first such organization here. "People are very tired of being poor."Tired, she said, and ready to explode. Roughly half of Kosovo's generally young population is out of work; the World Bank and other experts believe it could take a decade to dramatically reduce unemployment. Poverty strains Kosovo's families, which tend to be large. Add to that the dislocations of war: Thousands of people were killed and entire villages razed, their residents forced to move to urban areas. There, many live in cramped conditions, disoriented, unsettled in an unfamiliar environment.The breakdown of family structure and the transfer of populations to cities created an anonymity in Kosovo society that did not exist before the war; as one consequence, it left women vulnerable to traffickers and other abuse, said Wanda Troszczynska, a Kosovo specialist with the New York-based Human Rights Watch.Women used to be relegated to restrictive lives at home, guarded behind the high-walled compounds that traditionally housed extended ethnic Albanian families, or clans. It wasn't freedom, but it was out of the reach of outside exploitation. Traffickers brought women from elsewhere, such as Moldova and Romania, initially to be shuttled to Italy or other parts of Europe and, after the war, to remain in Kosovo to "service" a growing international population.Eventually, more and more Kosovo women, ripped from their traditional home life, also fell prey to traffickers and found themselves lured by promises of work, marriage or their own cellphone, only to end up in seedy bars, strip joints and brothels.Need to enforce lawsIn their long march to prove themselves ready to run a state, Kosovo Albanians set up a police force under United Nations tutelage that gradually took up the mission of raiding bars and rescuing victims of sexual exploitation. In 2006, the Kosovo police conducted 99 raids, arrested 28 suspected traffickers and "identified" 50 victims, according to statistics provided by the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.By all accounts, the work by the Kosovo police is an improvement but targets only the tip of the iceberg.More insidious than the trafficking are the domestic abuse cases. Perhaps tens of thousands of women suffer violence at home or the denial of basic rights, according to human rights activists and social workers. Experts say the problem crosses ethnic lines -- Albanians, Serbs, Roma and others are victims -- and remains vastly underreported. Igballe Rogova, head of the Kosova Women's Network, an umbrella coalition of about 40 groups, said she was hopeful the government, with the independence issue more or less settled, could put into practice laws that exist on paper."Today we have really incredibly good mechanisms on gender equality," she told a European Parliament committee on women's issues in Brussels late last month. "We have a law on gender equality, we have an office on gender equality at the prime minister level and, in every ministry, gender equality officers. We are not happy with the implementation of these mechanisms, but we are very optimistic." Sherifa said laws grant women the rights to own and inherit property on the same terms as men. But it often does not happen that way.In the case of Fatima, for example, her father owns nearly nine acres of land, which he has divided among her brothers. But he refuses to give Fatima any, forcing her to live with her husband and children in her father-in-law's tiny house. Seven people live, cramped and unhappily, in the two-room shack.Both her husband and her father-in-law beat her, Fatima said. Her "offenses" ranged from asking for money to buy medicine for a sick child, or asking for food. Sometimes, she said, she goes days without eating. Fatima has ended up in the shelter three times in the last two years, each time after a beating so severe she could not stand the pain any longer.Haven for abusedThe shelter, run by Sherifa's organization, was the first one in Kosovo. It is a three-story house behind a gate on a quiet street of Pristina. Police patrol it regularly. (The Times was granted rare access to the shelter and its residents on the condition that neither the location nor the victims be identified. "Fatima" is a pseudonym.) The good news in Fatima's story is that when, bruised and bloodied, she called the police, they came. They took her to the shelter. She returned to the family after the men were briefly detained by the police and ordered not to touch her again. Now, however, it is clear the intervention has failed, Sherifa said, and she will look for a permanent place for Fatima and her children to live.More than anything, Fatima seems weary. "I just feel sorry for my children," she said. "They see all this violence all the time. I'm afraid it will affect them." The bad news is the shelters are full, unable to meet the demand; abusers are rarely prosecuted, witnesses too terrified to come forward.Said Sherifa: "This is something we, and the next generation, will have to work on."
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
BOOYAH!!!
You go boy, Rücker!!!
UNMIK/PR/1725
Tuesday, 04 March 2008
UNMIK reasserts control over rail line in north of Kosovo
PRISTINA – UNMIK today reasserted control of the rail line between Zvecan/Zvečan and Leshak/Lešak in the north of Kosovo.
