Brave individuals from both sides

By Novara Bazzi

The morning started early, perhaps a bit too early after a fun night of exploring Pristina with the group. Luckily, we had an hourlong ride in the UN bus (finally airco!!) ahead of us in which we could recharge our energy as we were making our way to the impressive city of Mitrovica. This city is located north of Pristina and is typically known for its unrest due to persisting ethnic divisions and tensions. Last year, these tensions rose to such a point that the Peace Lab class was unable to visit for safety reasons. This year, however, we were lucky enough to go, explore the city and meet with the impressive civil society organizations New Social Initiative (NSI) and Community Building Mitrovica (CBM).

When I say that ethnic divisions persist in the city of Mitrovica, I mean this in a literal sense. In 2013, the city officially split into two separate municipalities: South Mitrovica with an Albanian majority and North Mitrovica with a Serb majority. These municipalities are divided by the Ibar River, which can be crossed via the so-called ‘Peace Bridge.’ The name is ironic, as the bridge stands as a symbolic division between the two communities; a bridge that, in practice, remains uncrossed. This division became most apparent when we paid our first visit to the organization NSI. We were greeted by a team of four young peacebuilders, from both Albanian and Serb backgrounds, who work together, striving towards reconciliation in this divided region.

One of the Albanian women in this multiethnic NSI team lives in the South of Mitrovica among the Albanian majority, but she commutes to the office in the North every day. She shared that attending her job interview a few years ago was the first time she had ever crossed the bridge, which truly made me realize the deep divide between these two communities in Mitrovica. It is symbolic that she now crosses this bridge regularly to reach her work, which focuses on building bridges between the Serb and Albanian communities in Mitrovica. Naturally, after hearing about the infamous bridge and its symbolic importance for both communities, we visited it following the meeting. To be entirely candid, I did not realize we had already reached the bridge until our beloved translator Enver brought it to my attention. It is a small bridge over a modest body of water, making it fascinating to consider how such an unassuming structure can carry so much emotional weight. The fact that we could cross this bridge without much thought underscores a certain privilege.

Our visit to Mitrovica was significant in my understanding of Kosovo’s society and the interactions between the different communities. While working on group projects related to post-war society and peacebuilding, I had spoken with many people in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, about the ethnic divisions and how it influences their lives. In preparation for our time in Kosovo, we delved deeply into its history and the ongoing post-war challenges. We learned that the society remains deeply divided, and reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians is fraught with difficulty. However, during our interviews, these divisions did not seem evident in people's daily lives. Many interviewees did not grasp what we meant by deep ethnic tensions, prompting us to question our previous assumptions. Had society perhaps moved on from the war? Had acceptance and reconciliation finally taken root?

However, upon arriving in Mitrovica and meeting with the NSI team, it became clear that this was not the case. While tensions may have eased in Pristina, with its Albanian majority, in Mitrovica, where both Serbian and Albanian populations reside, hostilities remain evident. The NSI team explained that they are often seen as traitors by their own communities for working with the other side and must take serious precautions when tensions rise to ensure their safety and that of their families. This meeting made me realize that Kosovo still has a long way to go to become a well-functioning and accepting society for all ethnic backgrounds. More importantly, however, it showed me that, despite these hostilities, there are brave individuals from both sides who refuse to let ethnic boundaries define them, instead working towards creating a unified society.

On that positive note, we headed to the mountains after our meetings in Mitrovica to swim in the beautiful Gazivode lake near the Serbian border and had dinner at a lovely family’s restaurant. It was a wonderful way to unwind after an intensive yet hopeful day in Mitrovica.