By Laura Aker
In a time where
many people have decided to speak out against racism and police violence,
activism seems to have become a popular topic of conversation. Every day more
and more individuals try to make a difference by sharing stories, spreading
information and sometimes even protesting. For many students, their years in
university will be the first time they become involved in civil and student
rights movements. Perhaps, this is why today was an exceptionally special
occasion for me.
Because today I was able to meet and interview ex Prime Minister Albin Kurti, and representatives from the Youth Initiative for Human
Rights, and the Kosovo Women’s Network during Peace Lab June 2020. Peace Lab is a
course aimed at giving students a deeper understanding of the conflict between
Serbia and Kosovo, while also furthering their knowledge on peacekeeping.
Unsurprisingly, activism is an important aspect of this conversation and today’s
experiences have undoubtedly left me with a lot of stories to reflect on.
First of all, meeting
the ex prime-minister was an exceptional opportunity. It is not every day that
you meet a politician who is considered to be “the people’s choice”. In talking
to him, we got a glimpse of how this man started to get involved in the
politics of Kosovo, and how his actions turned him into a man who was trusted
by the people. Albin Kurti is undoubtedly charismatic and has a way of framing
his political decisions in a way that makes them seem fully respectful of human
rights. In fact, he often motivated his answers not with simple practicalities
of political pragmatism, but by putting them in a bigger narrative. Although
he is a controversial figure, I definitely got to experience the powerful
narrative of activism that he puts forth.
Secondly, we got
a chance to speak to Marigona Shabiu, the director of the Youth Initiative for Human
Rights. She gave us a powerful presentation on youth engagement and projects
that have shaped the political landscape of Kosovo. These initiatives go beyond
the common petition protests and are sure to have given us a lot of
inspiration in terms of our own activism.
Lastly, we got to
interview Igobelle Rugova, the director of the Kosovo Women’s Network. I think this conversation has
had the biggest impact on me. Igo is a woman who has lived through a lot and has turned
all her experience into something that allows her to speak up for women of all
ethnicities in Kosovo. What struck me most during the interview, was her
vulnerability. While talking about difficult subjects, she allowed herself to
become emotional and was very vocal about this. She was so open and honest that
her stories didn’t seem to be centred around some righteous cause, but around
her life and the lives of so many other women. It was a reminder of the
humanity that lies behind activism. I wholeheartedly believe this left every
student touched to the heart and inspired to the fullest.
All in all, I
think that talking to people for whom activism is not something they are
passionate about in their spare time, but whose daily lives revolve around civic
and human rights, is exceptionally insightful. I think it adds a layer of
humanity to the stories of activism that are sometimes lost in the conversation
we have today. Of course, it is important to focus on what goals we want to
achieve to make the world a more just place. But today showed me that we can’t
do that without talking to the people who have been fighting this fight for a
long time.
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