“The successful intervention of UNMIK Border Police today reverses the challenge to UNMIK’s authority that occurred yesterday when Serbian Railways illegally sent two of its trains south of Leshak/Lešak,” said Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) Joachim Rücker.
“Any movement of trains south of Leshak/Lešak by Serbian Railways is a clear challenge to UNMIK’s authority as well as a breach of the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding that Yugoslav Railways [now Serbian Railways] signed with UNMIK Railways [also called Kosovo Railways] and will not be tolerated,” the SRSG said.
Today at around 9:35am, Border Police at the train station in Leshak/Lešak explained to a representative of Serbian Railways that the train would not be permitted to travel south. Serbian Railways complied.
“UNMIK and its partners will continue to meet any challenges to law and order throughout Kosovo,” the SRSG said.
UNMIK/PR/1725
Tuesday, 04 March 2008
UNMIK reasserts control over rail line in north of Kosovo
PRISTINA – UNMIK today reasserted control of the rail line between Zvecan/Zvečan and Leshak/Lešak in the north of Kosovo.
“The successful intervention of UNMIK Border Police today reverses the challenge to UNMIK’s authority that occurred yesterday when Serbian Railways illegally sent two of its trains south of Leshak/Lešak,” said Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo (SRSG) Joachim Rücker.
“Any movement of trains south of Leshak/Lešak by Serbian Railways is a clear challenge to UNMIK’s authority as well as a breach of the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding that Yugoslav Railways [now Serbian Railways] signed with UNMIK Railways [also called Kosovo Railways] and will not be tolerated,” the SRSG said.
Today at around 9:35am, Border Police at the train station in Leshak/Lešak explained to a representative of Serbian Railways that the train would not be permitted to travel south. Serbian Railways complied.
“UNMIK and its partners will continue to meet any challenges to law and order throughout Kosovo,” the SRSG said.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The Gospel of Jeremic
February 27, 2008
Op-Ed Contributor
One Nation, Indivisible
By VUK JEREMIC
Belgrade, Serbia
THE international system that has brought unprecedented prosperity to the world since 1945 is based on rules that apply without exception. This system is supposed to protect the basic, legitimate national interests of every country, whether rich or poor, strong or weak. Its binding principles include the sovereign equality of states, the respect for the territorial integrity and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders.
Yet on Feb. 17, the Serbian province of Kosovo, which has been under United Nations administration since 1999, unilaterally declared independence from my country. This illegal act has, unfortunately, been recognized by the Bush administration and some European countries including Britain, France and Germany. Others in Europe — including Greece, Romania and Spain — have withheld recognition, as have most other leading global and regional players, including Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Israel, Russia and South Africa.
As things stand, the number of countries that will recognize an independent Kosovo will plateau at around 40, leaving it unrecognized by a vast majority of the close to 200 members of the United Nations. This includes, of course, the Republic of Serbia.
A peaceful demonstration of close to half a million people in Belgrade last week condemned this act of illegal secession. Unfortunately, a few hundred hooligans attacked several embassies, including that of the United States, and looted stores; they even attacked my ministry. Our government has condemned these acts, and will prosecute the offenders.
The case against recognition is based not only on the Security Council’s 1999 resolution reaffirming Serbia’s sovereignty over Kosovo, but also founded on the view that the international system has, as a result of this hostile act by the Kosovo Albanians, become more unstable, more insecure and more unpredictable.
Here’s why. Recognizing the unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia legitimizes the doctrine of imposing solutions to ethnic conflicts. It legitimizes the act of unilateral secession by a provincial or other non-state actor. It transforms the right to self-determination into an avowed right to independence. It legitimizes the forced partition of internationally recognized, sovereign states.
It violates the commitment to the peaceful and consensual resolution of disputes in Europe. It supplies any ethnic or religious group that has a grievance against its capital with a playbook on how to achieve its ends. It even resurrects the discredited cold-war doctrine of limited sovereignty.
A historical injustice is being imposed on a European country that has overcome more obstacles since we democratically overthrew Slobodan Milosevic in October 2000 than most other nations have in a much longer time. Recognizing Kosovo means saying, in effect, that Serbian democracy must be punished because a tyrant — one who committed heinous deeds against the Kosovo Albanians in the 1990s — was left unpunished. Such misplaced revenge may make some feel better, but it will make the international system feel much worse.
