General information
Project title: The Barabar Centre
Duration: 11 months
Implementation period: July 15, 2023 – June 15, 2024
Implementation partner: Integra
Supported by: UNMIK
Status: Completed
Project objectives:
The objective of this initiative is to tackle the primary difficulties surrounding reconciliation and the process of building trust in Kosovo. Despite more than twenty years passing since the conflict ended, Kosovo continues to be a society divided in practice, with tensions among its communities persisting due to unresolved political disagreements, contradictory public narratives, and ongoing instabilities on the ground. While the reconciliation process has been ongoing, it has struggled to yield concrete and lasting outcomes, necessitating fresh strategies and approaches.
This proposed project aims to provide a solution by establishing the Barabar Centre in Pristina. This center will serve as a hub for activities focused on building trust among different ethnic groups, offering a welcoming environment for professional, social, and cultural interactions among peer groups from all communities within Kosovo. The primary goal of this initiative is to enhance direct engagement and dialogue among these groups on both a local and regional level. This will involve civil society, academia, media, as well as youth and women’s organizations. By doing so, the project seeks to promote and contribute to the potential for achieving sincere and enduring peace in the region.
Expected results:
The primary actions planned for achievement encompass the following:
- Establishment and operationalization of an open public Centre (Barabar Centre).
- Elevating the prominence of the Barabar Centre as a central hub for the facilitation of inter-community dialogue (Barabar Talks, Podcast “She, Trust Building Forum).
- Strengthening the involvement of women and underrepresented social groups in endeavors aimed at building trust, as well as fostering a culture of rights awareness. This includes activities such as Women in peacebuilding forum, the Barabar Language hub, etc.
- Initiation of joint sets of grass-root actions promoting the principles of transitional justice and culture of memory (The Culture of Memory initiative, The Culture of Understanding initiative, victim-sensitive media reporting Code of ethics, etc.).
- Amplifying the momentum of reconciliation in Kosovo by facilitating and advocating for intercultural and artistic exchange. This involves fostering cultural interactions and exchanges among different ethnic groups.
Related reading:
- Publications
- Final report
