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| The view from the plane right before landing at Schiphol Airport |
By Uma Claessens
On our way back from Kosovo, I felt exhausted from the built-up lack of sleep and overwhelmed by the mix of emotions that had come my way over the course of our trip. Looking around me in the airport, I noticed the exact same sentiments on everyone’s faces. Our trip to the airport had been one that seemed like the perfect, somewhat ironical ending to our trip. Anne's reminders before our departure to Kosovo, particularly the emphasis on the importance of flexibility, proved indispensable as we encountered a series of unexpected obstacles on our way to the airport. With our bus driver still sleeping in a town 35km from Pristina, an accident blocking our road (and with that also our taxis), and a flight to catch, the morning perfectly aligned with Murphy’s law, which urged us all to stay flexible one last time.
Boarding the plane on Friday 23 June, the reality of leaving Kosovo hadn't fully sunk in, and the experience felt surreal, as if we were leaving behind a part of ourselves in Pristina. The ten days we spent in Kosovo seemed to simultaneously stretch out endlessly and pass by in the blink of an eye, leaving us with an indescribable sense of connection and longing for the place that had become our home away from home. Kosovo had given us so much love, laughter, stories, and new memories.
Coming home
Returning to the Netherlands, I did not have a lot of time to process everything we experienced and felt that week. My friends and family were eager to hear all about my adventures in Kosovo, but I found myself having a hard time going into the details. It felt impossible to describe the complex, and often contradicting thoughts and emotions that came my way throughout the trip. I realized that I would first have to take time to reflect on it myself and realize what the trip had changed for me, before I could even try to express this to others.
The boat trip in Leiden on Sunday (24 June) was a very welcome way to discuss our emotions coming back from the trip. The sun was shining, the temperature rose well above 30 degrees, and the atmosphere was relaxed and joyful. It did not take long before we all jumped into the water, looking for some much needed refreshment. Reconnecting with one another, away from our bustling lives in Amsterdam, swimming in a fresh lake, it almost seemed like we had never left Kosovo. The time flew while we laughed about memories made and found comfort knowing that everyone’s experience coming back had been the same. Before we knew it, the boat docked again and we made our way back to our normal lives.
The final meetings
On Monday morning (26 June), we took the train bright and early to make our way over to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague. While I had visited the court before, it was nice to revisit it with a lot more knowledge, and most of all, a much more nuanced and critical view. By now, our class had become experts at asking the difficult, critical questions, and after hearing the different opinions regarding the KSC during our stay in Kosovo, we had quite a few of them in our pocket. The American professor and her students who joined us during the visit were visibly amused by the way we almost interrogated the court’s spokesperson, and I could not help but feel proud of how far every one of us had come.
While some of us stayed in the Hague after our visit to the KSC, I made my way back to Amsterdam to prepare for our final meeting on zoom with the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). UNMIK, established in 1999 through UN Resolution 1244, played a crucial role in maintaining peace, stability, and autonomy in Kosovo until its independence in 2008. However, its focus has since shifted to building inter-ethnic relations while retaining control over justice and security matters in Serb-inhabited areas.
Our time in Kosovo exposed us to the vast range of opinions about UNMIK, with Serbian Kosovars generally supporting its presence for the security it provides, while Albanian Kosovars express criticism due to the tolerance of Serbian parallel institutions in the country. In the meantime, UNMIK’s mandate is being renewed each year, so no one really knows if and when UNMIK will ever leave Kosovo.
Because of the tensions in the north, we weren't ablt to meet with UNMIK in person during our stay in Kosovo. So our zoom meeting on Monday was athe next best thing. As I reflected on the meeting with the UNMIK representative, I couldn't help but be reminded of the profound complexity of the situation. The divergent opinions among Serbian and Albanian Kosovars regarding UNMIK's presence highlighted the deep-seated tensions and historical complexities in the region. It became evident that there is no easy solution or unanimous agreement on the way forward.
In the midst of grappling with these conflicting perspectives, I remembered something Anne told me on multiple occasions during our trip in Kosovo: “You have to find a place in your mind where contradicting or opposing thoughts and opinions can exist.” It was a reminder that the issues we encountered in Kosovo were not easily reducible to simple answers or black-and-white conclusions. Anne's statement resonated deeply with me, especially after hearing the UNMIK representative discuss the uncertain future of their mandate. The fact that their mission is subject to annual renewal and requires a unanimous decision from the UN Security Council highlights the intricate web of political dynamics and international interests at play. It seems unlikely that a swift resolution will be reached soon, leaving UNMIK caught in a state of limbo.
The meeting with the UNMIK representative served as a powerful reminder that true understanding often lies in embracing the multiplicity of perspectives, even when they seem contradictory. It is through this openness that we can begin to navigate the complexities of our world and work towards lasting peace and stability.
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