To act out of a false moral imperative to right a supposed historical wrong will contribute neither to international security nor to the region’s prospects of European Union membership. It is time to take a step back and examine the damage done.
If we can find a creative way to step back from the abyss that is Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, we could not only salvage the credibility of the international system, but even strengthen it through a re-commitment to its basic principles. Some will say that it’s too late to put the genie back in the bottle. I don’t believe that’s true, because it’s never too late to forge a prosperous future for all stakeholders to share.
What is absolutely certain is that trust needs to be rebuilt and values must be reaffirmed. The way forward lies in coming together and securing an agreement between the two parties: a negotiated, compromise solution to Kosovo’s future status that addresses the legitimate right to broad self-governance for Kosovo’s Albanians, while preserving a democratic Serbia that is whole and free, integrated into Europe, and engaged with a world set aright through prudent statecraft.
The legitimacy of the international system hangs in the balance.
Vuk Jeremic is the foreign minister of Serbia.
Op-Ed Contributor
One Nation, Indivisible
By VUK JEREMIC
Belgrade, Serbia
THE international system that has brought unprecedented prosperity to the world since 1945 is based on rules that apply without exception. This system is supposed to protect the basic, legitimate national interests of every country, whether rich or poor, strong or weak. Its binding principles include the sovereign equality of states, the respect for the territorial integrity and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders.
Yet on Feb. 17, the Serbian province of Kosovo, which has been under United Nations administration since 1999, unilaterally declared independence from my country. This illegal act has, unfortunately, been recognized by the Bush administration and some European countries including Britain, France and Germany. Others in Europe — including Greece, Romania and Spain — have withheld recognition, as have most other leading global and regional players, including Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Israel, Russia and South Africa.
As things stand, the number of countries that will recognize an independent Kosovo will plateau at around 40, leaving it unrecognized by a vast majority of the close to 200 members of the United Nations. This includes, of course, the Republic of Serbia.
A peaceful demonstration of close to half a million people in Belgrade last week condemned this act of illegal secession. Unfortunately, a few hundred hooligans attacked several embassies, including that of the United States, and looted stores; they even attacked my ministry. Our government has condemned these acts, and will prosecute the offenders.
The case against recognition is based not only on the Security Council’s 1999 resolution reaffirming Serbia’s sovereignty over Kosovo, but also founded on the view that the international system has, as a result of this hostile act by the Kosovo Albanians, become more unstable, more insecure and more unpredictable.
Here’s why. Recognizing the unilateral declaration of Kosovo’s independence from Serbia legitimizes the doctrine of imposing solutions to ethnic conflicts. It legitimizes the act of unilateral secession by a provincial or other non-state actor. It transforms the right to self-determination into an avowed right to independence. It legitimizes the forced partition of internationally recognized, sovereign states.
It violates the commitment to the peaceful and consensual resolution of disputes in Europe. It supplies any ethnic or religious group that has a grievance against its capital with a playbook on how to achieve its ends. It even resurrects the discredited cold-war doctrine of limited sovereignty.
A historical injustice is being imposed on a European country that has overcome more obstacles since we democratically overthrew Slobodan Milosevic in October 2000 than most other nations have in a much longer time. Recognizing Kosovo means saying, in effect, that Serbian democracy must be punished because a tyrant — one who committed heinous deeds against the Kosovo Albanians in the 1990s — was left unpunished. Such misplaced revenge may make some feel better, but it will make the international system feel much worse.
To act out of a false moral imperative to right a supposed historical wrong will contribute neither to international security nor to the region’s prospects of European Union membership. It is time to take a step back and examine the damage done.
If we can find a creative way to step back from the abyss that is Kosovo’s unilateral declaration of independence, we could not only salvage the credibility of the international system, but even strengthen it through a re-commitment to its basic principles. Some will say that it’s too late to put the genie back in the bottle. I don’t believe that’s true, because it’s never too late to forge a prosperous future for all stakeholders to share.
What is absolutely certain is that trust needs to be rebuilt and values must be reaffirmed. The way forward lies in coming together and securing an agreement between the two parties: a negotiated, compromise solution to Kosovo’s future status that addresses the legitimate right to broad self-governance for Kosovo’s Albanians, while preserving a democratic Serbia that is whole and free, integrated into Europe, and engaged with a world set aright through prudent statecraft.
The legitimacy of the international system hangs in the balance.
