Favorite day so far

By Chynna Bong A Jan

Hi everyone! We are already a few days into the trip now and I will be taking you along on my favorite day so far!

On Friday 14 June we had an amazing meeting with Adelina Berisha from the Kosovo Women’s Network. I was really looking forward to this meeting ever since researching the organization and it did not disappoint. 

The organization’s aim is to support, protect and promote the rights and the interests of women and girls throughout Kosovo, regardless of their political beliefs, religion, age, level of education, sexual orientation and ability. With over 140 member organizations and four current programs, KWN is a powerful force for change. 

Adelina herself is the Program Manager for Addressing Gender Based Violence and it was really inspiring to hear her stories and all the achievements of the organization. Regarding this program, KWN successfully pushed for the inclusion of gender-based violence in criminal law, but their impact extends far beyond that. They are active in areas such as education, economic empowerment, and politics, making a profound difference in many facets of society. People like Adelina are incredibly brave, working tirelessly to achieve gender equality in a post-conflict society. As a woman, this resonated deeply with me and it has made me reflect on how I can contribute to similar causes.

It is really incredible to see such a grassroots organization flourish and it complemented the EULEX meeting that we had earlier that day, which provided a top-down perspective. This combination highlighted how both grassroots initiatives and institutional efforts play different yet crucial roles in peacebuilding and conflict resolution.

Around 4pm, the meeting concluded and then we had free time to work on our projects or take some time for ourselves. It was a nice, long day, but the day was far from over. 

In the evening we went to a lovely restaurant called Soma, which had fantastic vegetarian options (great for me!). 

After dinner, it was time for a long awaited event: the start of the Euros 2024. We wanted to go to a huge public viewing to watch the opening game, but unfortunately they were still setting up the giant screen due to a delayed license. Nevertheless, we still got to watch the game in a cozy bar! One of the project groups focuses on the role of football as a peacebuilding tool and how it relates to nationalism. Watching the game together reminded us of the unifying power of sports, but it will be interesting to see how their project develops as the tournament progresses.

We ended the day by exploring Pristina’s nightlife, which was a great way to unwind and experience the vibrant culture of the city and engage with the music scene, which is another theme of one of the projects. I am very excited for the following days to come and see how various elements—be it grassroots activism, institutional support, or even sports and music—can contribute to peacebuilding.