By Eline Koopman
Today was the first day of the third week. We digitally
‘travelled’ north, to a city called Mitrovica. With
the Ibar river dividing the city in two separate parts, the city symbolizes the
ethnic border between the Albanian and Serbian populations living in Kosovo. The
northern part of the city is where mostly ethnic Serbian Kosovars live,
while the southern part is largely populated by ethnic Albanian Kosovars.
The day
started off with an interesting meeting with the representatives from various United
Nations agencies who are working actively in Kosovo, and specifically, the area
of Mitrovica. We met with representatives from the UNDP (United Nations
Development Programme), UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund) as
well as the OHCHR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights Stand-alone Office in Kosovo).
I was positively
surprised how these massive institutional organizations managed to build
personal relationships with the local communities and Kosovar families. We
discussed various topics like activism in terms of Pride month and the Black
Lives Matter movement, aid for local children and families at risk of
domestic violence, as well as the political issue that is currently a hot
topic: the exchange of Kosovo and Serbian territories between the two countries.
When I
raised the question whether there are noticeable differences between the youth
from north and south Mitrovica when it comes to their opportunities,
aspirations and hopes for the future, the UN agencies mentioned that while the
circumstances and the aftermath of the war might be different, there is one
thing that all young people have in common: the hope of building a better
future. They mentioned that all youth, not only in Mitrovica but all over the
world, are fighting for the same issues such as the environment, education and
job opportunities. I realized that while there might be distinctive
differences, not only in the divided town of Mitrovica but on a global scale, it
is the similarities that connect the youth and allow us to be inspired by each
other.
One of the
most inspiring parts of the meeting was when the representatives of the UN were
telling about their personal life experiences, how they got involved with the
UN and how they worked towards the positions they are in now. The lovely
representative of UNICEF told that when she was younger, the one thing she was
focused on was buying a new car. She used to calculate how many months she
would have to work in order to save enough money that would allow her to buy a
new car, absolutely not knowing where her career would take her. She explained
that, besides saving up for a new car, she simply wanted to learn more, read
more and do more, and ended by saying, “This is how you move on from one
position to another,” making it seem like a job like hers at UNICEF could be
within reach for anyone.
When she told
about her work that centered around improving the health of children in Kosovo,
as well as providing assistance for those in situations of domestic violence,
I slowly start to realize that this might be the future career path I could
take. This career path might not be within the field of academics, but with an
NGO or a large institutional organization that is able to build such personal
connections on a smaller scale while simultaneously having a global impact. As
the UN representatives said, “Take on all the opportunities life offers you,”
and it will hopefully guide you to a career path that makes you truly happy.
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