Vuk Jeremic is the foreign minister of Serbia.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Hey Ma, can you hear me? We are news again ... so is our distant cousin!!!
So, fires have become the protest weapon of choice for the "thugs" of Serbia. Are these really "thugs" or just a convenient labeling by both sides to understate the frustration of a large population in Serbia? Personally, I have no problem with people who want to vent their frustration ... nobody likes to give away power or their view of power willingly. So I sent out some emails to some people (non-US and non-Euro) and here are some advices they have for the protesting "thugs":
1. Wearing hoodies is not the chic fashion for true protesters. Otherwise it might be interpreted that you are not really sure of what you are protesting for and are more afraid for your jobs and getting arrested than for your cause. Did Che, Chavez or Mandela wear hoodies? Answer is NO!!!
2. While fires might be cute on tv news, they have this nasty habit of being uncontrollable atimes, as evidenced by the dead person from the US embassy fire. Perhaps try more modern technology.
3. Going back home in Belgrade for dinner and sleep after breaking open borders just seems plain lazy and shows lack of commitment. Here is a quote from a gal on a small island: "I am not in the military and even I will tell you that it's more effective to occupy any territory taken. Heading home for the night and then coming back to retake the same border is a waste of effort and has the potential to make you seem like the "boys" who cried wolf. For heaven's sake, occupy Kosovo already if you are so intent on taking it back."
.... and lose the cell phones on camera. Makes you look more like a drug dealer rather than a soldier for the heartland.
There you have it folks. From moi, here are a couple of news links that are interesting to read:
- Storming of embassy in Serbia sparks U.S. outrage (apparently, Kostunica apologized to the US but no one has apologised yet to the dead body found in the fire - martyr or moron?)
Stories ... Kosova
Taking a little break from the Independence euphoria, I started searching for stories and articles that might have been written about non-independence-related Kosovo matters (like the one below); considering there were tons of journalists here ... one or 2 might have been interested in other parts of life in Kosovo. It was a futile search. If you know of any, please send to me. As a bonus, I found this: Articles written when Kosovo was not famous...
It's 'Islam lite' as Kosovars shun extremist Muslim dogma
Faith in Islam can coexist with a fondness for a beer at the local in the country seen as Europe's bulwark against radicalisation
By William Kole
in Gnjilane, Kosovo
KASTRIOT Sadiku, 25, has a confession: like a good Muslim, he was near a mosque when Kosovo declared independence. But like a good Kosovar, he was just around the corner from it, sipping beer at his favourite pub. "In the entire Muslim world, I think that's probably something that can only happen here, where our religion doesn't interfere with the rest of our lives," he said.Much has been made of Kosovo's status as the world's newest mostly Muslim nation. But its secular government, religious leaders and faithful have carefully distanced themselves from the slightest hint of extremism.The fledgling Republic of Kosovo, they insist, embraces a decidedly laid-back version of Islam."Our Islam is 'lite' – like Coke Lite or Marlboro Light cigarettes," said Ilmi Krasniqi, an imam at one of five mosques in the eastern town of Gnjilane. "This is not Baghdad, and what goes on in Saudi Arabia cannot happen here."Agim Hyseni, the chief imam in Gnjilane, said Muslims in feverishly pro-United States Kosovo have distanced themselves from extremist ideology or acts. "The people here feel no empathy for those kind of acts," he said. "They know very well what terrorism is because they've suffered through so many terrorist acts."But if terrorism is a relative term in Kosovo, so is "Muslim".The Ottoman Turks imported Islam centuries ago, but it has npt saturated this society. Kosovo was Christian before, about 7 per cent of its ethnic Albanians are Catholics, and a large cathedral is being built in the heart of Pristina, the capital.The late president Ibrahim Rugova was fascinated with Roman Catholicism, and there were even unconfirmed reports after his death in 2006 that he had converted.Although the conflict pitted Albanian Muslims against Christian Orthodox Serbs, who consider Kosovo the cradle of their religion and national identity, it was a battle for turf – not a holy war."We've never had a Christian-Muslim conflict here," said Albulena Hoti, 20, strolling in Gnjilane beneath the flags of the United States, Britain and Germany – all among the first countries to recognise Kosovo after it declared independence on Sunday.Stephen Schwartz, the executive director of the Centre for Islamic Pluralism, a Washington-based think tank, contends that Kosovo will become a model of religious pluralism in Europe. "lbanian Islam is moderate, and constitutes a bulwark against radicalisation of European Muslims," he said."I don't think there's any other Muslim country in the world where there's so much Christian missionary activity that goes on undisturbed." Kosovo's conflict drew only a smattering of mujahideen – Islamic fighters from the Arab world – unlike the 1992-5 Bosnian war, where they came by the thousands to aid their Muslim brothers.Outside Gnjilane's main mosque, the crowd of young men included some with long, wiry beards. But they are quick to eschew the strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam followed by al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden."I'm proud that our democratic and recognised country is first and foremost a very tolerant and secular state," said Fikret Morina, a 31-year-old Muslim tradesman. "The world has no reason to be afraid of us."
