OSCE helps Kosovo's rural communities find answers

My municipality, my rights

Developing rural infrastructure is one of the many responsibilities of municipal institutions in Kosovo. When a village has poor roads, for example, its citizens need to alert their local authorities and work with them to resolve it.

Because this process rarely takes place in Kosovo's rural areas - mainly due to limited awareness - the OSCE Mission began carrying out its "My Municipality My Rights" project in March 2006. It consists of a series of workshops during which village leaders learn about the responsibilities of municipalities and ways to apply for support effectively.

Providing information and tools

For Isuf Nezaj, a teacher and community leader from the 2,600-strong village of Romeja in southern Kosovo, these workshops open many doors for collaboration.

"When we wanted to discuss the problems we face - such as power cuts, sewage malfunctions, slow ambulance routes or the absence of a proper water system - we didn't know who to approach," he says, adding: "But now we are learning about who is responsible for what and about legal deadlines for authorities to respond to our requests and proposals."

In addition to providing information, the workshops also aim to teach village leaders how to lobby for their interests, raise funds, write project proposals and improve their management skills.

Zornitsa Popova, a Democratization Officer at the Mission, manages the project: "Along with general information on advocacy and the work of local government, these tools enable rural communities to directly participate in decision-making.

"When an issue arises, villagers will now be able to deal with it appropriately," she adds.

Nezaj agrees, explaining that he feels the workshops have helped him a lot and he is confident his requests to municipal authorities will yield results.

Breaking the ice

To ease initial contacts between villagers and authorities, the OSCE Mission invites local government representatives to take part in the workshops and provide background information on municipal responsibilities. They in turn learn about the daily problems villagers face.

Most importantly, together they can start to address the difficulties. "We aim to ensure that first meetings are constructive to make future co-operation easier. They will no longer be strangers," says Popova

Still some way to go

Although the project will help increase rural participation in local government, Nezaj knows their journey will not be an easy one.

"We have a long way to go. These are the first steps in building our capacity to request services and communicate effectively with the authorities, but we are still far from seeing all of our wishes come true."

As international aid begins to fade from Kosovo, projects like this are increasingly important. Sooner rather than later, people will depend on local resources and the ability to request them will be crucial. In the coming months, Nezaj and his neighbours will develop a feeling for how the process works.

"My Municipality My Rights" is now being implemented in 108 villages in the municipalities of Prizren, Suharekë/Suva Reka and Dragash/Dragas - including the pilot municipal unit of Mamushe/Mamusa - in southern Kosovo.