Promoting the integration of minorities in Kosovo

To help the integration of these minority communities into Kosovan society, the OSCE Mission strives to raise public awareness and develop partnerships between the communities and central and local authorities.

International Roma Day on 8 April thus offered an excellent opportunity to promote Roma culture and generate media interest in Roma issues, particularly in their return and reintegration.

Local co-operation

A good example is the Gjilan/Gnjilane municipality in south-eastern Kosovo, which has been co-operating with a locally-established Civic Education Centre for Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptians. Working together, they organized an International Roma Day celebration at the town theatre.

The event, which attracted a big audience and was welcomed by many Gjilan/Gnjilane residents, allowed 27 young Roma performers to showcase their rich dancing, singing, and storytelling tradition.

"The initiative for this event came from the members of the Roma community themselves, or more precisely from the Civic Education Centre, and was supported by the municipality," explains the Head of the OSCE Office in Gjilan/Gnjilane, Joseph Flood.

The OSCE Office, which helps fund the work of the Centre, provided logistical support for the Roma Day celebration. The Centre is also supported financially by the local authorities in Gjilan/Gnjilane.

"This type of co-operation shows the willingness of municipal leaders to take concrete steps towards the integration of minority communities. In the context of the achievement of the Property and Returns Standards for Kosovo, this definitely represents a step in the right direction," adds Flood.

The Centre's main activities include Albanian and English language classes, as well as computer courses.

Media campaign

In addition to strengthening ties between the authorities and the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities, the Mission in Kosovo is also helping develop their lobbying and journalistic capabilities.

"It is important for these communities both to have access to information services in their own language, and for them to ensure there is enough information about their culture and living conditions available to the wider public," explains Flood.

To help achieve these two goals, the OSCE Mission supports the Gjilan/Gnjilane Civic Education Centre in publishing Romani Rota, a monthly newsletter in the Romany language produced by a group of OSCE-trained Roma journalists.

The newsletter provides information not only about Roma culture, but also about municipal and central government regulations, making resettlement and reintegration efforts much easier.

Produced since December 2004, Romani Rota is distributed to each of the four municipalities in the region: Kamenicë/Kamenica, Novoberdë/Novo Brdo, Viti/Vitina and Gjilan/Gnjilane.

Given the strong media interest in the International Roma Day celebrations, the event was used to produce a documentary about the Roma living in Kosovo, and lobby for its airing on regional TV stations.

A group of OSCE-trained Roma TV journalists, which has thus far produced five documentaries on Roma, Ashkali, and Egyptian returnees to Kosovo, is also looking to ensure that their programmes are rebroadcast.

Sustaining support

The spotlight of International Roma Day, however, comes around only once a year, and in the meantime, much remains to be done to support minority communities in Kosovo.

Gjilan/Gnjilane municipality is a good example of a community-based programme for the integration of minorities and the protection of human rights. However, it is not the only one where such co-operation is necessary.

"The OSCE Mission in Kosovo will continue to develop the capacities of minority groups, as well as further co-operation with local and central Kosovo authorities," concludes Joseph Flood.