It's 'Islam lite' as Kosovars shun extremist Muslim dogma
Faith in Islam can coexist with a fondness for a beer at the local in the country seen as Europe's bulwark against radicalisation
By William Kole
in Gnjilane, Kosovo
KASTRIOT Sadiku, 25, has a confession: like a good Muslim, he was near a mosque when Kosovo declared independence. But like a good Kosovar, he was just around the corner from it, sipping beer at his favourite pub. "In the entire Muslim world, I think that's probably something that can only happen here, where our religion doesn't interfere with the rest of our lives," he said.Much has been made of Kosovo's status as the world's newest mostly Muslim nation. But its secular government, religious leaders and faithful have carefully distanced themselves from the slightest hint of extremism.The fledgling Republic of Kosovo, they insist, embraces a decidedly laid-back version of Islam."Our Islam is 'lite' – like Coke Lite or Marlboro Light cigarettes," said Ilmi Krasniqi, an imam at one of five mosques in the eastern town of Gnjilane. "This is not Baghdad, and what goes on in Saudi Arabia cannot happen here."Agim Hyseni, the chief imam in Gnjilane, said Muslims in feverishly pro-United States Kosovo have distanced themselves from extremist ideology or acts. "The people here feel no empathy for those kind of acts," he said. "They know very well what terrorism is because they've suffered through so many terrorist acts."But if terrorism is a relative term in Kosovo, so is "Muslim".The Ottoman Turks imported Islam centuries ago, but it has npt saturated this society. Kosovo was Christian before, about 7 per cent of its ethnic Albanians are Catholics, and a large cathedral is being built in the heart of Pristina, the capital.The late president Ibrahim Rugova was fascinated with Roman Catholicism, and there were even unconfirmed reports after his death in 2006 that he had converted.Although the conflict pitted Albanian Muslims against Christian Orthodox Serbs, who consider Kosovo the cradle of their religion and national identity, it was a battle for turf – not a holy war."We've never had a Christian-Muslim conflict here," said Albulena Hoti, 20, strolling in Gnjilane beneath the flags of the United States, Britain and Germany – all among the first countries to recognise Kosovo after it declared independence on Sunday.Stephen Schwartz, the executive director of the Centre for Islamic Pluralism, a Washington-based think tank, contends that Kosovo will become a model of religious pluralism in Europe. "lbanian Islam is moderate, and constitutes a bulwark against radicalisation of European Muslims," he said."I don't think there's any other Muslim country in the world where there's so much Christian missionary activity that goes on undisturbed." Kosovo's conflict drew only a smattering of mujahideen – Islamic fighters from the Arab world – unlike the 1992-5 Bosnian war, where they came by the thousands to aid their Muslim brothers.Outside Gnjilane's main mosque, the crowd of young men included some with long, wiry beards. But they are quick to eschew the strict Wahhabi interpretation of Islam followed by al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden."I'm proud that our democratic and recognised country is first and foremost a very tolerant and secular state," said Fikret Morina, a 31-year-old Muslim tradesman. "The world has no reason to be afraid of us."
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
UNESCO Heritage Site???
... or perhaps UNICEF heritage site. Or no need at all if a dash is added in between to read: "Free-Kosova". One thing for sure, this wall was a darling for photo-journalism in Kosovo.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
REPUBLIC OF KOSOVA!!!
... told ya ... and the party is on.... please, be careful with the "happy shooting". (pics below were culled from the net; mine will come later)
I-DAY is Here!!!
