By Anne de Graaf
On the Turkish Airlines flight from Schiphol to Istanbul. Erik
playing on his phone. Beibhin writing in her journal. Iris remembering her
study abroad in Istanbul last year. Andrea and most of the others asleep.
I’ve just read their project proposals, due last night at midnight. Yesterday
they took their exam on Balkan history and Kosovo identity. Quite a challenge
forcing so much information into just one week of lectures. They co-presented
most of the info, and it was so, so interesting to watch their understanding
spark and kindle. First few days overwhelmed, then the patterns start to emerge
and themes resonate.
Now we’re off to Prishtina for 10 days to visit various
organizations from the UN to a Roma camp, NGOs dealing with LGBT rights,
women’s rights, anti-corruption, EU governance, and everything in between,
including a community-based initiative that brings young musicians from both
sides together to just jam. This year we’ll also be spending the night in the
mountains near the Serb border, on a lake, near the hometown of one of the UN
Serbian guys who has sort-of adopted us during our visits.
It is very special—we are very special. When we walk in
somewhere people look at us: young (well, most of us-ha!) and beautiful. Our
backgrounds: Turkish, Irish, Italian, Dutch, American, Serbian, German,
Colombian, Bulgarian, French, Armenian, Egyptian, Surinamese and Finnish. We
are what Kosovo wants to be: the Young Europeans and then some!
Post-conflict country, identity, them-and-us, transitional
justice, everyday peacebuilding, hidden transcripts—all phrases we have
discussed and made our own this last week.
Yesterday after the exam I taught them interview techniques:
Our phrase for the trip is: I’m trying to
understand this a bit better, I wonder if you could help me, please. And I
taught them my Colombo trick of almost ending the interview, then saving the
most important (and sensitive) question for last, almost as an afterthought.
It’s about building trust and timing.
This is the third year that Erik and I have had the
privilege of taking young people to this great little country with a
Europe-sized heart. Our Kosovar-Albanian friends and adopted family there will
once again take our students into their homes and spoil them thoroughly. We
watch and listen and laugh. At night we will all talk at once around long,
candlelit tables, as we process the emotions and challenges of the day. In this
way we grow in understanding—and that is in itself so very crucial to the
process of peace.
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