Less than 2 hours away from the eventual announcement. I wish I could feed you a live video feed but I am not that tech savy ... It's a regional party and apparently, everyone is invited. Nice to know that Kosovars are actually immune to cold temperatures. I always suspected this but witnessed it several times last night with people in t-shirts when I thought the cold would break off my c***. I have tons of pics and will upload them for y'all after the celebrations. No politics talk today. I just want to be happy for a people who seem happy.
Congrats KOSOVA!!!
Congrats KOSOVA!!!
Friday, February 15, 2008
Independence is in the air ....
... and the ladies of Prishtina still look as hot as ever :)
In case you are not aware, we all expect some sort of proclamation of independence this weekend. Many are betting on Sunday 17 Feb (night). I have my money on tonight (early morning tomorrow) but do not pay attention to me as I ALWAYS lose these bets. Either way, K becomes a republic as from next week. hmmmm ...
Of course, that will require a change in the name of this blog and I might need to apply for immigrant status. People are excited, flags are flying, drinks are being offered for free (well, that has always been true for cute stuff like me ... ahem!), and many international people are fretting (not all though). BTW, please, could all fob journalists and their lunch dates try not to be so annoyingly loud in resturants?!? We thank you for the petro-dollars you are spending in Pristina though.
Google Kosovo/Kosova and you will find more news that you can digest and hold your horses, a movie will be produced about these days in case this is not exciting enough for you.
oh! I lost already ...
This is fresh off the rolls, folk: Agenda for I-Day
Agenda "D-Day", Times in CET
Independence Declaration
17th February 2008
10:00 Prime Ministers leads off from Government to Parliament- hands over the request for extraordinary Parliament Session
11:00 Prime Minister makes public the request for extraordinary session of the Parliament
12:00 Assembly Presidency Meeting
13:30 Meeting of the Parliamentary Groups
15:00 Plenary Session of Kosova Assembly
18:00 Statement by three leaders at Hotel Grand MEDIA CENTER
18:30 Hoist of Independence Obelisk in front of the Youth Palace in Prishtina
19:00 Kosova Philharmonic Concert Hall 1 October
20:00 Concert in Prishtina Square
22:50 President and Prime Minister address the masses
23:00 Fireworks displayed at four different parts of Prishtina
In case you are not aware, we all expect some sort of proclamation of independence this weekend. Many are betting on Sunday 17 Feb (night). I have my money on tonight (early morning tomorrow) but do not pay attention to me as I ALWAYS lose these bets. Either way, K becomes a republic as from next week. hmmmm ...
Of course, that will require a change in the name of this blog and I might need to apply for immigrant status. People are excited, flags are flying, drinks are being offered for free (well, that has always been true for cute stuff like me ... ahem!), and many international people are fretting (not all though). BTW, please, could all fob journalists and their lunch dates try not to be so annoyingly loud in resturants?!? We thank you for the petro-dollars you are spending in Pristina though.
Google Kosovo/Kosova and you will find more news that you can digest and hold your horses, a movie will be produced about these days in case this is not exciting enough for you.
oh! I lost already ...
This is fresh off the rolls, folk: Agenda for I-Day
Agenda "D-Day", Times in CET
Independence Declaration
17th February 2008
10:00 Prime Ministers leads off from Government to Parliament- hands over the request for extraordinary Parliament Session
11:00 Prime Minister makes public the request for extraordinary session of the Parliament
12:00 Assembly Presidency Meeting
13:30 Meeting of the Parliamentary Groups
15:00 Plenary Session of Kosova Assembly
18:00 Statement by three leaders at Hotel Grand MEDIA CENTER
18:30 Hoist of Independence Obelisk in front of the Youth Palace in Prishtina
19:00 Kosova Philharmonic Concert Hall 1 October
20:00 Concert in Prishtina Square
22:50 President and Prime Minister address the masses
23:00 Fireworks displayed at four different parts of Prishtina
Friday, February 8, 2008
THE guide book for Kosovo
This has been the quasi-toast of town since December. Talk about an opportuned time to publish this, with independence just around the corner [knock on wood three times]. I have heard nothing but praises about this guide book and have read a couple of sections in it. Very informative. I have not bought one yet as I think I should get it as a gift. Anyone wants to do me the honors? Hehehehe, of course nothing goes for nothing ;) ... ok, enough of the slut in me. Only detail in this book I can see changing are the cafes, restaurants and phone numbers. But these reflect reality on the ground here; these fore-mentioned trio change rapidly in Kosovo. What are you waiting for? Go buy one and put me out of business.
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